did sprints Jamie powered his way backwards and forwards until the sweat was rolling down his face and soaking his shirt. They went on to do some simple pass and control exercises, and TJ worked with Jamie as usual.
‘Do you think Mr Wood has noticed?’ asked Jamie. ‘He can’t say I’m not fit now.’
‘No,’ agreed TJ, as they moved the ball backwards and forwards in one of the ten-metre squares that had been marked out on the field. ‘But you’ll have to pass better than that,’ he added, laughing, as he raced after yet another one of Jamie’s random passes.
‘I’m a destroyer,’ Jamie grinned. ‘Some one else can take care of the fancy passes. I tackle them and belt it clear.’
TJ glanced around the field. Everyone was working just as hard as they were. He saw Rob working with Leila. Rob had kept up with them easily on their runs, and now he was passing and controlling the ball very well. Better than a lot of the others, in fact.
‘Right,’ said Mr Wood, ‘I’d like one of you to throw the ball to your partner, and the other one to play the ball back first time. You can use your head, or your feet, or your chest. Just try to get the ball accurately back to your partner first time, OK?’
‘Why don’t I throw to you?’ Jamie said to TJ. ‘You’ll be good at this.’
Jamie was right about that. TJ had no problem getting the ball back to Jamie and it didn’t matter how high or fast Jamie threw it.
‘Nice work, TJ,’ Mr Wood said, as he passed by. ‘Swap over now, boys, and let’s see what Jamie can do.’
TJ took the ball and threw it to Jamie. He tried to make sure it reached Jamie at a perfect height. He aimed to make it easy, but when Jamie swung his foot at the ball it flew off and hit Tulsi on the back of the head, two squares away.
‘Hey!’ she yelled, then she turned and saw Jamie and laughed. ‘I might have guessed,’ she said.
‘I’ll never get it right,’ muttered Jamie.
‘You should practise like I do,’ TJ said. ‘I bang it against the wall and try to hit it back. I try to surprise myself.’
‘But I do practise,’ Jamie said. ‘It doesn’t matter what I do, I can’t get better. I’ve broken four windows and three flowerpots too. I won’t have any pocket money for years.’
‘Just keep your eye on the ball,’ TJ said, chucking it to him again. ‘See? That’s better.’
‘You’re right,’ Jamie said, brightening. ‘Throw me another one.’
TJ threw, and Jamie swung his leg. The ball flew way up into the air and came down in the street on the other side of the fence.
‘You know what?’ TJ told him. ‘You really are a dodgy defender. You have to admit it. But you’re a great goalie.’
‘TJ’s right,’ said Mr Wood, who had been watching. ‘You can tackle, Jamie, and you’ve got yourself very fit. But I think goalie is your best position, and I think you’re easily the best goalie we have. So how about it? Will you be our goalkeeper?’
They all waited. ‘Go on, Jamie,’ pleaded Tulsi. ‘You really are a brilliant keeper.’
‘And we need you,’ said Rafi.
‘Please,’ said Rodrigo.
Jamie shook his head and grinned. ‘OK, then,’ he said. ‘But I’m going to keep practising my passing. I still think I’ll be a defender one day.’
C HAPTER 16
ON THE MORNING of the District Tournament a big convoy of cars assembled at the school, ready to follow the Parkview team in their minibus to the nearby town, where the tournament was taking place.
‘Look,’ said Rafi to TJ, as they were waiting to get on the minibus, ‘Mrs Hubbard and the cooks have joined up with Janice and the dinner ladies.’
‘And they’ve got new pom-poms too!’ said Tulsi. ‘In our colours!’
‘It’s not just us who’ve got new stuff,’ Janice said. ‘Look, here comes Mr B.’
Mr Burrows was carrying two enormous sports bags. He unzipped one and pulled out a football shirt. ‘We have shirts, shorts, socks, shin pads and even some of
‘Do you think Mr Wood has noticed?’ asked Jamie. ‘He can’t say I’m not fit now.’
‘No,’ agreed TJ, as they moved the ball backwards and forwards in one of the ten-metre squares that had been marked out on the field. ‘But you’ll have to pass better than that,’ he added, laughing, as he raced after yet another one of Jamie’s random passes.
‘I’m a destroyer,’ Jamie grinned. ‘Some one else can take care of the fancy passes. I tackle them and belt it clear.’
TJ glanced around the field. Everyone was working just as hard as they were. He saw Rob working with Leila. Rob had kept up with them easily on their runs, and now he was passing and controlling the ball very well. Better than a lot of the others, in fact.
‘Right,’ said Mr Wood, ‘I’d like one of you to throw the ball to your partner, and the other one to play the ball back first time. You can use your head, or your feet, or your chest. Just try to get the ball accurately back to your partner first time, OK?’
‘Why don’t I throw to you?’ Jamie said to TJ. ‘You’ll be good at this.’
Jamie was right about that. TJ had no problem getting the ball back to Jamie and it didn’t matter how high or fast Jamie threw it.
‘Nice work, TJ,’ Mr Wood said, as he passed by. ‘Swap over now, boys, and let’s see what Jamie can do.’
TJ took the ball and threw it to Jamie. He tried to make sure it reached Jamie at a perfect height. He aimed to make it easy, but when Jamie swung his foot at the ball it flew off and hit Tulsi on the back of the head, two squares away.
‘Hey!’ she yelled, then she turned and saw Jamie and laughed. ‘I might have guessed,’ she said.
‘I’ll never get it right,’ muttered Jamie.
‘You should practise like I do,’ TJ said. ‘I bang it against the wall and try to hit it back. I try to surprise myself.’
‘But I do practise,’ Jamie said. ‘It doesn’t matter what I do, I can’t get better. I’ve broken four windows and three flowerpots too. I won’t have any pocket money for years.’
‘Just keep your eye on the ball,’ TJ said, chucking it to him again. ‘See? That’s better.’
‘You’re right,’ Jamie said, brightening. ‘Throw me another one.’
TJ threw, and Jamie swung his leg. The ball flew way up into the air and came down in the street on the other side of the fence.
‘You know what?’ TJ told him. ‘You really are a dodgy defender. You have to admit it. But you’re a great goalie.’
‘TJ’s right,’ said Mr Wood, who had been watching. ‘You can tackle, Jamie, and you’ve got yourself very fit. But I think goalie is your best position, and I think you’re easily the best goalie we have. So how about it? Will you be our goalkeeper?’
They all waited. ‘Go on, Jamie,’ pleaded Tulsi. ‘You really are a brilliant keeper.’
‘And we need you,’ said Rafi.
‘Please,’ said Rodrigo.
Jamie shook his head and grinned. ‘OK, then,’ he said. ‘But I’m going to keep practising my passing. I still think I’ll be a defender one day.’
C HAPTER 16
ON THE MORNING of the District Tournament a big convoy of cars assembled at the school, ready to follow the Parkview team in their minibus to the nearby town, where the tournament was taking place.
‘Look,’ said Rafi to TJ, as they were waiting to get on the minibus, ‘Mrs Hubbard and the cooks have joined up with Janice and the dinner ladies.’
‘And they’ve got new pom-poms too!’ said Tulsi. ‘In our colours!’
‘It’s not just us who’ve got new stuff,’ Janice said. ‘Look, here comes Mr B.’
Mr Burrows was carrying two enormous sports bags. He unzipped one and pulled out a football shirt. ‘We have shirts, shorts, socks, shin pads and even some of
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