by Jake Maddox
“Great,” Paula said after the teams were picked. “We have the hockey hick on our team.”
Jess laughed like that was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. “Hockey hick,” she repeated. “That’s hilarious, Paula.”
“Ha ha,” Fiona said without smiling. “Why don’t you two leave me alone?”
Jess stepped right up to her. “Why don’t you go back to the farm?” she said.
Fiona narrowed her eyes. She decided she’d better show them how good she was at hockey. That was the only way they’d stop teasing her.
As soon as play started, Fiona got the ball and started driving up the field. Even though Selma and Aliyah were on the other team, she could tell that they were rooting for her.
“Nice one, Fiona,” Selma called out. “Bring it all the way down.”
Fiona didn’t need to bring it all the way down, though. The goalie didn’t look ready. I’ve got this one, she thought. So Fiona drew back and slapped the ball straight into the goal.
Everyone on the field stopped and looked at her. All the girls made faces like Fiona was insane. Even the coach seemed stunned.
Must have been a pretty great shot, Fiona thought. They’re all speechless.
Then suddenly, Fiona heard laughter. Jess and Paula’s laughter, of course.
“Um, hick,” Jess said. “What was that?”
Fiona felt her face go red as she started to reply. “Um, a goal?” she said.
Jess and Paula nearly fell over laughing. That’s when Fiona felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Take a seat on the bench, Fiona,” the coach said sternly. “We’ll talk after practice.”
Fiona was confused as she dropped onto the bench. She had scored a great goal, hadn’t she?
Fiona looked at the field at Selma and Aliyah. Both of them just looked back and shook their heads.
Chapter 6
CUT?
After practice, Coach Kelly told Fiona to change and come to her office. Fiona hurried to change back into her school clothes. Then she knocked on the coach’s office door.
“Come in, Fiona,” Coach Kelly said. She was sitting at her big desk in her office.
Fiona sat across from the coach in a rickety plastic chair. She nervously cleared her throat.
“You haven’t studied the rules, have you?” the coach asked.
“Um, a little,” Fiona replied.
“Very little, I’d guess,” Coach Kelly said. “Do you know why that wasn’t a goal today?”
“Was I off-sides?” Fiona asked. She didn’t think she had been past all the defenders when she shot, but it was possible that she’d missed someone.
“There are no off-sides in field hockey,” Coach Kelly replied. “Which just proves that you haven’t studied.”
“Oh,” Fiona said quietly.
The coach sighed loudly. “The goal didn’t count because to shoot you must be inside the striking circle,” the coach said.
“The . . . striking circle?” Fiona repeated.
The coach sighed again. “You’d probably think of it as the crease,” the coach explained. “That’s the ice hockey term for it.”
Fiona smiled and nodded. “Oh,” she said. “Gotcha. You have to be inside the crease — I mean, the striking circle — to score a goal.”
Coach Kelly shook her head slowly. “I took a chance putting you on the team, Fiona,” the coach said. “You’re new here, and you love ice hockey. You’re obviously a good athlete. But you haven’t kept up your part of the bargain.”
Fiona looked down at the ground. Then she quietly asked, “Are you cutting me from the team?”
“No. Not yet,” Coach Kelly replied. “You’ll sit the bench this week and watch. On Friday, you’ll practice with the team again. But if by the end of this week you don’t have a better grasp of the rules, I’m going to have to cut you.”
Chapter 7
CRAMMING
“I can’t believe this,” Fiona mumbled. She was leaning her chin on her fist. With her other hand, she used a fork to poke at her lunch.
“I know,” Selma said. She stirred the slop in her bowl. “I can’t believe this is actually beef stew either.”
Aliyah nodded. “It’s definitely not beef. Probably rat,” she said. She gave her bowl a poke. “Or maybe stray cat.”
“Gross,” Fiona said, shaking her head to get rid of the image. “Anyway, I mean I can’t believe I’m going to get cut from a hockey team!”
Aliyah waved her off. “You’re not going to get cut,” she said.
“But Coach Kelly said . . . ,” Fiona started.
“Don’t worry about that,” Selma cut in. “We’ll make sure you know what you need to know.”
Aliyah managed a small bite of her stew. It made her shudder. Then she said, “Right. Come over to my place after practice today and we’ll study.”
Fiona sighed. “I can’t believe I have to study that dumb booklet or get cut from the team,” she said.
“Forget the booklet,” Aliyah replied. “Selma and I know the rules. Plus we have lots of great videos. And we can practice in the park near Selma’s apartment.”
Selma nodded. “Definitely,” she said. “The soccer field will be a good place to practice.”
* * *
For the rest of the week, whenever Fiona wasn’t in class or doing her homework, she was with Selma and Aliyah, trying to learn all the rules of field hockey.
They watched hours of field hockey videos at Aliyah’s house. Some of the videos were of the middle school’s team from last season. Some of them were of great pro teams from all over the world. Fiona took notes and watched carefully.
