This is the second in the series about Bill Johnstone and his Rugby coach. Thanks for the comments about the first installment. I hope you enjoy this one :). Comments are very welcome.
As Rugby Captain - one of Bill Johnstone's responsibilities was to lead a squad of junior boys in their footy skills training. Coach Hawke wanted him to do it as it gave Bill practice at leadership, and also gave the younger boys an approachable role model.
One Wednesday afternoon - Bill was running down the school field with his squad of Under 14 yr olds. They were practicing passing the ball, and it was all going well, when Bill suddenly heard a surprised yelp from across the line. He looked over and noticed that Johnny Smith had tripped.
"Whoa guys" he called out to stop the running line of boys "Let's just pause a second."
Johnny was trying not to cry as he lay face down in the mud. Bill crouched down beside the boy, and put his had gently on his shoulder, and asked "You OK mate ?"
"Williams tripped me !" sniffled Johnny.
Bill turned and looked across at Aaron Williams, who was smirking slightly and avoiding his glare. Bill said "Aaron, is this true ?"
Aaron just shrugged and looked at the ground, as Bill helped Johnny to his feet. The boy was winded and covered head to toe in thick mud.
Bill glared at Aaron, saying "that was dangerous mate - you could have done a serious injury here. I think you'd better see me after training".
Aaron looked across with a hint of defiance saying "Yes ... SIR" and the smirking insolently. Bill decide to ignore this as he turned to Johnny and told him to go and wash all that mud off and then return to training.
The boys resumed their training and soon they were running hard up and down the field and practicing kicking. Johnny came back and was soon back in the thick of it. Bill had almost forgotten about the earlier incident, until the boys started playing their practice game that always ended training.
Johnny was in the shirts team, while Aaron Williams was in the skins - so he was playing with his shirt tucked into the back of his shorts.
Bill was acting as umpire, and was running alongside the shirts line as they headed for the try line. Johnny got the ball and was tackled hard by Aaron. Hard enough that Johnny remained on the ground, groaning and writhing in pain. Bill called a stop to play and went back to Johnny.
The lad was trying to get his breath and gasped "Williams punched me as he tackled me "
Bill turned to look at Aaron Williams "Is this true mate ?"
Aaron was the picture of innocence "It was an accident Johnstone, honest."
One Johnny's team-mates then piped up "I think he deliberately punched Johnny - I saw it from this side."
Aaron got hot and flushed and shouted "That's a lie !"
Bill rolled back on his heels and looked up at the stocky and muscular 14 yr old and said "Aaron, mate, this is a serious charge - i don't know who to believe, but I know you are getting too hot under the collar - so i want you to run 10 laps of the oval while we complete training, and I'll see you after that."
"WHAT ???" shouted Aaron "that is SO unfair "
"Unless you'd rather go and talk to Coach Hawke about your attitude ...." offered Bill.
"No that's ok" muttered the boy , adding sarcastically "I'll go ... SIR". He then turned and jogged off around the oval.
Bill quickly concluded the session with a short lecture about good sportsmanship and some warm-down exercises for the whole squad. He also sent Johnny off to the school matron to be sure he hadn't damaged a rib.
Bill then sat down and waited for Aaron to complete his laps. The boy was puffed and red faced as he jogged over and sat on the field beside Bill. He puffed a few times before looking at Bill and saying "Happy now ... SIR ?"
Bill looked at him and said "No mate I'm not - I don't appreciate the sarcastic attitude when I'm trying to help you guys train."
Aaron tried glaring at him, but soon broke eye contact and started concentrating on the ground and muttered "ok mate .. well why d'you pick on me so much."
"I don't pick on you" said Bill, " I just try and push you a bit because you have real potential to be in the Firsts one day".
Aaron looked up at him with a shy grin and said "D'ya reckon ?"
"I do mate" said Bill, ruffling Aaron's hair in a big brotherly gesture.
Aaron ducked his head and grinned.
Bill smiled too, but then said "But seriously Aaron - tripping another bloke is a pretty dangerous thing to do at training - if anyone in the Senior squad tried that, .. well .. Coach would give him one hell of a caning !"
Aaron looked up, grinning and said "Yeah right .. sure he would mate."
"I'm not kidding Aaron" said Bill, looking deadly serious.
"Yeah ok" said Aaron, "maybe he'd cane some of the younger guys in the squad, but I don't believe he'd cane any of you guys on the team."
Bill looked at him "Aaron - he's caned ME once this season already".
Aaron looked incredulous "No WAY, you have got to be kidding me - there has only been that one opening game and you played great - you are having me on."
