Don't Tell Dad: I BELIEVE!

By W. A. Frydrych

Josh Olsen is seventeen years old and a junior at Middletown High School in Florida. He seems to have everything a teenage boy would want. He is the son of a former professional football player, the star of the varsity football team and soccer team, is offered full scholarships by colleges from around the country, ready to play either football or soccer, has a beautiful girlfriend, and above all, has a strong Christian belief.

Josh just has one very big problem: his dad, Matt Olsen. Matt is extremely controlling, especially when it comes to Josh’s future, and he is also well-known around town as an atheist. Matt has already had prayers before school sporting events banned and is now focused on having all religious clubs banned from all the schools in the district.

Follow Josh as he struggles to make his dream of playing soccer in college become a reality while at the same time keeping his Christianity a secret from his dad and also how a small present from Josh’s girlfriend has a big impact on so many people’s lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798892434942

Book preview

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Don't Tell Dad

I BELIEVE!

W. A. Frydrych

ISBN 979-8-89243-493-5 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89243-494-2 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by W. A. Frydrych

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

About the Author

Chapter 1

Blue 42! Blue 42! Set! Hut!

Wilson drops back. He looks to his left. He looks to his right. He dumps the ball off to Olsen. Olsen turns up the field. He is to the forty. To the thirty. To the twenty. To the ten. Oh no! Olsen is caught from behind at the five. He is fighting for the goal line. He is stretching the ball out, and the referee is looking, and he is down at the one-yard line.

That is the game, folks, the announcer says over the intercom. For the first time in the forty-seven-year history of this rivalry, we have not only the first shutout but also the largest margin of victory. Your final score of tonight's game is the Ridgeville Panthers, fifty-six, and your Middletown Broncos, zero.

Josh Olsen has been a wide receiver for the varsity football team since he was a freshman. Now seventeen years old and a junior, he has grown into a six-foot-two-inch, 185-pound star wide receiver.

How? How did I not score? Josh thinks to himself as he still lies on the field, staring at the goal line. The endzone is right there.

After a couple of minutes, Josh rolls over and sits up. He looks around the field and sees the Panthers celebrating and all the fans starting to leave the stands. That is, except the group of four men and his dad. They are still sitting at the very top of the bleachers, talking—talking about him or his dad's time as a professional football player. That has been the scene all season.

Josh slowly stands up and starts making the long walk across the field. He reaches up to pull off his helmet but thinks again and decides to leave it on. He does not want anyone looking at him. Josh makes it to the fifteen-yard line and suddenly stops. He turns around and takes another look at the endzone.

That is the first time all year that I have not crossed the goal line at least once in a game, he says to himself.

Josh turns back around and starts walking slowly again, making sure he does not make eye contact with anyone.

When Josh enters the locker room, it is eerily quiet. Everyone is already clearing out of the locker room. Josh sits down on the bench and pulls off his helmet. He cannot stop thinking about the last play of the game. He opens his locker, pulls out his soap and shampoo, and heads to the showers. As Josh comes out of the shower, he notices that all his teammates have left the locker room. Over in the corner is the coach's office, and inside, he can see his coach and the four men who were talking to his dad after the game. Coach looks over and sees him.

Josh, get dressed and come into my office! he yells.

Josh nods his head up and down. As Josh pulls his clothes out of his locker, he cannot decide. Do I hurry up so I can get this over with, or do I take my time and hope those men leave? Josh decides not to be rude, hurries up, and gets dressed. As he walks into the coach's office, the coach tells him to sit down.

Josh, Coach says, these scouts are from Georgia, Texas, Nebraska, and Virginia.

Hi, Josh says.

Josh, first, we would all like to congratulate you on a great game. You had ten catches for 117 yards, and even when the game was more than over, you still had that fight in you for that last play of the game, the coach from Nebraska says.

Thank you, but I didn't score, says Josh.

You will not score every time you touch the ball or every game, another scout says. What we like is that you continue to fight every time you have the ball regardless of the score.

Do you have any questions for the scouts? Coach asks.

No, sir, Josh replies. Thank you for coming to watch me.

The four scouts shake the coach's and Josh's hands and make their way out of the locker room.

You should be smiling from ear to ear right now. What is your problem? Coach asks.

Nothing!

So you didn't score or have a good game tonight. Get over it, Coach says with a scowl on his face.

My dad is waiting for me. I better get going.

You need to thank him for inviting those scouts to the game. He is going out of his way to help you get into a division one college so you can play professional football.

Yeah, Josh mumbles.

Josh walks over to his locker and picks up his bag. Coach gets out of his chair and stands in his office doorway. You know, Josh, your dad has played pro ball, and he knows what it takes to get there. You should be grateful to have a famous dad who is willing to give his time and effort to help you succeed.

Then why don't you be his son? Josh yells at the coach. He slams his locker closed and starts walking toward the door.

"As Josh walks out of the gym, he starts looking around the parking lot. It is dark and hard to see. Josh squints to try and see clearer. Fortunately, it is a full moon tonight.

I know he is here, but where? He always makes me find him and walk across the parking lot. There is Coach's truck. That has to be the ugliest truck in town, and it is probably as old as Coach. There is the janitor's car. That thing is in better shape than Coach's truck. He laughs.

Suddenly, a pair of headlights appear in the distance, blinding Josh for a moment.

And there he is.

Josh starts the walk across the parking lot. As he gets closer, he can start to make out the outline of the big fancy SUV. Leaning against the SUV is a tall, heavy-set figure. The closer he gets to the truck, the more he starts walking toward the left side of the truck so the headlights are not directly in his eyes. Now he can see his dad, Matt. Matt is an extremely large man, six foot seven inches, 310 pounds, and has a very short crew cut. Matt also has a temper as big as he is. The combination of his size and temper allowed him to play nine years of professional football.

You're pathetic!

Josh hears from the tall, dark shadow.

Get in the truck!

Josh puts his bag in the back seat and then climbs in the front seat, making sure to keep quiet and not make eye contact with his dad.

The last game of the season, against Ridgeville, with four scouts in the stands, and you can't even score a touchdown. Then you get caught from behind on the last play of the game. I thought you were a wide receiver. No receiver I ever played with would have allowed himself to be caught from behind like that. I thought you were fast. I spent all that money and time sending you to football camps, and when the time comes for you to perform, you choke. I might as well have just thrown my money out the window.

Josh learned a long time ago that when his dad asks questions, it is best not to answer. Josh just keeps telling himself that they are almost home. The only good part about the ride home after football games is that they only live two miles from the school, and when his dad is mad, he drives a lot faster.

As they come around the corner, Josh can finally see the house, and a sense of relief comes over him. The streetlights, along with the front lights from the house, light up the white columns in the front and the neatly trimmed bushes that line the front yard.

Safety! Josh thinks to himself.

The best thing about the house is that it is so large that Josh can hide in his room without hearing his dad. It is actually the largest house on the street. Nothing but the biggest and best for Dad. That has always been the family motto.

As they pull into the driveway, Matt is still talking about how badly Josh played.

"You need to work on your speed and how to get in that endzone. I had to almost beg those scouts to come tonight, and you stunk. Starting tomorrow, you get up and you start training. You only have your senior year to show these scouts that you know how to play football and deserve a scholarship. And just in case you didn't put