Patty Hits the Court

by Patty (Patrick) Mills

  I looked at the D and the G in the word and said to Ms Kelly, ‘“G” is for goal and “D” is for defence. Without defence it’s easier to score a goal, and scoring a goal is a privilege.’

  She grinned. ‘That’s good, Patty. Keep practising and I’ll come back in a minute.’

  I ran through the little riddle I’d made up a few times, looked at the word, covered it and then tried writing it down.

  When I uncovered the word and saw that I’d spelled it correctly, I punched the air. ‘Yes!’ I said, and Ms Kelly looked across to me and asked, ‘Got it, Patty?’

  I nodded. ‘Keep it going?’ she said.

  I made a game of it. Each word I learned to spell was a basketball goal. I was excited to tell Dad and Mum my score.

  ‘HEY, PATTY,’ Josie and Tiago said when I leaned my bike up against a tree at the park. I was super keen to start practising. ‘Where are Manu and Boris?’ I asked.

  ‘Maybe they slept in,’ Tiago said.

  ‘Don’t you mean Boris is stuck waiting for Manu to finish eating a gigantic breakfast?’ Josie replied.

  ‘Probably,’ I said. Manu loved to eat. But then I saw them in the distance, riding along the path.

  They parked their bikes and Manu said, ‘Let’s practise some layups.’

  ‘See how many we can get in a row,’ Boris called out.

  I felt self-conscious, remembering my disastrous run of layups at the first training session. But again I remembered what Mum had told me – if I kept trying, I would get there in the end.

  My first shot went in and I realised I’d been holding my breath. When I scored my second I started to enjoy myself.

  Trying to make a lot of baskets made us slow down and concentrate on what we were doing. We shot fifteen baskets in a row: three each.

  ‘Great shooting,’ Boris said. I tried to keep the smile off my face, but I was so pleased with myself.

  Boris, Manu and Tiago started competing for the rebounds so I tried to get into position too, but they kept blocking me out. It seemed like none of them were going to share the ball with me.

  Tyson rode over to the court on his BMX.

  He sat slumped over his handlebars for a couple of minutes before he called out, ‘Can you get the ball to reach the hoop yet, Patty?’

  ‘I’ve scored more than you did yesterday, Tyson,’ I answered, knowing he’d only kicked a point in the footy match and was moved from rover to the back pocket at half-time.

  ‘Well, at least I got a better spelling test result than you,’ Tyson teased.

  Boris jumped in. ‘We just made fifteen layups in a row.’

  ‘Who did, Patty?’ Tyson asked. I smirked at Tyson thinking I could have improved so quickly.

  ‘No, we shot three each,’ Boris said.

  ‘Right,’ Tyson said, scratching his head. ‘Okay, who’s ready for half-court three on three?’ He dropped his bike. ‘You’re on my team, Tiago, and you too, Boris,’ he announced.

  Tyson threw the ball to me. ‘First team to twenty points wins.’

  I moved to the centre of the court. Tyson got into position to pressure me as I attempted to get the ball to Josie and Manu.

  I wanted Josie to go to the far right side of the court but I couldn’t just call out and tell her where to go – it would give my plan away.

  My mind went to my dance group, which Josie was a member of too. Sometimes when we were learning a new dance, Uncle Noel would tap his hip to tell us which direction to move. I looked at Josie and when I knew she was watching me, I tapped my hip like Uncle Noel. Tyson wouldn’t have had any idea what I was doing, but I was pleased when Josie moved to the far right.

  I started to dribble the ball, at first moving to the left side of the court. I knew that Tyson would try to press up on me at some stage but I thought I’d dribble the ball as far as I could before he made his move. I was about to pass to Josie when I thought I saw a clear path to the basket. I went for it, only to be blocked easily by Tiago just as the ball left my hands. I looked sheepishly back at Josie but she was looking at Manu; they were both frowning.

  It seemed like only seconds later when Tiago scored, and a minute after that it was Tyson.

  I dribbled the ball back to the centre of the court then passed to Manu.