They also spent hours running up and down the soccer field at the park. Fiona was finally getting used to that crazy candy-cane hockey stick.
By the end of the week, Fiona was feeling pretty ready for practice.
“This is the big day, Fiona,” Selma said. The three girls were changed and heading to the field for practice.
“Yeah,” Aliyah added. “Today Coach Kelly will decide if you get to stay on the team or not. How do you feel? Are you nervous?”
Fiona smiled. “I feel pretty good about it,” she said. “Quiz me.”
Selma thought for a second, and then asked, “How do we restart play after an injury?”
Fiona knew that one right away. “A bully,” she replied. “I’ll never forget that after last week.”
“Are you allowed to touch the ball, ever, with any part of your body?” Aliyah asked.
“Nope,” Fiona said. “Not even to knock it down.”
“And what if you do touch the ball?” Selma asked quickly.
“It’s a penalty, called advancing,” Fiona replied. “I really know this stuff, thanks to you guys!”
“Sounds like it,” Aliyah agreed. “Now let’s show the coach.”
Fiona nodded as the girls headed toward the field. She was ready.
Chapter 8
ONE MORE CHANCE
“New teams today,” Coach Kelly announced. She divided up the girls for a scrimmage. This time, Fiona was on team A with Selma and Aliyah. Paula and Jess were on team B.
“Remember, our first real game is next week,” the coach said. “So today’s practice won’t be drills and exercises. We’ll just play as hard as we can, okay?”
“Yes, Coach,” the girls all replied.
“Good,” the coach said. “You have your teams. Selma, you’re in goal for team A. And Paula, I want you in goal for your team.”
With that, the coach blew her whistle. The two centers faced each other, and Coach Kelly dropped the ball between them. “Team A starts,” Coach Kelly said.
Team A’s center passed the ball to the left, where Aliyah took control of the ball and started running up the field. Fiona ran forward too, hoping for a chance to score a goal the right way.
“Hey, pass it to the hick!” Paula yelled from the goal. “Maybe she wants to take a shot from out of bounds!”
; Aliyah sneered at Paula. But Jess, playing defense for team B, laughed.
“Fiona probably wants to take a shot from the cafeteria!” Jess taunted. Paula cracked up laughing.
I’ll show you how I want to shoot, Fiona thought. She cut into the striking circle and waved at Aliyah.
“Here!” she called out.
Aliyah nodded and drew back her stick. It looked like she was going to shoot.
With a loud slap, the ball flew toward Fiona. Fiona watched the flying white ball closely, and then raised her stick. The ball struck her stick at an angle. Then it veered off, headed right at the goal.
Paula looked shocked. The ball had changed direction so quickly, she didn’t have time to recover. In a split second, the ball was in the back of the net.
“Goal, team A,” Coach Kelly called out. She blew her whistle. “Good job, Fiona,” she said. “That was a smart play you just made.”
“Thanks, Coach,” Fiona said. She jogged back to midfield. For the first time since she’d moved to River City, she felt good.
Team B won the scrimmage, but to Fiona, that didn’t matter much. She was more concerned about whether she’d get to stay on the team.
After practice, Coach Kelly told everyone to hit the showers and have a good weekend.
“Fiona,” the coach added quickly. “Stay here and talk to me, please.”
Fiona glanced at Aliyah and Selma, who both shrugged.
“Yes, Coach?” Fiona said nervously. She watched as the rest of the team headed to the locker room.
“Before you get cleaned up and changed, I wanted to have a quick chat,” Coach Kelly said.
“Okay,” Fiona said.
The coach sat on the bench on the sideline and patted the seat next to her. Fiona sat down. “Remember the talk we had on Monday after practice?” the coach asked.
Fiona nodded. “Of course I do,” she said. “I’ve been studying a lot.”
“Have you?” Coach Kelly asked.
“Yes!” Fiona insisted. “Selma and Aliyah have helped me a lot. We watched a bunch of videos and practiced in the park.”
“That was very nice of them,” Coach Kelly said.
“Yes, it was,” Fiona agreed.
“Well,” the coach said, “I have to say, I was impressed with your playing today.”
“Thanks,” Fiona said, smiling.
“I could have called a penalty or two on you,” the coach added quickly. “You obstructed twice.”
“I did?” Fiona said.
The coach nodded. “Everyone does sometimes,” she added. “It’s usually not worth calling. Just wastes time.”
“I read about that,” Fiona said. “The advantage rule.”
“That’s right,” the coach said. “What is the advantage rule?”
Fiona quickly answered, “If the penalty doesn’t cause an advantage for the team, it shouldn’t be called unless it was a dangerous play.”
“Very good,” Coach Kelly said.
Fiona smiled. “So,” she said slowly, “have you decided whether you’re going to cut me or not?”
The coach looked at the ground and sighed. “Well,” she said, “I have decided.”
“And?” Fiona asked.
“And I am not going to cut you,” the coach said.
