Swish!

By Ronnie Stout

Brandi Braden, head coach of the San Fernando University women’s basketball team, has a lot going for her. Her abilities to lead the girls and her appearance have attracted the media’s attention, not to mention Athletic Director Jim Hathaway’s. Plus, it looks like her team, the Tigers, have a good chance to make it all the way to the finals.

But that isn’t enough for Coach Braden. Her quiet loathing for all men took hold when she was in junior high thanks to two of her brother’s friends. And when she sees how her friend Valerie is living—driving an expensive sports car and living in a luxurious condo—Brandi begins to wonder if there’s more to life.
After all, basketball can be a dangerous sport. Two of her team members—one being star point guard Rose Raymond—have suffered concussions in the first two games of the season. Their injuries send Coach Braden to the drawing board, where she comes up with a radical invention. She knows what it’s like to suffer the long-term effects of a concussion and wants to ensure it doesn’t happen to any more of the Tigers.

The new headgear isn’t the only radical idea that crosses her mind. Although her friend Val’s new line of work shocks Brandi at first, she begins to reconsider. After all, it seems like a sure thing. Plus, she won’t be crossing the line—at least not from her perspective. And the victims? Well, they deserve what’s coming to them. And the double life she will lead actually sounds like fun—and what an adventure it will be!

As it turns out, not everyone sees things the way she does. Brandi finds herself beaten and bloodied. Who knew she was infringing on territory controlled by organized crime? And who knew she and Val had become the subjects of a police investigation?

Lying alone in the hospital, her life forever changed, Brandi turns to the radio for company. What she hears will change the course of her life yet again—even more dramatically.

While Brandi’s life takes one unexpected turn after another, the Tigers’ Assistant Coach, Emily Hanson, steps in to fill the gap. Her ability to direct the girls athletically and spiritually makes a positive difference. When word of Coach Braden’s criminal activity reaches the powers that be, Emily is named head coach.

This is not what she had in mind, and when Brandi gets in touch, Emily tells her so. But that’s not why the former coach is calling. There is something far more important on her mind, and she turns to Emily for answers.

While things don’t turn out the way she expects, Coach Braden’s invention does change women’s basketball for the better—preventing who knows how many future injuries. From living in the limelight to hiding in the shadows, Brandi Braden learns there is more to life than winning championships, driving fast cars, and living in luxury. A different kind of excitement and adventure await her. Both Brandi Braden’s and Emily Hanson’s lives are forever changed—for the better.

Enjoy the play-by-play action of Swish!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ronnie Stout
• Release date: Dec 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311687777

Ronnie Stout

Ron Stout was raised in Los Angeles, California, and earned his BA in pre-medicine at Occidental College. Following two Korean tours as a navy officer on a destroyer, he attended LIFE Bible College, majoring in biblical Greek and theology and graduating with a BTh. With children arriving, Ron worked in a corporate office in Los Angeles while attending USC in the evening as a graduate student in the School of Business. Ron and his family then moved to San Diego County, where Ron spent 21 years in the stock market as a broker, a branch manager of an NYSE member firm, and an independent registered investment advisor. Many of the experiences in Fireflies occurred while Ron and his wife, Corinne, were living on their beautiful ranch in Julian, California. They then moved to Arizona, where Ron studied agriculture at the University of Arizona. The Stouts plunged into apple orchards and the Cider Mill, a highly visible retail operation on Interstate 10 at Willcox, Arizona, for 22 years. Today, Ron and Corinne have retired on their Arizona ranch. Their daughter, Robin, and her family live nearby.

Book preview

Swish!

By Ronnie Stout

Copyright © 2014 Ronnie Stout

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission of Ronnie Stout. Requests may be submitted by email: [e-mail].

Editing by Karen Burkett of ChristianEditingServices.com

Formatting and cover design by Shannon Herring of ChristianEditingServices.com

Table Of Contents

Chapter 1   The Accident

Chapter 2   TheObsession

Chapter 3   Southern Union

Chapter 4   The Accident

Chapter 5 – Valerie Watkins

Chapter 6 – Where is Coach Brandi?

Chapter 7 – Potty Mouths

Chapter 8 – The Prototype

Chapter 9 – Emily Hanson

Chapter 10 – Pacific Rim

Chapter 11 – Brandy and Val

Chapter 12 – Marvin and Carlo

Chapter 13 – Breaking News

Chapter 14 – The Forest Hills Game

Chapter 15 – Conference Championship

Chapter 16 – The Afterglow

Chapter 1 — The Accident

Light’er up, Bill! Merrill Adkins yelled to the driver up front as the ambulance emerged from the stadium tunnel into the parking lot. Bill flipped the switch and the pulsating red and white lights pierced the night sky. At the same time, the shrill scream of the siren jolted everyone mingling outside to attention, warning them to back off and give way. Rose was lying motionless on the gurney inside the vehicle, strapped down to hold her firm in case she started to writhe. She seemed to be conscious now, but her mind was blank. Her eyes revealed an empty stare. She had no immediate memory of what had just happened. But what had happened had been spectacular.

Millie had just grabbed a rebound and was racing down the floor, dribbling at top speed. Rose was out front, running full out down the sidelines and curving in toward the basket. Millie spotted her and ripped off a pass to her just as a defensive guard closed on Rose to block or intercept the pass. With her head turned to catch the pass, Rose didn’t see the guard closing on her. They collided and both of them went down hard. Rose’s body crashed into the floor and then, a split-second later, her head slammed down on the shiny wood with a sickening thud. She did not get up. In fact, she did not even move.

Everyone in the arena froze. A hush fell over the place as the coaches and assistants gathered around her. Groups of players on both teams stood in separate little crowds, talking softly, some with tears running down their cheeks. A couple of girls could be seen praying for Rose.

Medical personnel were immediately on the scene, evaluating the situation. Finally, one of them spoke to Coach Brandi Braden and the Athletic Director, Jim Hathaway, who were standing right there, and said, This girl should be moved to the hospital ASAP. Jim nodded while Brandi seemed stunned.

A gurney was wheeled onto the floor and Rose was eased ever so gently onto a special board and strapped down. She was still not conscious. As personnel picked up the board to place it on the gurney and then put her in the ambulance, spontaneous clapping erupted in the crowd.

Nice gesture, Brandi thought.

Brandi made eye contact with Missy Williams and gave her a little head gesture that told her she was going in for Rose. It was the third quarter and Northeastern had the lead. 55–42. Things were just not going all that well for San Fernando.

A girl from Northeastern went to the line and dropped in two more free throws. 57–42. Angela Knight inbounded to Missy for the Tigers. Missy dribbled down the floor, crossed the centerline, and squared up to shoot, but a Northeastern Warrior girl came out on her and had her covered. Missy passed back to Angela who quickly launched a pass to Tisha Powell, who was under the basket. She promptly caromed the ball off the backboard into the basket. 57–44.

And so the game went. As the Tigers tried to speed up the game, the Warriors deliberately slowed it down. The clock was ticking away. There were only five minutes left and the Warriors were up by seven. 78–71.

Angela inbounded to Missy, who took off racing down the floor with that magnificent dribble. She faked inside and made the defender commit and then moved outside and launched a fifteen-foot jump shot. Good! 78–73.

The Warriors inbounded. As the Warrior guard crossed the centerline, Tisha stole the ball and sprinted to the basket for a layup. 78–75.

The Warriors were slowing it down, conserving energy,