  As soon as he had it, he gave it to Josie – then they just passed it back and forth between themselves. Even when I was standing in the clear, jumping up and down and calling to them, they wouldn’t pass the ball to me. I started to wonder if they thought I was hopeless . . . and then I remembered how mad they had been with me when I wouldn’t share the ball in our scratch match. And I’d just done the same thing again.

  ‘Come on, guys,’ I said to them when Tyson took the ball back to the centre of the court. ‘Why won’t you pass it to me?’

  ‘I didn’t see you there,’ Manu said.

  ‘I’ve learned my lesson. If I get the ball I’ll pass it around. I promise.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Josie asked.

  I nodded, and next time when Manu approached the basket he bolted around Tyson and passed the ball to me. I passed it back to him before Tiago could block him and Manu made a layup.

  ‘That’s the way,’ Josie said, giving us both high fives.

  Tyson didn’t look happy that I’d assisted Manu. It made me happy though, and I knew I could do it again.

  So next time I had the ball, I didn’t even think about trying to score myself – I just tried to pass to Manu and Josie, making the most of their height and skill.

  I bounce-passed the ball to Josie through Tyson’s legs and she spun around and scored. A few minutes later I did a no-look pass to Manu that led to another basket and completely rattled Tiago, Boris and Tyson.

  IN THE END we lost twenty points to twelve, but at least Josie and Manu scored three baskets each, and we got to see Tyson’s moves. I’d make sure to remember and practise them for the next time we played, and keep working on my shooting so that I could contribute to our score in future.

  Afterwards, Josie and I sat on the lawn having a drink. Satisfied that he’d beaten us by so much, Tyson said, ‘You guys did all right. Keep practising every day and you’ll be ready for our first game.’

  ‘When’s that?’ Josie asked.

  ‘Against St Joseph’s in two weeks.’

  ‘You think we’ll make the team?’ Josie asked excitedly.

  Tyson shrugged and said, ‘That’s up to Coach Clarke,’ before he rode off on his BMX.

  ‘I’VE GOT AN IDEA,’ I told Josie as we started riding home to my place for lunch. ‘Let’s go to the library and get some books about basketball.’

  Josie agreed. ‘But you’ve got to let me help you with your spelling homework. There’s no way I’m playing my first game of basketball without you.’

  We started looking in the sports section of the library and I found a book called Basketball: Steps to Success. As soon as I held up the cover to show Josie she said, ‘That’s exactly what we need.’

  ‘Josie,’ I asked, feeling embarrassed, ‘can you show me some good books to read that might help me with my spelling?’

  ‘For sure, bala!’ she answered with a smile.

  ‘HI, JOSIE, hi, Patty,’ Mum and Dad said when we walked into my lounge room.

  ‘How was basketball practice?’ Dad asked.

  ‘Awesome,’ Josie said. ‘But we need to practise a lot more to get ready for our first game.’

  ‘Your first game?’ Mum asked.

  ‘The season starts in two weeks,’ Josie told her.

  Mum looked at us and asked, ‘And you’re on the team, Patty?’

  ‘It’s up to Coach Clarke, but we’re practising as much as we can to improve,’ Josie explained as we sat down at the kitchen table.

  ‘But, Patty, remember, if you’re not up on your schoolwork you won’t be playing basketball.’

  ‘I haven’t forgotten about that, Mum,’ I told her. How could I? ‘That’s why Josie is here to help me with my
spelling homework.’

  Mum raised an eyebrow and said, ‘Ms Kelly will be watching how you go very closely over the next couple of weeks.’

  ‘I’ll make sure he gets on top of it,’ Josie said.

  ‘What’s this?’ Dad asked, picking up the basketball book.

  ‘We thought we’d get some tips,’ I told him.

  ‘Good thinking,’ Dad said, and then he turned to Mum and said, ‘Maybe basketball is going to help Patty with his schoolwork. When was the last time he borrowed a book from the public library?’

  Mum shrugged her shoulders and gave a little smile.

  ‘And, Dad, after Josie has helped me with my homework, can we watch some footage of Uncle Danny playing?’ I asked him.

  ‘Sure,’ he said, ‘but eat some of my chicken soup first, you must be starving!’

