The coaches have us bring the ball back to the midfield line to kick off again. The other team gets the ball, and a few minutes later, Ana Sofia scores for her team. She is really good!
When our scrimmage is finished, the coaches go over their notes. I watch Coach Belle and keep my fingers crossed that she will choose me. It sure is taking them a long time to decide!
While we wait, my new friends and I sit on the grass in the shade of a big leafy tree, drinking cool water and talking. I find out that Ana Sofia just moved to Jacksonville last year. Her daddy is a doctor, and he got a new job at the hospital. She played on a team where she used to live in Florida. Ava’s dad coaches a boys’ soccer team and taught her how to play too.
Finally the coaches call us to gather in a circle again. “Thank you all so much for coming today,” Coach Kristy says. “Coach Belle and I are going to call out the names of the girls we’ve chosen for our teams and the positions you’ll be playing. When you hear your name, go stand by your new coach.”
Coach Belle goes first. “Ana Sofia Garza, midfielder! Ava Randall, defender! Kylie Jean Carter, forward!” she says.
When I hear my name I get so excited, I jump up and down. I forget to listen to the other names, but Coach Kristy must have picked Miranda and Layla because I see them standing by her.
When all of the players are assigned, Coach Belle says, “Congratulations, girls! Let’s choose a name for our team.”
I raise my hand in the air. “We could be the Tiaras,” I suggest.
“How about the Tigers?” Ana Sofia shouts.
“Or the Hurricanes?” Ava adds.
Coach Belle smiles at us. “These are all good suggestions,” she says. “I think we should vote. Who wants to be the Tiaras?”
I raise my hand, but no one else does.
“How about the Tigers?” Coach Belle asks. Almost every girl on the team raises her hand.
Coach Belle counts the hands and says, “It looks like we’re the Tigers.”
I raise my hand again. “Could we add Lilies to our name? Then we could be the Tiger Lilies.”
Coach Belle asks, “What do you think, team?”
The girls all cheer.
“That’s it then,” Coach Belle says. “Go, Tiger Lilies!”
The next morning, I can’t wait to tell Mr. Jim, my favorite bus driver, my big news! When I get on the bus, I take my favorite seat, right behind him, and tap him on the shoulder.
“Mr. Jim, I have two things to tell you!” I exclaim. “One is exciting and one is important.”
Mr. Jim laughs. “You’d best tell me the important stuff first,” he says.
“The important thing is that my momma is picking me up after school again today,” I tell him. “She is taking me to buy cleats, which are special shoes for soccer players. I need them because I got picked to be a real true soccer player at tryouts yesterday. That’s the exciting news! Ta-da!”
“Well, aren’t you somethin’,” Mr. Jim says. “Congratulations, little gal!”
I grin. When Lucy gets on the bus, I tell her my exciting news too.
Lucy gives me a high five and a hug! “I knew you could do it,” she says. “There’s no stopping you when you make up your mind about something.”
* * *
The rest of the day flies by. I have such exciting news and so many people to tell! Then I meet Momma in the parent pickup line just like I did yesterday.
“Do you want to swing by Bubba Burger first and have a quick after-school snack?” Momma asks me. “It’s on the way to the Sports Shack anyway.”
“Yes, please!” I exclaim. “That sounds delicious!”
You’ll never guess who I see when we get to Bubba Burger — my new friend, Ana Sofia! She is there with her momma too. “Hey, Ana Sofia,” I say.
“Hi, Kylie Jean!” Ana Sofia replies with a smile and a wave.
We both step up to the counter and place our order. My favorite thing to get at Bubba Burger is a Jr. Bubba burger meal, but since we’re only having a snack, I settle for cheese tater tots and a root beer.
“Why don’t we all sit together?” Momma suggests.
I think that is a great idea! We pick a table, and everyone sits down. The mommas have a little chat while we eat. Ana Sofia and I talk about soccer moves.
