Read Online The Winning Stroke by Matt Christopher - Free Book Online
Authors: Matt Christopher
Ads: Link
theirhelp. He didn't always have to wait for Tony or Tanya to do laps. It seemed as though someone was always there to join him
when he was ready to practice his crawl.
“Your crawl isn't exactly the way the textbooks show it,” said Coach Fulton. “But since it works so well for you, I think
we'll leave it alone and build on strength. But, remember, like I told you before, there's a lot more than just a good stroke
to winning a race.”
“Gotcha,” said Jerry. Coach Fulton never seemed to run out of patience—except when he felt someone wasn't doing his or her
best—or, worse, didn't play by the rules.
“Just like every sport,” he'd explain to newcomers like Jerry, “swimming has its rules. The sooner you learn them and the
better you learn them, the more you'll get out of swimming.”
So Jerry toed the mark. He played by the rules at practice and kept them in mind when he was working out on his own.
And he did get better and better and stronger and stronger. By the end of the week, he felt ready for the meet.
When he got out of bed on the morning of the meet, Jerry automatically checked the weather. It was cloudy and looked like
it might rain later.
Then it dawned on him that the weather didn't matter. It wasn't like baseball. He was going to be swimming at an indoor pool.
Still, he felt the same rush of excitement that always struck him on the day of a big baseball game. There was something at
stake today, too. The swimming meet was another form of competition—and he was going to be an official part of it.
The meet was scheduled to take place at the school pool. When he got there, he could see the visiting team's bus parked outside.
On the outside there was a big black-and-gold banner that said “Ridgeway Rams.” He remembered playing against the Little League
team from Ridgeway a few years ago. The Bolton Little Leaguers had won that game.
And we're going to win this one, too, he said to himself.
The first person Jerry saw in the locker room was Tony.
“How're you doing, slugger?” asked Tony. Somehow or other, Jerry's fondness for baseball hadbecome known. A lot of the guys on the team had started using that nickname. It always made Jerry smile.
“I'm okay,” Jerry answered.
“Oh, yeah?” said Tony. “So how come you've spun the dial on your combination lock about fifty times? And I still don't see
you opening it.”
Jerry grinned at him sheepishly. “I guess I am just a little nervous,” he admitted.
“Good,” said Tony. “Shows you're human.”
“Yeah, some of the guys were beginning to wonder,” said Lars, who had been sitting nearby. “As a matter of fact—”
“Don't start in on him,” said Tony. “It's Jerry's first official meet, so we have to go easy. We'll take care of the slugger
here after we win the meet.”
“Let's go, Blues!”
The cheers rang out as the team left the locker room and entered the pool area.
Coach Fulton was talking to some of the other guys on the team. Then he came over to Jerry.
“Are you all set?” he asked.
“I think so,” Jerry replied.
“Okay, just relax then until your event is announced,”said the coach. “Then get out there and do the best you can. That's all I ask.”
But that's not all I want to do, Jerry said to himself. I want to do well enough to score some points for the team. I want
to show everyone that I have learned a thing or two.
He stepped into the water and splashed around for a few seconds. Then he did some exercises to loosen up a little.
“
Testing—one—two—three
.”
The sound coming over the loudspeakers quieted everyone down.
Jerry climbed out of the pool and went over to the Blues bench. He toweled off as the announcer greeted everyone and introduced
the officials who would be judging the events at the meet. Then, along with everyone else, Jerry stood and sang the “Star
Spangled Banner.” Deep in the back of his mind, he could almost hear an umpire shout,
when he was ready to practice his crawl.
“Your crawl isn't exactly the way the textbooks show it,” said Coach Fulton. “But since it works so well for you, I think
we'll leave it alone and build on strength. But, remember, like I told you before, there's a lot more than just a good stroke
to winning a race.”
“Gotcha,” said Jerry. Coach Fulton never seemed to run out of patience—except when he felt someone wasn't doing his or her
best—or, worse, didn't play by the rules.
“Just like every sport,” he'd explain to newcomers like Jerry, “swimming has its rules. The sooner you learn them and the
better you learn them, the more you'll get out of swimming.”
So Jerry toed the mark. He played by the rules at practice and kept them in mind when he was working out on his own.
And he did get better and better and stronger and stronger. By the end of the week, he felt ready for the meet.
When he got out of bed on the morning of the meet, Jerry automatically checked the weather. It was cloudy and looked like
it might rain later.
Then it dawned on him that the weather didn't matter. It wasn't like baseball. He was going to be swimming at an indoor pool.
Still, he felt the same rush of excitement that always struck him on the day of a big baseball game. There was something at
stake today, too. The swimming meet was another form of competition—and he was going to be an official part of it.
The meet was scheduled to take place at the school pool. When he got there, he could see the visiting team's bus parked outside.
On the outside there was a big black-and-gold banner that said “Ridgeway Rams.” He remembered playing against the Little League
team from Ridgeway a few years ago. The Bolton Little Leaguers had won that game.
And we're going to win this one, too, he said to himself.
The first person Jerry saw in the locker room was Tony.
“How're you doing, slugger?” asked Tony. Somehow or other, Jerry's fondness for baseball hadbecome known. A lot of the guys on the team had started using that nickname. It always made Jerry smile.
“I'm okay,” Jerry answered.
“Oh, yeah?” said Tony. “So how come you've spun the dial on your combination lock about fifty times? And I still don't see
you opening it.”
Jerry grinned at him sheepishly. “I guess I am just a little nervous,” he admitted.
“Good,” said Tony. “Shows you're human.”
“Yeah, some of the guys were beginning to wonder,” said Lars, who had been sitting nearby. “As a matter of fact—”
“Don't start in on him,” said Tony. “It's Jerry's first official meet, so we have to go easy. We'll take care of the slugger
here after we win the meet.”
“Let's go, Blues!”
The cheers rang out as the team left the locker room and entered the pool area.
Coach Fulton was talking to some of the other guys on the team. Then he came over to Jerry.
“Are you all set?” he asked.
“I think so,” Jerry replied.
“Okay, just relax then until your event is announced,”said the coach. “Then get out there and do the best you can. That's all I ask.”
But that's not all I want to do, Jerry said to himself. I want to do well enough to score some points for the team. I want
to show everyone that I have learned a thing or two.
He stepped into the water and splashed around for a few seconds. Then he did some exercises to loosen up a little.
“
Testing—one—two—three
.”
The sound coming over the loudspeakers quieted everyone down.
Jerry climbed out of the pool and went over to the Blues bench. He toweled off as the announcer greeted everyone and introduced
the officials who would be judging the events at the meet. Then, along with everyone else, Jerry stood and sang the “Star
Spangled Banner.” Deep in the back of his mind, he could almost hear an umpire shout,
Similar Books