  AFTER LUNCH, Dad went outside and Josie and I went to the study. Josie opened the basketball book. ‘Read it aloud, Patty,’ she said. ‘If there are any words you don’t know we’ll look them up in the dictionary. It’ll be good for your spelling.’

  Dad started up with his drill outside and we closed the window so we could concentrate. We learned more about playing defence, and that dribbling strongly with both hands is important for changing direction on the court and evading opposition. I also learned how to spell some new words, like ‘attempt’, ‘pivot’, ‘regulation’, and by looking in the dictionary, the difference between ‘stationary’ and ‘stationery’.

  After we ran through my spelling lists we sat on the couch and Dad showed us footage of Uncle Danny playing for the Brisbane Bullets. It was the game that got them into the grand final against the Perth Wildcats. Dad explained that at this point, Uncle Danny was coming to the end of his career, but he still shot fifteen points playing off the bench.

  I felt a ball of energy burning inside me as I watched Uncle Danny score the final basket to beat the Wollongong Hawks. I knew that I wanted more than anything to be the greatest basketballer I could be.

  And then Dad said, ‘Come and have a look outside.’

  We walked out to the driveway to discover that Dad had put up a basketball backboard.

  ‘It’s awesome! I’m going to practise fifty layups every morning before school,’ I told Dad and Josie, all fired up after watching Uncle Danny.

  I WAS MORE NERVOUS before my spelling test the next Wednesday morning than I’d ever been before a game of football. To relax I thought about all the revision I’d done. Ms Kelly called out the first word – ‘talent’ – and I started to spell it out, remembering that it didn’t have two L’s.

  I punched the air when Ms Kelly handed me back my result later that afternoon. I’d scored eighteen out of twenty.

  Boris jumped out of his chair and slapped me on the back. ‘You’ve got your chance to kick four goals!’ he said. But Ms Kelly gave him a stern look and he sat back down.

  I DIDN’T KICK FOUR GOALS in my last football match for the season, but I did keep my promise to Mum and Dad to focus on my schoolwork.

  At the end of the last basketball training session before the start of the season Coach Clarke pulled us all together and said, ‘I’m proud of how hard you’ve all worked in the lead-up to the season, and I’m particularly proud of Patty and Josie.’ Then he handed us each a team jersey. We were smiling from ear to ear as our teammates applauded.

  It was so hard to concentrate in class on the morning leading up to my first basketball game. Dad and Mum were taking the afternoon off to watch, and I couldn’t wait to wear the new light- and dark-blue jersey that looked like the ones professional teams wore.

  When I felt my mind wandering during class I took a moment to think about the things Dad had told me about the importance of education. Then I turned my attention back to Ms Kelly. She was teaching us about the Australian political system in preparation for an excursion to Parliament House.

  Our basketball game was after lunch so to conserve our energy during the break, Boris, Tiago, Josie and I sat on the edge of the oval and watched everyone play footy. But Manu, who never runs out of energy, decided to join the game. We kept ourselves entertained by cheering our friends on.

  ‘Holding the ball,’ Tiago yelled out whenever Manu got hold of it even for a second, and we all cracked up.

  When the lunch bell went, the team lined up for the school bus to St Joseph’s College.

  I’d played football on their oval but had never been in their school gym before. It was a lot like ours, but bigger, with a couple more courts. There was an electronic scoreboard placed high on the wall at one end.

  When we had changed into our uniforms and stepped onto the court, Coach Clarke said, ‘It’s time to warm up, team. Let’s start with some layups, but take it easy.’

  It felt like I was floating as I dribbled towards the basket. The ball bounced off the backboard and dropped straight through the hoop.

  When I turned to run back to the line I saw Dad and Mum. Dad gave me the thumbs-up and Mum waved at me. They walked over to Coach Clarke and introduced themselves, then took a seat in the stands.

  Dad and Mum loved watching me play sport and I was feeling even more pumped about the game because they were there.

  After I’d done another layup, Josie and I looked at the kids at the other end of the court. ‘They’re tall, aren’t they, Patty?’ Josie said, and all I could do was nod in agreement. I’d get thrashed by them.

