9781422285251

He still has not reached his office before a player corners him to make sure that Pintard knows the player’s mom will be at the game. The reason for letting Pintard know? The player wants to make sure he gets in the game today, so his mom can watch him play. It’s a 19-year-old college sophomore asking, but everyone wants to make their mom happy. Finally, Pintard reaches his office, where the members of his coaching staff are waiting. After greeting them all, he settles into his desk chair for a short meeting on the roster and the game. The coaches go over strategy against Conejo, as well as the lineup they’ll put on the field. The coaches pass along any news about players, including injuries or other things that might affect Pintard’s decisions. Putting on a team windbreaker, Pintard finally heads to the field, where his team is warming up. Warm-ups take about two hours, during which time Pintard also visits with the opposing coach, deals with the radio interview, and meets more fans. Finally, after meeting with the umpires and standing with the team for the national anthem, Pintard watches his team take the field. After more than five hours of work on game day, he is finally ready to do what he actually does: coach the team during the game.

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