Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 2288

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The Daily Dormouse.
(aka Bike, est. 2007)
Part 2288
by Angharad

Copyright© 2014 Angharad
All Rights Reserved.
  
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“What did the ref say?” asked Si as I stood rigid watching the match official walk away into the school.

“He recognised Danni, or at least her style of play.”

“Oops—still, she is good.”

“Good, both our girls were totally brilliant,” I said unequivocally.

“Yeah, little Trish played well, too.”

“Oh come off it, Si, they both played better than anyone else.”

“I agreed with you, babes, they were very good.” As he said that they both walked towards us.

“Gonna get a shower and change,” said Danni and they walked off together to the changing rooms carrying their change of clothing in a sports bag.

“Those your daughters?” asked a man I’d never seen before.

“Yes.”

“They’re a credit to the school. The elder one is a real class act with a football, plays more like a boy but hell, we could do with a few more like her in the men’s team let alone the ladies.”

“Danielle is quite good isn’t she?”I admitted blushing a little.

“Quite, she’s absolutely brilliant. If she keeps it up for a bit longer, she’s international quality.”

“We’ll have to see, her education is of primary importance at the moment.”

“I agree, but I’d like her to come along for a training afternoon one Sunday.” He handed me a business card. I quickly read it and handed it to Simon.

“Jack Sinclair, Portsmouth Ladies FC,” he read aloud. “So what are you exactly?”

“I’m their assistant coach and main talent spotter. Your other girl is quite good too, but she’s a bit young for us at the moment, but keep her playing and she might be good enough for the professional game. Danielle is nearly there already.”

“She’s only thirteen, she’s a schoolgirl for goodness sake.”

“England are looking to put together a school side, if she joins us, assuming she’s as good as I think she is, she’ll definitely be good enough for them and a full cap when she’s sixteen or seventeen.”

“I’ll speak to her, Mr—um—Sinclair.”

“Once she finds out they want her to go for a trial, she’ll be over the moon.”

“We’re not going to tell her.”

“What?”

“I accept she is very good and probably good enough to pass any trial, however, just think what would happen if she was good enough to get into the England side.”

“What missing school and so on?”

Sometimes Simon was so thick I wondered if there were two of them and today I got the stupid twin brother. “No you nit, the publicity. How long would it be before some recognised her from her type of play and the tabloids ran with the story—it could destroy her and certainly destroy her career as a sportswoman. Look at the trouble that South African athlete had.”

“Nelson Mandela?”

“Gee whiz, Simon, what are you thinking of? Never heard of Caster Semenya?”

“Did she marry Nelson Mandela or something?”

“No, give me strength, she was the intersexed runner who got so much flak before the Olympics.”

“Oh her? Yeah, I remember now, she got beaten by the British girl.”

“I don’t remember that but I do remember the hoo-ha before it all and how it caused her loads of anguish and she has never been a boy as far as I know.”

“But isn’t that for Danni to decide, not us?”

Sister Maria returned having been entertained by the Havant head teacher. “I can’t believe we won both games, all thanks to your little family.”

“Little isn’t the word that springs to my mind, headmistress.”

“No, perhaps you’re right, but perfect for a good Catholic family.”

“We’re not even that as you well know.”

“God moves in mysterious ways.”

“The understatement of the century,” I said and smiled, she returned my smile.

Simon showed her the card. “They want Danni to try out for Portsmouth ladies.”

“Well she’s pretty good, isn’t she?”

“That’s not the issue, Maria, it’s about the publicity that could arise if she made the grade or even higher than just club level.”

“What, international level?”

“That fellow considered she could be good enough with the correct sort of training.”

“Well that’s wonderful for her.” She saw me shaking my head, “Isn’t it?”

“Not if the way the tabloids chased the current captain of the side around until she came out and said she was gay.”

“I see, but is she going to spend every moment of her life looking over her shoulder in case someone recognises her from her previous life? Doesn’t she deserve to move on—she’s a young woman now; shouldn’t she be allowed to get on with her life and make the most of it—or is this going to follow her around like a spectre at the feast?”

