American TV series: Starting with exploiting young Sheldon

However, after hearing Sam's words, Aaron frowned and said, "Regina and I don't have that kind of relationship. Also, Mike is someone the coach values, and I hope you won't mess with him."

Knowing Sam's personality, Aaron naturally didn't want Sam's off-court issues to affect the team's training.

It can be said that Aaron is a true football fan, and he also attaches great importance to Mike, a talented newcomer.

Sam, having found himself in an awkward situation, inwardly scorned Aaron, but outwardly made a fawning promise that he would never cause trouble for Mike.

Aaron shook his head, looking somewhat helpless, as he watched Sam's departing figure.

Rugby is not a one-man sport; for a team to achieve good results, team atmosphere and cohesion are very important.

A troublemaker like Sam, who loves to stir up trouble, wouldn't need to be kept on the team if it weren't for the team's lack of players.

Meanwhile, as Mike and George were stretching, Coach George, wearing his new whistle around his neck, came up to them.

That whistle, gleaming golden in the sunlight, was the little gift Mike gave George yesterday.

After signaling George to continue warming up, Coach George looked at Mike and asked, "Mike, how much do you know about football?"

“I’ve learned most of the rules on the field from George,” Mike replied.

"Very good." George was pleased with Mike's preparedness. Then, he inquired in more detail, "How much do you know about 'running backs'?"

Running Back: On offense, the running back is usually positioned in the backfield. They typically receive the ball from the quarterback and gain yardage by running.

Running backs are generally divided into two types: power running backs and agile running backs.

Power running back: Physically strong, they can use their strength to get a short yard, so they are often used as a battering ram when short yards are involved.

Agile running back: Usually, there are no major requirements for size, but better speed and agility are needed. They should be good at finding larger yards to run on the outside.

In the current team, big man Sam is a power running back, while Mike is more of agile running back.

Mike recalled the explanation George had given him during self-study and gave the correct answer.

"Good~" Coach George smiled and continued, "So how much do you know about 'safety guards'?"

Safety: On the defensive side, the safety is usually positioned at the far back of the team, serving as the team's last line of defense.

Mike gave the correct answer again.

"Great, wear this jersey during practice later." George unfolded a large blue jersey with the number 20 marked in yellow.

On the rugby field, there are strict requirements for the uniforms worn by each player.

The numbers 20-49 are exactly the numbers that running backs (running guards, semi-running guards) on the offensive end and guards (cornerbacks, safety) on the defensive end should wear.

It seems that Coach George had already planned out Mike's position on the court.

After Mike put on his team uniform, Coach George in the middle of the court blew the whistle to gather the players.

After everyone assembled, Mike took a quick look and found that the school football team had about a hundred people.

However, a large portion of the team members were wearing jerseys without numbers.

Clearly, these are students who are just trying to get credits; they won't be fielded in the actual competition.

— Commonly known as the atmosphere group.

Over there, Sam spotted Mike in the crowd, wearing the number 20 jersey. Seeing that Mike already had his own jersey after only two days there, the big man's expression darkened further.

Next, the team underwent a one-hour physical training session.

During this period, team members with jersey numbers will be more demanding of themselves during training. As for those students just trying to get credits, they can rest on the sidelines when they get tired.

Mike's physical fitness is over 100, which is top-notch among these sixteen or seventeen-year-olds.

An hour of intense training left him breathless, but also gave him a feeling of exhilaration.

Just as Mike was wiping his sweat and resting, a figure suddenly bumped into him.

Caught off guard, Mike stumbled from the impact. After regaining his balance, he looked back and saw a burly teammate looking at him with a smug expression.

The person was wearing a jersey with the number 21 on it.

Seeing that he hadn't knocked Mike down, the man was somewhat surprised, but still taunted, "Kid, don't think you can get cocky just because Coach George likes you. Watch out next time!"

After speaking, the man ignored Mike's reaction and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Chapter 16 Conflict

George, standing in the crowd, had witnessed everything that had just happened.

He went over to Mike and said, "His name is Sam, he's a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong. A lot of the new guys on the team have been bullied by him..."

People with a nasty personality like Sam are good at using their advantages to disgust others.

Such people usually don't make any major mistakes, but they constantly engage in petty tricks in private.

If you are targeted by this kind of person and you ignore them, they might think you are easy to bully and will stick to you like a leech.

Knowing Sam's tenacity, George asked, "Should I tell the coach what just happened?"

Mike spotted Sam smugly gloating in the crowd. Sam smiled and said, "No need, I can handle this myself."

“Okay.” Little George also felt that telling the parents was a very tasteless thing to do. He suggested, “If he comes to bother you again, remember to tell me. I still have some personal grudges with him that haven’t been resolved.”

George Jr. and Sam had a conflict on the field last time because of Sheldon Jr.

Although the coach suppressed the fight, it created a grudge between the two.

The break ended just as little George was speaking.

Next, it was time for the team members to have some competitive training.

After Coach George arranged the training content, he called Mike aside and prepared to give him a special explanation of his tactical skills.

At this moment, Sam abandoned his training opponent and came over, pretending to be kind: "Coach, talking is useless without practice. I'm willing to help this new teammate adapt to the rules on the court more quickly."

He patted his chest as he spoke, looking utterly honest and simple. Anyone who didn't know better would have truly believed he genuinely wanted to help Mike.

However, Coach George also knew some of Sam's character and knew that the other party wasn't so kind.

Despite the other party's confident assertions, Coach George still intends to help Mike refuse.