Bill just shook his head "You know how I decked that scum-bag Gibson - well the Coach had made me promise to stop any on field fighting, so given that I started the only fight of the game - he was kinda mad at me".
Aaron looked at Bill incredulously "Suuure he did Bill ... how many did you get then "
Bill blushed slightly "12 of the best"
"Jeez " gasped Aaron " I couldn't take that many ... I doubt many guys could"
Bill smiled "yeah well it sure stung - I really learnt my lesson".
Aaron looked at him "What ? to not argue with Hawke".
Bill shook his head "No mate - to never start a fight on the field for any reason or in any way."
Aaron looked away and said "oh ......"
Bill stood slowly, saying "Which is why I'm going to be hard on you about tripping and punching."
Aaron looked alarmed "W-what do ya mean ?"
Bill turned and started to walk off the field before turning and saying "C'mon , let's go and see the Coach".
Aaron scrambled to his feet and ran after Bill, asking "What ! ... why ? .. what are you going to say to him ????"
The two boys walked into the school sports building and went up to the office of the Head Coach. Bill knocked on the door.
A firm voice called out "Yeah - come in"
Bill pushed open the door, asking "Sir ?"
Coach Hawke was sitting behind his desk pouring over the tactics of their next competition. He looked up and smiled at the team captain. "Bill ! Come on in, what can I do for you ?"
He just raised an eyebrow as Williams nervously also entered the room.
"Coach sir" began Bill, "I wanted to bring Aaron here in front of you because in our training today he tripped up another player, and punched that same player later in a tackle."
The coach frowned and glared at Aaron "this is very serious Williams "
Aaron hung his head and muttered "Yes Sir".
Bill gulped and said "Sir - I have already made him run 10 laps of the oval, immediately after the punching incident"
"Very good Bill" said the Coach, nodding approvingly. He then glared at Aaron "Anything to say for yourself ? - you know how much we disapprove on on field violence".
Aaron gulped and said "Yes Sir - Bill .. I mean Johnstone told me Sir. I'm sorry about tripping Johnny, but the punch .. it was an accident Sir."
Bill looked across at his Coach "Sir, one of the other players said the punch looked deliberate. I wasn't sure which to believe."
"Hmmmm.... ". The coach looked at the two boys standing before him. Both were wearing tight training shorts and singlets, and both had a tough muscular physique with a well defined backside that just begged to be caned.
Bill was looking relaxed and unconcerned, while Aaron was looking worried and a little scared. but he was trying to look tough in front of the school Rugby Captain.
"OK lads" said the Coach "it seems to me that Aaron here deserves four strokes regardless of whether he punched deliberately on not"
Aaron was looking down and just gulped and muttered "Yes Sir".
"However" continued Coach "if you did punch deliberately - you deserve another 4 on top of that".
Aaron gasped "uh .. but Sir .. it WAS an accident".
"Yes .. yes .." said the Coach dismissively "well of course if Johnstone here has been accusing you falsely .. then maybe he deserves four strokes".
Aaron gasped and Bill looked at the Coach in surprise, saying "Sir ?"
The Coach laughed "That makes it interesting... doesn't it ?"
Bill was feeling a little flustered as Aaron looked at him with a small smile. He said "uh Sir .. could I see you about this in private ?"
The Coach grinned broadly "Sure Bill, but the cost will another 4 which will definitely go to you".
"But Sir !" protested Bill.
"No Bill" said the Coach "you know the price if you want it".
Bill took a deep breath and said "Then that's ok Sir"
"Good" said the Coach clapping his hands together and pulling out two canes - a junior sports cane and the senior sports cane. He picked up the junior cane and said "Aaron, you need 4 of the best as a minimum - bend over and grab your toes".
Aaron gulped and took a deep breath before bending over - his shorts tightly presenting his backside. The Coach tapped the cane on his shorts a couple of times to practice.
Bill watched with mixed feelings. he didn't like the idea of getting caned in front of one of the junior squad members he has to Coach. Not that he was in love with the idea of getting caned at all, but he knew he could take 4 with the senior cane without embarrassing himself. Nonetheless he was enjoying the sight of Aaron is position - he felt sure this boy would take it well.
The Coach drew the cane back... swiish .... THWWWWWAAAAACK !!!!
Aaron gasped in pain.
The Coach lined the cane up with the lower backside .... .. swiish .... THWWWWWAAAAACK !!!!
Aaron groaned "arrrgh sir that huuurts !!!"
Again the Coach lined the cane up .. swiish .... THWWWWWAAAAACK !!!!
Aaron sobbed "ooooww I'm sorry Sir .. please ... it hurts "
The Coach lined up again with the lower part of Aaron's muscular backside .. swiish .... THWWWWWAAAAACK !!!!