I didn’t know what to say. I’d spent too long looking over my shoulder for the same reason and had then thrown caution to the wind in making my dormouse film. It was my decision agreed by Simon and Tom and even Henry. The university and my family were both behind me and it had worked, there wasn’t much noise at all even though it was all there in the interviews Simon and I had given before we were married and when the news of my gender change first broke. If the family and the school were behind her, couldn’t Danni have the same chance to decide for herself? Oh boy, why doesn’t life throw me some easy questions for a change?

I decided I would speak to her and see what she thought, and to try and do it in a neutral way, not sharing my preferences until she decided what she’d like to do. The girls rejoined us and were praised by all and sundry—not sure how we got their heads into my car, but we did and then drove home.

After lunch when both girls bragged of their exploits I managed to get Danni on her own and showed her the card. “Who’s he when he’s at home?”

“Their assistant coach and talent spotter.”

“So why did he speak to you?”

“Why d’you think?”

“He wants the bank to sponsor his team—they’re pretty crap anyway.”

“He works with the ladies team.”

“Didn’t know they had one.”

“So you learned something new today, that’s a good start.”

“Hardly Chelsea, is it?”

I shrugged.

“So he doesn’t want money?”

“No, but then he doesn’t necessarily know who I am.”

“Come off it, Mummy, you’re about the most beautiful and famous woman in Portsmouth.”

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, neither will fibs.”

“Well Daddy thinks so.”

“Exactly—hardly an unbiased view, is it?”

She shrugged, “I think he’s right, you are a bit of a cracker.”

I blushed, and was about to say something about the silly jokes inside Christmas ones and instead didn’t.

“He doesn’t want you to play footie for them—yeah, go for it, Mummy.”

“Ah, no, not exactly.”

“He wants Trish? Wow—she’s a bit young, isn’t she?”

“He seemed to think so.”

“So what did he want then?”

“You.”

She fell about laughing and then realised what I’d said.

“You what?”

“He wants you to do a trial for them.”

“Oh wow, Mummy—what the ladies team?”

“Well seeing as you’re a young lady, it makes a certain sort of sense, doesn’t it?”

“Can I?” she started dancing round with a smile that nearly split her face.

“I think we’ll need to think about it and see what everyone thinks don’t you?”

“Why? It only affects me.”

“Sadly it doesn’t—and before you get too high on the acclaim, the referee recognised you.”

“Eh?”

“If you’d done your scissors kick, he’d have known it was you for certain.”

“What?” she gasped looking pale.

“You begin to see the problem now?”

“It’s not fair, Mummy, it’s bloody well not.”

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Comments

I agree with Woody

Since when was life ever fair for tee-people.
The tabloids are still making a meal of transgender issues and Danni would be bound to come a cropper if she went further up the scale with her football and hit the international levels. The tabloids are still light years behind society now for people often deem transgender issues to be 'old hat' or 'small beer'.

Good chapter Ang and food for thought.

Bev.

x

bev_1.jpg

Bikie 2288

It ashamed the way Trans Girls are treated in the sports world when they are outed and the press treats them with a lot of bigotry because they are something else except what there truly are!

Richard

Decisions Decisons ...

Poor Danni there in front of her is a dream , Can she, Should she go for it ? Given how the computer age has made the world seem so small its a fact that if she does decide to go for a trial news will spread fast if she does well...Before too long someone would no doubt put two and two together, Which could cause problems for a while, However the the very reason that would attract the press to Danni is also the same reason why she would quickly become yesterdays media sensation...

Yes things might be sticky for a while, But is not worth taking the risk to fulfill a dream ?

Kirri

Interesting...

Shades of the young "lady" who told Dann* that pro play was in her future...

Big difference between "should" and what actually happens. I keep waiting for something to go crazy bad in my life - and I'm NOT doing anything on the national or international (or even many smaller levels) level. *sighs*

Thanks for keeping this going.
Annette (playing catch up, again)