  ‘You’re tall,’ I reminded Josie. ‘And quick.’

  ‘And you’re smart, fast and skillful,’ she said to me. I smiled. She couldn’t pretend I was tall – but I had to have confidence that my other skills would get me through.

  Coach Clarke pulled us into a huddle a couple of minutes before the game started. ‘Thank you, Patty and Josie, for joining our team this season. I can see that you’re going to be great basketball players. It’s important in this game not to expect too much from yourselves. Just get used to playing, listen to the referee and me and enjoy the game. I’m going to rotate players often, giving everyone plenty of court time. Okay, Boris, I want you to inbound the ball, and Tyson, you’re point guard. Patty, Josie and Charlie, you’re starting. Stand next to a player roughly your own height and good luck.’

  I walked into the centre of the court. My heart was pounding as I picked out a player to stand by. The shortest St Joseph’s player was still much taller than me.

  My palms were sweating and I wiped them on my jersey. What am I doing here? I’m not a basketball player, I thought. The referee blew his whistle.

  I tried to set up in a good position but my opponent was all over me. Tyson broke away from his player and Charlie passed to him for an easy layup. Much as I hated to admit it, it was easy to see why Tyson was the star of the team.

  Our supporters and my teammates on the bench thumped their feet on the floor in celebration. It was the first time I’d heard that sound and I loved it.

  But a lot can happen in only a few seconds in basketball; we didn’t set up our defence in time and the opposition scored.

  I needed to do something before Coach Clarke benched me. I was standing just outside the key as Boris shot the ball. Everyone raced towards the basket but the ball hit the hoop, bounced over their heads and right into my hands. Charlie screened his player so I could have a clear shot. I could hear everyone yelling, ‘Shoot it, Patty!’

  Although I rushed a little, I felt confident, remembering to push the ball up properly like I’d practised every morning before school. The ball hit the backboard and dropped in the hoop.

  ‘Nice one,’ Boris said, tapping my hand as he ran past. I could feel the vibrations of the stomping feet through the court and I knew this time it was for me. Getting my first basket felt even better than scoring in football.

  Coach Clarke called timeout and everyone patted each other’s backs in the huddle. Josie, Charlie and I were benched as Nathan, Manu and Tiago jogged onto the court, but all I could think about was getting my hands on the ball again and dr
iving to the basket.

  Dad and Mum caught my eye and gave me another thumbs-up when I was subbed back on.

  ‘Boris, Boris,’ I called out as soon as he had the ball. He passed it to me and I dribbled towards the basket with ease.

  One of the opposition players ran in front of me so I shot the ball. It bounced off the hoop and Tyson grumbled, ‘Slow it down, Patty.’ But it was like I was possessed.

  The next time the ball was in my hands my teammates were scattering around our key as the opposition applied heavy pressure. I was getting flustered, wanting to try and make a layup but knowing I should pass. I eventually passed to where I thought Manu was standing but the ball was intercepted.

  Manu was shaking his head and ranting in Spanish. ‘What?’ I asked, and then a timeout was called and I was subbed off.

  ‘Patty, watch what your teammates are doing,’ Coach Clarke instructed.

  I sat on the bench feeling embarrassed by my mistake. I just wasn’t cut out for basketball.

  When there were only a few minutes left in the game, St Joseph’s were leading by a point. Coach Clarke told me to get ready. ‘Focus, Patty,’ he said before I ran back on.

  I raced around trying to get into a good position to receive the ball but I never seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

  I felt like walking off the court and giving up, but then the ball bounced off someone’s shoe and rolled out to me.

  I was just outside the key. I looked up to find someone to pass it to but my teammates started yelling, ‘Shoot it, shoot it!’

  I was confused. I turned my head to see what Coach Clarke wanted me to do, and he was yelling ‘Shoot it, Patty!’ too.

  When I finally shot the ball, the siren sounded. My shot didn’t even reach the basket and the game was over. St Joseph’s beat us thirty to twenty-nine.

  As I walked off the court, Tyson pointed to the scoreboard and said, ‘You have to watch the clock, Patty. Pass quickly to a shooter or have a shot yourself.’