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NINETEEN
It had been 14 years since Dave made two free throws to give Bailey Woods the championship over Central High.
“If I go into labor, don’t leave your team. Finish the game,” Sarah said to Dave as building security was going to escort her to a more comfortable location on the ground floor of the building.
“You are my team. Tony has my back when you are ready,” Dave replied as he kissed his uncomfortable wife on the forehead.
It was one of those moments in life that completely split Dave in two. He kept looking over his shoulder the entire first half, waiting for security personnel to usher him through the bowels of the Coliseum to Nassau County Medical Center.
The one comfort Dave had was knowing that the hospital was basically down the block, and only a few minutes by car from the venue.
Halftime of the boy’s game came and Bailey Woods held a four-point lead. Dave was escorted to an office where Sarah was lounging in a recliner. She had been watching the game on a closed-circuit feed and said, “If you call a time-out in the second half, I’m going to kill you!”
She yelled, “One more thing!
Dave turned around and Sarah continued, “When they go back to the press, the sidelines are wide open!”
Dave replied, “One-three-one?”
Sarah nodded, “One-three-one.”
Both coaches knew that the way to break Central’s press was through a one-three-one setup, where the ball would go to Matt Phillips in the middle and he would pass to either side where two players were streaking down the sidelines.
By the time Central High figured out they should go to a man-to-man defense, the game was already in hand. Dave listened to his wife and avoided calling a time-out the entire second half. The final buzzer sounded and Bailey Woods had its second championship of the day, following an eight-point victory.
Dave was so intent on getting to his wife that he shook hands with the Central coaches and then bolted from the court to get to his wife. By the time he got back to his room, Dr. Marshall was standing next to Sarah.
“My water just broke,” she said as she looked down to the floor to a small pool that surrounded her feet.
“It’s time to go, kids,” Dr. Marshall stated in a nurturing tone. “I’ll see you at the hospital.”
A police escort to the hospital ensured that Sarah would be resting uncomfortably in the hospital within minutes. Once she went into labor, any thoughts or flashbacks of the day’s events had been washed away with the efficiency of a bar of antibacterial soap.
Once word spread about the impending birth, local News 12 crews dispatched and players and friends headed to the hospital. Two hours after they were escorted to the hospital, Sarah gave birth to a healthy nine-pound, five-ounce girl named Nicole Bailey Abrahams, affectionately called Nicky. As soon as baby and mom were cleaned up, the birthing room changed back into an upscale hospital room that could have doubled for a hotel room.
Two guards had to be put in place outside of the room to regulate the flow of traffic. The procession of players, family, coaches, and media people seemed to be endless. The picture on the back cover of the Sunday edition of Newsday showed Dave holding both championship trophies and Sarah cradling baby Nicky with the headline, ”AND BABY MAKES THREE!”
Word had spread so much that Dave, Sarah, and Nicky were featured on the TODAY show the next morning, and then taped an OPRAH segment in the afternoon.
“That was a crazy day,” Dave said to Sarah once the cameras were gone and Nicky went to the nursery for the night.
Sarah affectionately squeezed Dave’s hand, “That must have been torture for you.”
“I couldn’t think of anything else but you,” he replied. Dave looked around and said, “We better get busy in a few months if we want to do this all again next year.”
EPILOGUE
The nest baby was three years in the making, giving mom and dad ample time to adjust to the many facets of Nicky. Andrew “Drew” Brandon Abrahams was born on May 15th, prompting Sarah to take the rest of the school year off.
By the time Drew came into the world, both Sarah and Dave had won another championship each, with his coming in back-to-back fashion courtesy of Matt Phillips, and hers coming a few years apart.
In all, when everything was said and done, Dave’s teams won five Nassau County titles and one state title, and Sarah’s team’s won seven Nassau County titles and one Long Island championship. By the time their 32-year careers ended, their impact on the community was undeniable. Not only did they invigorate the junior basketball system in bailey Woods, they also gave the athletes a more balanced look at life. Every player in the league had to volunteer a few hours a week in the town – whether it was assisting seniors, repairing houses, cutting lawns or removing snow for the elderly, or raising money for local charities – the next generation would volunteer for more hours than asked.
Being a Dolphins Basketball player meant a lot more than just throwing a ball through a hoop or playing tough defense, it meant being a productive, caring citizen.
A 60 year-old Dave and a 58 year-old Sarah, along with Nicky, 24, and Drew, 21, witnessed the raising of banners at their retirement ceremony. These numbers were also shared by their kids, who shattered every record that was left standing at the school.
Nicky decided to take over the women’s team to ensure the continuity and integrity of the program, and Tony D took over the varsity boys’ team for two years until Drew finished his Master’s in Business Education. Tony D had transitioned through the years from head of security, to athletic director, to vice principal.
Sarah and Dave retired from coaching and teaching, but they were appointed sports czars/directors for the district. It appeared that both sides were a little skittish about letting go. Retirement was definitely not an option for two vital people that still had so much to give.
Dave had come a long way from almost marrying Haley, who had been divorced three times and wound up living and taking care of her miserable mother in the later years. Walter Abrahams’ heart remained strong for 15 years after his heart attack, but died quietly while watching TV one afternoon. He happened to be watching a tape of his son playing basketball in high school and reportedly died with a smile on his face.