Aaron yelped and whimpered in pain and the Coach turned and put the cane back on the table.
"Ok Aaron" said the Coach "you may stand and put your hands on your head".
Slowly, a teary and red faced Aaron stood and put his hands on his head. Bill watched on in silence, with a bulge showing in the front of his shorts indicating how he appreciated the sight of Aaron getting it.
The Coach looked at Aaron who was still wincing in pain, and said "Now - do you still deny that you deliberately punched Johnny in that tackle".
"Well" sobbed Aaron "it kind of just happened .. I didn't want to hurt him .. just shake him up, for being a cry baby and running to Johnstone all the time."
"in other words - yes , it was deliberate" said the Coach.
Aaron sobbed "Well kind of .. I guess so."
Coach Hawke looked at Aaron "So why did you lie boy ?"
Aaron burst into tears and sobbed "Well .. I didn't mean to hit him so hard so I kind of didn't do it deliberately .. i thought he could take it, and then when you said I could see Johnstone get into trouble .. I mean ... well ... I guess I thought it was worth the risk."
Hawke completely understood what Aaron had been doing. hell, if he had the chance of seeing Bill getting caned he would have taken a similar risk. Bill was feeling aghast that the little sod was trying to set him up to get caned. He also was feeling excited and had been half hoping that he would still get it.
Bill surprised everyone by blurting out : "so Sir .. it wasn't really a lie Sir .. more a misunderstanding Sir."
The Coach looked at Bill in surprise, saying "what do you mean Bill ?"
Bill said"Well, he deserves another two strokes say, rather than the four - because it wasn't really a total lie. He really hadn't intended to hurt Johnny."
The Coach said with a small smile, and looking at Bill, "OK .. well that means there are two strokes unaccounted for.."
"Well Sir" said Bill with a deep breath "I should get those Sir"
"Really ?" blurted out Aaron "you'd take those instead of me".
"Yes mate" said Bill nodding "well I don't think you deserve them, and I did sort of assume you were lying outright when you weren't .. so I guess I kind of deserve them."
The Coach felt his heart racing - this was too goof to be true "So Bill will take two and the Aaron can have his last two. Now Bill, are you prepared to take them in front of Aaron ?"
Bill nodded and smiled at Aaron "Yes Sir - he deserves to see it."
"OK Bill, into position" said the Coach as he and Aaron watched the Rugby Captain bend himself into position, so that his muscular backside was p[perfectly placed to take each stroke. Coach decided to make each stroke really count and pulled out the big cane and took a strep back and tapped it on Bill's bum.
Aaron watched wide eyed as his hero submitted to a caning. he felt his pulse raise just getting to watch this.
Bill also felt the excitement in the room. He couldn't believe he was submitting to this in front of one of his own junior squad members, and yet it felt great to be doing it.
Coach drew the heavy cane back and .. swish ... THWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWACKED it hard into Bill's bum.
Bill shut his eyes and made no sound against the pain, and Aaron gasped at how hard the Captain was getting it, as well as marveling at how well he was taking it.
The Coach then drew the cane back front the lower part of the bum and swish ... THWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWACKED it even harder into Bill's bum.
Bill said softly "ouch Sir .. that was hard one" .
Coach then gave him permission to stand - and put his hands on his head. Aaron just watched admiringly.
Aaron then resumed the same position ad the Coach swapped over canes. Aaron kept on focusing on taking it as well as Bill. He felt the coach tap the cane again.
The Coach drew the cane back .... swish ... THWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWACKED it, as Aaron involuntarily gasped. and the harder stroke.
The Coach then ... swish ... THWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWACKED it hard again, and Aaron fought against bursting into tears.
The Coach gave the tearful Aaron permission to stand. Aaron stood slowly and tried to blink away his tears. Bill had just been watching quietly, as though nothing had happened.
Coach said they could both go and change. Bill gestured to let Aaron walk out first . The Coach quietly touched Bill's shoulder and said "well done" softly into Captain's ear. Once again this young man had shown the leadership to validate their choice of him as captain.
As they went to the change area Aaron chattered excitedly at how cool Bill was, and how tough he must be. Bill smiled indulgently "steady on mate - I only took two,."
Aaron was now even more excited about being on Bill's rugby training squad, and they never had an attitude problem from him at training again.
While the two lads changed, Aaron took a sneak look at Bill's bum, with it's two thick red stripes, and the faded stripes from the earlier dozen.
Soon the story was told all over the school - that Bill had volunteered to take a caning to save one of the junior players getting too many