However, Mike and Sam exchanged a glance and saw the ill intent in each other's eyes. So, Mike smiled and said, "Coach, this student is right. Practice makes perfect."

Seeing that Mike said the same thing, Coach George shook his head and said, "Okay, if you insist..."

With the coach's permission, Mike and Sam put on their protective helmets and went onto the field.

“Kid, I admire your courage,” Sam, wearing a helmet, said in a deep voice. “I’ll go easy on you in a bit…”

Mike could tell from the voice that the other person had a sure look on their face that they had him completely under their thumb.

He beckoned and took two small orbs of light from the excited Sam.

Strength attribute +5

[Speed ​​Attribute +3]

This single attribute, while not immediately increasing Mike's physical condition, is still valuable.

However, with these attributes, Mike only needs a little training to easily break through his physical limits.

From this perspective, Sam, who seems to be bursting with strength, is also a good leek to be harvested.

Seeing that Mike didn't respond to his provocation for a while, Sam continued, "As a newbie, you need to practice how to defend first. Next, I'm going to attack you, so watch out so you don't get knocked away!"

Sam had no intention of explaining any fighting techniques to Mike; as he spoke, he prepared to charge.

Mike completely ignored Sam's attitude. He spread his legs, leaned forward slightly, and raised his arms, assuming a fighting stance.

Because of his "Demon Body," Mike wasn't afraid of confrontation, which was why he agreed to Sam's proposal.

The two collided quickly. Mike tried to twist his body to absorb the impact, but Sam grabbed him with a small gesture.

Then, what started as a struggle between the two gradually turned into a full-blown brawl.

Sam is burly and experienced, while Mike is agile and ruthless.

After their interaction, it could be said that neither of them gained an advantage.

Just as Sam retreated, preparing for a second attack, he heard Mike's voice in his ear: "Is that all you've got? Didn't you eat lunch?"

His words, though seemingly casual, possess an explosive capacity for sarcasm.

Sam, who was already annoyed because he hadn't gotten the better deal, got even angrier when he heard Mike say that.

"Damn it, that was just an appetizer. Now let me teach you how to respect your elders..." Sam roared, tilting his head forward and ramming his hard helmet into Mike.

In rugby, hitting someone with a helmet is considered one of the most egregious fouls.

Mike already knew the rules of football from George. Seeing that the other party was using such a despicable tactic against him, Mike had no intention of tolerating it.

It's fair to say that this was the moment Mike had been waiting for.

Within the rules, Mike might not be a match for a veteran like Sam for the time being. But if the rules aren't followed, Mike isn't afraid of his opponent.

When Sam charged at him with his helmet, Mike pretended not to know it was a foul and continued to make defensive moves.

In reality, his center of gravity had shifted to the left side of his body, while his right leg was ready to strike at any moment.

"Bang~"

The two collided again, this time with an exceptionally loud sound.

Despite the excruciating pain in his arm, Mike mustered his strength and kicked his right leg toward the opponent's groin.

With a loud "Ouch!", Sam writhed on the ground, clutching his groin, like a shrimp.

His cries were so pitiful that they drew everyone's attention.

Mike didn't care what others thought. He put on an angry expression, took off his helmet, and approached Sam while cursing.

While you are sick, I will kill you!

Seeing the hostile look in Mike's eyes, Captain Aaron quickly ran over and stood between the two.

Before Aaron could speak, Mike said coldly, "Get out of the way."

Aaron had noticed this earlier and knew that Sam had fouled first.

Startled by Mike's shout, the mild-mannered captain paused for a moment.

While Aaron was distracted, Mike walked past him.

Approaching Sam, Mike bent down and removed his helmet. Ignoring the man's pained expression, Mike raised the helmet and slammed it into Sam's face.

With several teeth flying out and his face covered in blood, Sam was now filled with terror and helplessness.

Hearing Sam's cries of pain, Aaron realized what was happening and quickly gathered his teammates to separate Mike.

Once things had calmed down, Coach George finally arrived, looking anxious as he asked, "What happened?"

Actually, Coach George had been keeping an eye on Mike, and when he saw Sam use his helmet to ram someone, he wanted to come over and stop him.

As a result, before he could even come over to stop him, he saw Mike retaliate.

Seeing that Mike hadn't suffered any losses, Coach George, who already had his own personal preferences, decided to slow down his approach.

Upon hearing the coach's question, Captain Aaron truthfully replied, "It seems like Sam provoked Mike by committing a foul first. Then the two got into a fight, and that's how it ended."

Coach George didn't ask any more questions. After checking Sam's injury, he immediately had Aaron take some people to the school hospital.

Seeing the miserable state of Sam as he was sent away, many of the team members who had been bullied by him all showed expressions of schadenfreude.

Little George in the crowd even gave Mike a thumbs up.

After Sam was sent away, Coach George continued, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

Chapter 17 Preparing for the Confrontation

Mike recounted the events in detail, highlighting two main points: First, the other party intentionally bullied him, a newcomer. Second, the other party struck first, and he was merely retaliating.

To put it bluntly, Mike had planned ahead to minimize his own responsibility.

The team members around him all knew Sam's character, and they generally accepted Mike's self-justification.

Little George, who was standing nearby, witnessed the whole incident.

Although he felt that Mike's retaliation was a bit excessive, he still stepped forward in the end and was willing to be Mike's witness.

At this moment, the cheerleaders, a group of beautiful women, also heard about what happened on the field.