Switch Play!

by Matt Christopher

  Copyright

  Text copyright © 2003 by Catherine M. Christopher

  Illustrations copyright © 2003 by Daniel Vasconcellos

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue

  New York, NY 10017

  Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

  First eBook Edition: December 2009

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious.

  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental

  and not intended by the author.

  Matt Christopher® is a registered trademark

  of Catherine M. Christopher.

  ISBN: 978-0-316-09470-2

  Contents

  Copyright

  Soccer ’Cats Team Roster

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  For my great-grandson,

  Travis Chamberlain Howell

  Soccer ’Cats Team Roster

  Lou Barnes Striker

  Jerry Dinh Striker

  Stookie Norris Striker

  Dewey London Halfback

  Bundy Neel Halfback

  Amanda Caler Halfback

  Brant Davis Fullback

  Lisa Gaddy Fullback

  Ted Gaddy Fullback

  Alan Minter Fullback

  Bucky Pinter Goalie

  Subs:

  Jason Shearer

  Dale Tuget

  Roy Boswick

  Edith “Eddie” Sweeny

  Chapter 1

  It was a hot day on the soccer field, but that’s not why Ted Gaddy was steamed. For the past minute, he’d been watching his fellow Soccer ’Cats cheer for his sister, Lisa. Both he and Lisa played the position of fullback. Both were good players, but Lisa had a special move that no one else on the team could do.

  Whenever the ball bounced over the sideline near her, it was her job to throw the ball back into play. Most players did the usual two-handed, over-the-head throw. Not Lisa. She was short and couldn’t throw it very far that way. So she learned to do a front handspring throw-in. She actually would do a flip while holding the ball! When she finished the flip, she’d let go of the ball. It usually flew high and far into the air, way over most defenders’ heads.

  This move was her secret weapon. She didn’t do it all the time. But when she did, it was a real crowd-pleaser. Today, Lisa flip-threw the ball to striker Jerry Dinh, who then made a goal. Even though Jerry was the one who had scored, it was Lisa who got most of the applause. As usual.

  Ted knew he should be happy. His team was ahead of its opponent, the Panthers. His only sister — his twin, no less — had made it happen. But all he could think of was how no one had ever cheered for him the way they were cheering for Lisa.

  The Panthers and the ’Cats got into position to restart the game. At the whistle, the Panthers’ center striker toed the ball to his teammate. The teammate quickly passed it back and the attack was on.

  ’Cats halfbacks Dewey London and Bundy Neel double-teamed the Panther with the ball. The Panther tried to pass the ball to his teammate. Amanda Caler, the third ’Cat halfback, jumped between them and stole the ball. Suddenly, the ’Cats were the ones on the attack.

  Great, thought Ted, kicking at the grass. Now we have to stand around again, waiting for the ball to come to our end.

  Usually Ted liked his position at fullback. He liked knowing that he helped prevent the other team from making a goal. But today, most of the action had been in front of the Panthers’ goal. He, Lisa, and the other two fullbacks, Alan Minter and Brant Davis, hadn’t gotten much action.

  He watched Bundy battle for control of the ball with a Panther striker. Bundy won and kicked the ball back into Panther territory. The ’Cats fans applauded loudly.

  I bet if I played halfback, people would clap for me, too, Ted thought sourly. Or striker, he added to himself as Stookie Norris scored a goal, his second for the game. Once again, cheers rang out from the stands.

  But fat chance of that happening. It’d take a miracle for me to find myself in front of any goal but this one!

  Stookie’s goal was the last one of the game. When the ref blew his whistle a minute later, the ’Cats had won, 3–1.

  After he’d shaken hands with the Panthers, Ted sat on a bench and took off his shin pads and cleats. As he was putting on his regular sneakers, Lisa sat next to him.

  “Another win! Yahoo!” she crowed as she changed her shoes.

  Ted was about to say something when one of the Panthers stopped in front of them. She was grinning.

  “Hey, Lisa! When are you going to teach me how to do that flip-throw?” she asked. “It is so cool!”

  Lisa grinned back. “Maybe when the season’s over,” she said. The girls laughed and the Panther walked away.

  Ted rolled his eyes.

  “What’s that look for?” Lisa asked.

  “Nothing,” said Ted. He slid from the bench and started walking. “Let’s just go home, okay?”

  Silently, Lisa followed him. Ted could feel her eyes on his back, but he refused to turn around.

  Let her see what it’s like to be ignored, he thought meanly.

  Chapter 2

  Two days later, Ted showed up at practice still in a bad mood. He hadn’t said much to Lisa since the game, and she’d given up trying to talk to him.

  Coach Bradley called everyone together. “Okay, we’ll do the usual passing and dribbling drills to start,” he said. “Then we’re going to work on something called switching. Switching is when a player changes positions with another player during a play.”

  He paused to make sure everyone was paying attention. “Now you all know the importance of staying in your own position. If all the halfbacks crowd the left side of the field, then the right side isn’t being protected. If all the strikers go for the ball at the same time, then there’s no one to pass the ball to. And I don’t have to tell you what could happen if the goalie’s out of position!”