After we finish our snack, we all head over to the Sports Shack to look for shoes. I am shocked! They don’t have very many shoes to choose from, and there are only two color choices: black or white.
I decide to try on the white ones. They’re okay, but I sure do wish they could be pink. After all, pink is my favorite color. Just then an idea hits my brain like grass on a soccer ball. I can get pink shoelaces!
“The black ones might be easier to keep clean,” Momma suggests.
The salesperson finds a pair of black shoes and even offers to switch the laces out for me. The black shoes and pink laces look so great together. Now I absolutely love them!
I want to wear my new shoes home, but Momma reminds me that soccer shoes have cleats. Oh, well. When I get home I can try them on for Ugly Brother in the backyard.
Back at the house on Peachtree Lane, I meet Ugly Brother in the backyard. “Do you like my special new soccer shoes?” I ask him.
“Ruff, ruff, ruff!” he barks in reply.
Two barks means yes, so three barks must mean he loves my new soccer shoes!
“Do you want to help me practice?” I ask him.
“Ruff, ruff!” Ugly Brother barks.
I am not surprised he wants to play. Dogs just love to play ball, so I bet soccer will be Ugly Brother’s new favorite sport too!
I pass the ball to him, and he stops it with his head. Then he pushes it back to me. He is really good at passing!
When it’s time for dinner, I go inside, dribbling the ball down the hallway. While I eat, I pass it between my feet under the table. While I watch my favorite TV show, I try to juggle the ball.
Momma is always telling me that practice makes perfect, and I want to be the best soccer player ever. Luckily, the Tiger Lilies have a practice session the very next day after school!
* * *
The first person I see when I arrive at practice the next afternoon is Ana Sofia. I hurry right over to my new friend. “Are you ready to practice?” she asks.
“Yup!” I say.
First we run drills. When we’re done, Coach Belle blows her whistle and tells us, “Time for a scrimmage! Half of you girls will wear black practice jerseys, and the other side can wear white.”
Coach Belle hands out the jerseys. I am sad when I see that Ana Sofia is on the black side, and I’m on the white. It is hard to play against your new friend. “I wish I was on your team,” I whisper to her.
“Don’t worry!” Ana Sofia replies. “Tomorrow is Saturday, and we will both be on the same team as we play our first real true soccer game!”
On Saturday morning I wake up bright and early. It is finally game day! This is no practice scrimmage — today we play against another team, ready or not.
I put on my soccer uniform: shorts, jersey, and socks. As we pile into the van, I see Momma even has her game bag.
When we get to the soccer field, Ana Sofia waves at me. She is wearing the same colorful, stretchy-band bracelets she always wears. I’m so nervous. I sure wish I had some lucky bracelets to wear!
Lots of folks have come to see me play, including my Pappy. I give him a quick wave before the game starts. Pappy loves soccer almost as much as basketball. Momma says he is my number one fan.
“Are you ready?” Ana Sofia asks when I run over to my team.
I nod nervously. “Let’s play!”
Ana Sofia gives me a high five. “We are going to rock this game!” she cheers.
We all take our places on the field. We are playing the Wildcats, and
some of the girls look a lot older than us. The Tiger Lilies take the kickoff, and I follow the action. Ana Sofia is ruling the midfield. We dribble and pass the ball.
Finally, I see my chance. I kick and score! My fans go wild! I see Pappy on the sidelines whistling and cheering. “Go, Kylie Jean!” he shouts.
I am happier than a coach with a winning team, but not for long. Now the other team has the ball, and they dribble down the field, pressing our defense hard.
One of the other girls fakes a kick and passes the ball to another player who scores! Now we are tied 1-1.
We go back and forth dribbling, both teams stealing the ball. The Wildcats score again with a header, but we quickly catch up with another corner kick. Now the score is 2-2. The game is tied again!
The referee is running up and down the field, following the action. All the fans watch anxiously from the sidelines. Ugly Brother hides his face under his big doggie paws.