Fiona jumped up from the bench and shouted, “Yes!” She felt a huge smile growing on her face. “You won’t regret this, Coach,” she said, smiling.
“Not only that,” the coach added, getting up from the bench, “I’d like you to start at right wing for our first game on Tuesday. Think you can do that?”
“Of course I can!” Fiona replied. “Totally!”
The coach laughed. “Great,” Coach Kelly said. “Now go get cleaned up, and have a good weekend.”
Fiona sprinted to the girls’ locker room. She was thrilled. She was more than thrilled. She was so happy that she was still on the team!
“I made it!” she cried as she ran up to Aliyah and Selma.
“We knew you would,” Selma replied.
“We wouldn’t have wasted our time otherwise,” Aliyah joked.
The three girls hugged.
“So are you happy you switched from ice to field?” Aliyah asked.
Fiona nodded. “Sure,” she said. “And I’m just as happy to have two new friends on the team with me.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric Stevens lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is studying to become a middle-school English teacher. Some of his favorite things include pizza, playing video games, watching cooking shows on TV, riding his bike, and trying new restaurants. Some of his least favorite things include olives and shoveling snow.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
When Tuesday Mourning was a little girl, she knew she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. Now, she is an illustrator who lives in South Pasadena, CA. She especially loves illustrating books for kids and teenagers. When she isn’t illustrating, Tuesday loves spending time with her husband, who is an actor, and their two sons.
GLOSSARY
advantage (ad-VAN-tij)—something that helps or is useful to someone
bargain (BAR-guhn)—agreement
chaos (KAY-oss)—total confusion
checking (CHEK-ing)—using your body or stick to move or block another player
complicated (KOM-pli-kay-tid)—something that is difficult to understand
equipment (i-KWIP-muhnt)—the tools needed for a particular purpose
hick (HIK)—an insulting way to describe a person from a small town
miserable (MIZ-ur-uh-buhl)—sad, unhappy
overheard (oh-vur-HURD)—heard what someone else was saying without them knowing
penalty (PEN-uhl-tee)—a punishment that a team or player suffers for breaking the rules
scrimmage (SKRIM-ij)—a game played for practice
MORE ABOUT ICE HOCKEY AND FIELD HOCKEY
Most people think the only difference between ice hockey and field hockey is that ice hockey is played in a skating rink, and field hockey is played on a field. But there are other differences, too. Here are some of them.
RULES
OFF-SIDES: In ice hockey, an offensive player can’t be in the attacking zone when the puck isn’t in the attacking zone. But in field hockey, there’s no off-sides rule.
FACE-OFF: To resume play in ice hockey, the official drops the puck between the two teams’ centers, who then slap at the puck with their sticks. But in field hockey, play resumes with something called a bully. The ball rests on the field between two players. The players slap their sticks together three times, then slap at the ball.
CHECKING: In ice hockey, players are allowed to check, or use their bodies or sticks to push another player out of the way. Field hockey does not allowing checking, whether with a stick or a player’s body.
SCORING: In ice hockey, a player can score from anywhere on the ice. However, in field hockey, players must be inside the striking circle to score. The striking circle is a semi-circle around the goal.
EQUIPMENT
Field hockey players wear cleats, but ice hockey players wear skates.
An ice hockey stick is shaped like an L, but a field hockey stick is shaped like a J.
Field hockey is played using a ball, but ice hockey is played using a puck.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Fiona is new to her school. What are some ways to make friends when moving to a new place? What can you do to be friendly to someone who is new at your school?
Jess and Paula aren’t very nice to Fiona. What are some ways to stand up to a bully?
Ice hockey was popular at Fiona’s old school, but isn’t at her new school. What sports are popular at your school? Are there other sports that you’ve heard of that aren’t played at your school?
WRITING PROMPTS
Write about a time when you had to learn something new, even though it was difficult. What did you learn? How did you learn it?
Fiona makes friends with two girls on the f
ield hockey team. Write about a friend you’ve made through an activity, sport, or other experience outside of school.
Have you ever had to move? Write about your experience. If you haven’t had to move, write about someone you know who moved.
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Jake Maddox Books are published by Stone Arch Books
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Copyright © 2010 by Stone Arch Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Maddox, Jake.
Field hockey firsts / by Jake Maddox; text by Eric Stevens ; illustrated by Tuesday Mourning.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4342-1606-9 (library binding)
ISBN 978-1-4342-8911-7 (ebook)
[1. Field hockey—Fiction.] I. Stevens, Eric, 1974- II. Mourning, Tuesday, ill. III. Title.
PZ7.M25643Fie 2010
[Fic]—dc22
2009004078
Summary:
Fiona’s new school doesn’t have an ice hockey team, just field hockey! She decides to try out for field hockey anyway, but the sports have different rules. Will Fiona be able to stay on the team if she doesn’t learn the rules?
Creative Director: Heather Kindseth
Graphic Designer: Emily Harris