  The team laughed.

  The coach went on. “Sometimes, though, it’s a good idea to switch positions. Here’s an example. A halfback has the ball. He wants to pass to a striker, but all the strikers are covered and can’t get free. The halfback, on the other hand, has a clear field in front of him. It makes sense for him to keep control of the ball since he can bring it farther down the field, maybe into scoring range. So he switches with the closest striker by yelling that player’s name and ‘Switch!’ The striker then drops back to the halfback’s position and the halfback moves ahead into the striker’s spot. Any questions?”

  Bundy raised his hand. “When do they switch back?”

  “Never!” said Jason Shearer in a spooky voice. “You’re doomed to be a striker or a halfback for the remainder of the season!”

  “Mr. Shearer,” the coach said over the team’s laughter, “kindly —”

  “I know, I know,” said Jason. “I’ll kindly keep my jokes to myself.”

  “To answer your question, Bundy,” Coach Bradley continued, “the players switch back as soon as it makes sense. That may be when there’s a break in play, or when the ball changes direction toward the other goal, or when both players are close enough to each other to swi
tch back to their usual positions.”

  He put a foot on a ball and leaned on his knee. “Let me stress again: It’s important to stay in your own positions. But switching can be very helpful.” He smiled. “I remember a time when I was playing in high school. A fullback on my team got the ball. He looked to pass it to the halfback on his side of the field, like he was supposed to do. But the halfback had just collided with the other team’s striker. Both were down on the ground. Everyone else was covered, so the fullback started dribbling down the sideline. The halfback was still down when the fullback reached him, so the fullback switched with him and kept going.”

  The coach started chuckling. “The fullback crossed the center line and was about to pass it to the striker in front of him when the striker tripped on his untied shoelace and fell flat on his face! The defender had to leap over him so that he wouldn’t fall too. The fullback kept going until suddenly he was in front of the goal! He did what any sensible player would have done. He took a shot.”

  Ted had been listening to the story raptly. “What happened?” he cried.

  The coach sighed. “He missed and we lost the game. But the point is, he knew what he was supposed to do and he did it. And that’s what this practice is going to teach you —what to do and when and how to do it. Are you ready?”

  Ted shouted “Yes!” along with everyone else. His mind was spinning.

  If I could do what that fullback did — but score instead of miss — I’d really wow the fans!

  Chapter 3

  Ted could hardly wait to get the regular drills over with so he could learn more about switching. When it finally came time to practice switching, he found out it was pretty easy.

  The coach split the team into two groups of five and sent Bucky Pinter into the goal. He called the first group up and used them to outline the drill.

  “We’re going to go three-on-two. Stookie, Bundy, and Alan are on offense. Stookie, you go about midway between the center line and the goal you’re attacking. Bundy, line up about twenty feet behind him. Alan, you’re twenty feet behind Bundy.” The boys took their positions.

  “On defense will be halfback Amanda and fullback Lisa. The defense will just stand there for now, until the offense gets the idea.” Amanda placed herself next to Bundy. Lisa went between Stookie and the goal. The coach tossed the ball to Alan.

  “Alan, start dribbling.” Alan did. “Now usually Alan would pass the ball to Bundy, who would pass it up to Stookie. But this time, Alan, keep the ball and switch positions with Bundy.” Alan continued to dribble slowly until he was next to Bundy. Bundy faltered, looked at the coach, then took a few steps back.

  The coach held up his hand. “Whoa! Alan, you forgot to let your teammate know what you wanted to do. Unless you yell ‘Switch!’ Bundy’s just going to think you’re crowding his position. Try it again.”

  Alan returned to his position. When the coach blew his whistle, Alan dribbled toward Bundy. “Uh, switch,” Alan said as he drew near. The coach’s whistle shrilled.

  “Louder, Alan,” he advised. “Remember, it’s going to be noisy during a game. You have to be sure your teammate hears you. Plus, a good loud bellow can surprise the opposition just enough to throw them off balance. And don’t forget to say your teammate’s name.”

  Alan tried again. “Bundy, switch!” he yelled. Bundy dropped back, allowing Alan to keep dribbling forward. When the coach didn’t stop him, he kept going until he was near Stookie. After a quick glance at the coach, Alan yelled, “Stookie, switch!”

  Stookie moved back. Suddenly Alan was in front of the goal. With a grin, he popped a short kick that sent the ball over Bucky Pinter’s outstretched hands and into the net.

  Ted bounced on his heels. He couldn’t wait for his turn!

  Chapter 4

  Coach Bradley gradually made the drill more difficult. First he had Amanda and Lisa cover their players but not try to take the ball. Then he had them work harder and try to steal the ball. Finally, he told the offense to switch only part of the time to see if they could trick the defense. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. But after ten minutes, the first group had become used to yelling “Switch!” Now it was the second group’s turn.

  Ted was the fullback on offense. He, Dewey, and Lou Barnes went through the easy steps of the drill without a problem. Ted was eager to move on to the more difficult ones, when the defense would try to get the ball.