I am about to shoot the ball, but just as I pull my leg back to kick it, a bigger player from the other team sneaks in and steals the ball away from me. She quickly dribbles the ball the length of the field and shoots a powerful shot right past our goalie.
Just then, the referee blows the whistle. That means the game is over. We lose to the Wildcats 3-2.
I feel awful. If I play like this, I will never be a great player like Belle Jenkins. Tears sting my eyes, but I’m not gonna cry. Soccer players should be tough.
We line up to congratulate the other team, and when we’re done, Coach Belle calls, “Good game, girls! Circle up.”
I stand next to Ana Sofia. “Cheer up. You win some games and lose some games,” she says. She takes off one of her bracelets and hands it to me. “Here. Wear my bracelet the next time we play, and maybe it will be good luck for you too.”
I smile. Ana Sofia is a great friend. “Thanks,” I say. “I really want the Tiger Lilies to be winners.”
Coach Belle hears me and says, “I do too, Kylie Jean. That’s why I’m inviting all of my players to come to a soccer camp next weekend. Please give this flier to your parents, and remember we have a game on Tuesday. See you then!”
All the players shout, “Bye, Coach!” and head off to find our families in the crowd on the sidelines. Momma and Pappy are ready to give me a big squeezy hug. They know I am disappointed.
I give Momma the brochure for the Benbrook Girls’ Soccer Camp! It says, “Are you looking for a fun-filled opportunity to develop your skills and get to know the Benbrook Women’s Soccer Team? Our two-day camps are for players ages 5-12 who want to work on increasing technical ability in a fun environment with the Benbrook coaches and players.”
“Can I pretty please go?” I ask. “Coach Belle invited the whole team.”
Momma nods. “Of course you can go,” she says. “I wouldn’t want you to be the only Tiger Lily who isn’t there!”
On Monday after school, Ana Sofia comes over to practice. My best cousin Lucy comes over too. Ana Sofia brings a brand-new soccer ball so we can run practice drills. Lucy does not want to play soccer, but she and Ugly Brother chase the ball.
Suddenly an idea hits my brain like a referee on a whistle! “We should play a practice game!” I exclaim. “How about the two of you against Ugly Brother and me?”
Lucy sighs. “What if I don’t want to play?”
“Come on!” I beg. “It’s just practice. We need your help!”
Finally she agrees. Ana Sofia doesn’t know I have a secret weapon — Ugly Brother! He turns out to be a very good player. Lucy is slow and complains a lot, but she did tell us she didn’t want to play.
Soon it’s time for Ana Sofia to leave. “See you tomorrow at practice,” she says.
Lucy’s momma comes to get her after supper. Before she leaves I give her a big squeezy hug to say thank you. Even though she didn’t want to, she helped us practice. She really is the best cousin in the whole wide world!
* * *
The next day it’s time for the Tiger Lilies to play our second game of the season. We all take the field and face off against the Hurricanes. I wear the stretchy bracelet Ana Sofia gave me for good luck.
The Tiger Lilies get off to a strong start when Ana Sofia scores early. We quickly get a second goal from a penalty kick because one of the Hurricane players fouled in the box.
The Hurricanes come back with two quick goals in the second half. They have a really strong forward. She scored both times she touched the ball. For a while the game is at a standstill while we are tied 2-2.
In the last minute of the game, everyone on the sidelines stands up and begins cheering. I see Momma, Daddy, Pappy, Granny, and all my family cheering for me.
With seconds to go, I get the ball and make it all the way down the field, shooting with my left foot and scoring the winning goal! I decide that Ana Sofia’s bracelets really are lucky.
The Tiger Lilies show our team spirit, jumping around on the field laughing, hugging, and chanting, “We won! We won!”
I am so excited for soccer camp that the rest of the week drags by. But finally the rooster crows, and it is Saturday morning!
I jump right out of bed. The sky is still streaked with light gray wisps from last night, but I’m already awake. I don’t want to be late for my first day!
