Shave His Head
The first week of school was always buzzing with excitement, but this year was different. The big game against Lincoln High had the whole school talking. It wasn’t just about the game; it was about the charity head shaving event, where one of the coaches would be randomly selected to have his head shaved in front of the entire school at the pep rally.
The fundraiser had been running for a week, with students and faculty donating money to see their chosen coach get shaved. The top three coaches with the most donations would be put into a hat, and one name would be drawn at random during the pep rally. The event had gained so much traction that tickets to the game at the local college stadium, which seated 30,000, were selling out fast.
Coach Anderson, the head football coach and assistant principal, had been dreading this day. Standing at 6’3” with a slim but sturdy build, Coach Anderson was known for his intimidating presence on and off the field. He had been with the school for over 30 years, starting his coaching career at 25. Back then, he sported a long black mullet, but over the years, his hair had greyed and thinned. He’d taken to dyeing it and eventually settled on a medium-length businessman’s cut to hide the balding. Despite his best efforts, his receding hairline was a source of embarrassment, and he was never seen without a hat on windy or rainy days.
As the week went on, it became clear that Coach Anderson was raising more money than all the other coaches combined. Despite his efforts to change the rules to make the selection random, he still found himself in the top three, alongside the baseball and basketball coaches—both much younger and with full heads of hair.
On the day of the pep rally, the money was counted, and the three coaches were informed they were the finalists. Coach Anderson was tasked with preparing the names for the drawing. As he walked to his office, the plan to rig the drawing by excluding his name seemed tempting. He printed out two slips with the basketball coach’s name, one with the baseball coach’s, and none with his own. Just as he was about to return to the gym, the fear of getting caught crept in. He printed a slip with his own name, replaced one of the basketball coach’s slips, and reluctantly headed back.
As he walked back, a surge of nerves hit him. He decided to test the draw by pulling a name at random. Shaking up the hat, he reached in and pulled out a slip. His stomach dropped—it was his own name. The 2/3 chance of not getting picked no longer felt so promising. Panicking, he reverted to his original plan. He discarded the slip with his name and replaced it with another for the basketball coach, ensuring his own exclusion.
Returning to the gym, Coach Anderson handed the hat to Principal Johnson. The principal, sensing his anxiety, joked about the delay and told him to go join the other two coaches who were already sitting down facing the bleachers. Ms. Ramirez, the cosmetology teacher, was ready with her clippers. She had planned to use a 1/2 inch guard, which would at least leave some hair.
The principal and Ms. Ramirez decided to check the names in the hat and they then discovered what Coach Anderson had done. Ms. Ramirez whispered to Principal Johnson, “Won’t be needing this anymore,” as she removed the guard from the clippers. “I should go get my balding clippers. That will really teach him a lesson.”
The principal nodded. “Great idea. I’ll stall.”
Ms. Ramirez hurried to her classroom while Principal Johnson walked out to the coaches. He stood behind each of them and asked the students who they were excited for. The baseball and basketball coaches received decent applause, but the roar when he introduced Coach Anderson was deafening. The principal tousled the football coach’s hair, revealing the thinning spots, much to the crowd’s amusement. The embarrassed coach pulled away and quickly fixed his hair the best he could.
Principal Johnson whispered in Coach Anderson’s ear, “I know what you did.”
Panic surged through the coach as the principal continued to mess with his hair, buying time for Ms. Ramirez. The principal patted Coach Anderson on the back, “Don’t worry coach, you’re going to be shining on that sideline tonight.”
Ms. Ramirez returned, clippers in hand. She revealed herself to the students, holding a cape and the clippers with the balding clippers hidden in her back pocket. The principal grabbed the microphone and informed everyone that it was time for the drawing. He shook up the hat, pulled out a name, but it didn’t matter who he chose as he announced, “Coach Anderson has been chosen!”
The gym erupted in cheers. The coach’s face paled, but he knew better than to argue as Ms. Ramirez caped him up. The room fell silent as she turned on the clippers. She started at the sides, carefully removing the hair with precision. The crowd watched intently as more and more of his hair fell to the ground. With each pass of the clippers, Coach Anderson’s scalp became more visible. The sides and back were quickly reduced to stubble, but Ms. Ramirez wasn’t done yet.
She pulled out her balding clippers, designed to take the hair down to the skin. The crowd gasped as the clippers buzzed to life. Ms. Ramirez moved to the top of Coach Anderson’s head, shaving it down to the scalp. The once proud, albeit thinning, hair was gone, replaced by a shiny bald head. The coach sat in stunned silence, his face a mix of embarrassment and resignation.
As the rally concluded, Coach Anderson was left to contemplate his new look. That evening, he stood on the sidelines of the packed stadium, his bald head gleaming under the stadium lights. The game against Lincoln High was more than just a rivalry—it was a testament to his dedication and the lengths he’d go to for his team and school. The town had never seen him like this, but despite the initial shock, they cheered louder than ever, rallying behind their freshly shaved coach.