  When they did, however, Ted ran into trouble. He yelled “Switch!” every time instead of mixing it up. So by the fourth time, Dale Tuget, the halfback on defense, was all over him. Coach Bradley blew his whistle.

  “Ted, part of the point of switching is to catch the defense off guard,” he reminded. “Try it a few more times, but keep Dale on his toes.”

  Ted did. He reached the goal twice, but the other times he lost the ball or was forced to pass. Still, those two times were enough to convince him that during a game, he could go all the way. In fact, he was determined to try it the very next game.

  Three days later, he got his chance. The ’Cats were up against the Tadpoles. The Tadpoles weren’t usually a very difficult team to beat. Ted decided they’d be the perfect opponent for his switch maneuver.

  The ’Cats won the coin toss and got the ball first. Ted watched eagerly as Stookie passed the ball to Jerry. Ted found himself hoping the ’Cats would lose control of the ball to the Tadpoles.

  C’mon, get down this end, he wished silently.

  His wish was granted five minutes into the game. The ’Cats scored an early goal and the Tadpoles took control at the center line. For once, their strikers easily passed the halfbacks. Suddenly, they were right in front of the fullbacks.

  Ted and Lisa rushed the ball. Jabbing wildly with their feet, they managed to free it from the attacking Tadpole. Ted swept down on it and began dribbling downfield.

  “I’m open!”

  Ted glanced up and saw Dewey waving to him. Ted hesitated. His instincts told him to pass. But he fought back the urge and kept dribbling. Moments later a Tadpole halfback was on top of Dewey. Now Ted couldn’t pass even if he wanted to!

  “Dewey, switch!” Ted yelled. As he flew by, dribbling madly, he caught Dewey’s surprised look. But the Tadpole looked even more surprised, Ted thought with satisfaction. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder to see if the Tadpole were chasing him.

  Wham! Ted smacked directly into Stookie. The two boys tumbled to the ground. The ball bounced over the sidelines.

  “Are you crazy?” Stookie bellowed. He scrambled to his feet and watched as a Tadpole threw in the ball over his head. “I was wide open! Why didn’t you pass it?”

  “Sorry,” mumbled Ted. “I switched with Dewey and —”

  “Yeah, well, you better switch back, pronto!” cried Stookie. “Look!”

  Ted looked. Dewey was near the ’Cats goal. Ted could see he was trying to help, but he was getting in Bucky’s way. Bucky couldn’t see the ball. If Dewey didn’t move, a Tadpole might be able to—

  “Score!” Stookie groaned. “I can’t believe the Tadpoles scored on us so soon into the game.” He turned to Ted. “If you had been back there, doing your job, we’d still be ahead! All I can say is, you better not ever try switching with me!”

  Chapter 5

  Ted felt bad about the goal. But as he jogged back into position, he decided he really couldn’t be blamed for it. It wasn’t his fault that Dewey had gotten in Bucky’s way.

  I bet if I’d made a goal Stookie would be singing a different tune, he thought. He tried not to think about how he’d run Stookie down. Next time, I’ll make it work, he vowed.

  He got his chance five minutes before the end of the first half. He found himself in the middle of the field with the ball. Ahead of him, Bundy was trying to get free of a Tadpole defender.

  Ted decided not to wait to see if Bundy got free. Instead, he dribbled upfield and yelled, “Bundy, switch!”

  Bundy didn’t hesitate. He dropped back. T
he Tadpole defender went with him. Except for the Tadpole fullbacks and goalie, there was nothing but open field in front of Ted!

  Then Stookie appeared, running fast and far ahead of his defender. Ted heard pounding footsteps behind him as Bundy’s defender charged him. Ted had no choice but to pass to Stookie.

  Stookie caught the pass easily. He jerked to a stop to the right of the goal and slammed the ball into the net. The ’Cats were up 2–1.

  “Nice assist,” said Bundy as he jogged past Ted to his position.

  “Thanks!” said Ted. He was pleased that his switch had worked so well, but still, he hadn’t done what he’d really wanted to do.

  Luckily, there’s a whole other half left to go! he thought happily. He sucked on orange slices and drank a cup of water during halftime, all the while thinking about how surprised everyone would be when he scored his first goal.

  The second half started. Ted waited impatiently for the chance to switch with one of the halfbacks. He followed the ball wherever it went, even when it meant moving out of his position. Twice more he switched positions with the halfbacks, once with Amanda, once with Bundy. Another time, he was so focused on the ball that he bumped into his sister.

  “Hey, watch it!” she cried, rubbing her shoulder. “What’s with you? You’re all over the field today!”

  Ted ignored her. But he soon found out she wasn’t the only one who’d noticed his getting out of position. During a break in play, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

  “Ted, I’m subbing in for you,” said Edith “Eddie” Sweeny. “Coach wants to talk to you.”

  Ted’s stomach sank as he ran to the bench. He took a seat near the coach. “Uh, Eddie said you wanted to talk to me?”

  The coach watched the action on the field for a moment and then said, “You looked like you could use a break. You’ve been pretty busy out there today. Sit back, and take it easy.” That was all.