Ugly Brother is up too. He wants to come to camp with me, but no matter how much we beg and plead with Momma, she says, “Dogs are not allowed at camp — even super great soccer-playing dogs.”
Momma drives me over to Buccaneer Field and drops me off. First I find Ana Sofia and Ava. It isn’t easy! There must be hundreds of girls here! I see lots of coaches too, but luckily I spot Coach Belle right away.
“Circle up, girls!” Coach Belle calls, waving everyone over. “Today we are going to start by practicing the basics of soccer: dribbling, passing and receiving, shooting, and heading the ball. But don’t worry, we’ll practice these skills in fun competitions.”
All the soccer players cheer excitedly. I can’t wait to get started!
“Today I want you to focus on your individual skills but also on improving as a team,” Coach Belle continues. “It is going to be a fun-filled day of learning, competing, and enjoying soccer!”
I lean over to Ana Sofia and whisper, “I sure am glad we got Coach Belle as our coach. She’s the best player around.”
Ana Sofia nods in agreement.
Coach Belle breaks all the campers up into groups based on age. Since Ana Sofia and I are the same age, we get to be on the same team! First we warm up, then we work on shooting. This is my best skill.
After we practice for a while, it’s snack time. Yum! The sky starts to cloud up as Coach Belle and I stand together on the sidelines and pass out the water and fruit.
I’m so excited to talk to her I forget to talk about soccer! Silly me, I just say, “It looks like it might rain.”
“Don’t worry too much about that,” Coach Belle tells me. “As long as it’s not raining too hard and we don’t have lightning, we can still keep playing.”
After snack time we get back on the field for a shooting competition. That’s my time to shine. I make almost all my shots. I am playing like a real true soccer queen!
That afternoon, our lunch is given to us in special soccer-themed lunch bags. We each get a sandwich, chips, and a cookie. Even though it’s my favorite, I give Coach Belle my chocolate chip cookie. A few little sprinkles of rain fall while we eat.
Finally we get to play a game against another team, and we win! I’m happier than a goalie blocking a corner shot.
The games are set up like a tournament, so our team gets to play the winning team of another match. Then tomorrow afternoon the two final winning teams will play each other in a championship game!
The sun is peeking out now, and there’s not a cloud in the sky, but after playing the first round of games, the field l
ooks like a chocolate mud milkshake. Playing against the next team is not going to be easy.
Our second game is really hard work! During the first half, our goalie seems to anticipate the other team’s every move and manges to block all their shots. Our offense is fighting hard to score too, but the other team’s defense seems unstoppable.
I want to show everyone that we are champions, and I know I have to make this corner kick count. I race to the top of the box to begin my run. As Ana Sofia kicks the ball, I follow it through the air and jump up for the header. My head connects with the ball, and it flies toward the goal.
At first I’m overjoyed, but then I realize I’m flying through the air too! CRUNCH! The ball sails into the back of the net just as I hit the ground hard. We won! My teammates go wild, but I yell, “Oweee!”
I can tell right away that something is really, really wrong. Pain is shooting all up and down through my arm.
Coach Belle immediately dashes onto the field and races toward me. The referee and Coach Kristy come running too, and they all kneel down by my side.
“Someone go get the camp nurse!” Coach Belle shouts over her shoulder to the rest of my teammates. “Run!”
After checking me over gently, the ref turns to Coach Belle and says, “I think her arm is broken. She needs to go to the hospital. We’d better call her parents.”
“Don’t worry,” Coach Belle says after she’s called my momma and daddy. “Your parents are on their way. I know it hurts, but it’s going to be okay. I had a broken arm a long time ago, and I’m fine now.”
But despite what Coach Belle says, I’m scared. I can’t stop crying!
Just then, I spot Momma and Daddy running across the field. Daddy scoops me up. “Don’t cry, sweet pea,” he says. “It’s all going to be okay.”
Kylie Jean: Soccer Queen Page 2
