The Flip Out by Sam Kerr & Fiona Harris

Author:Sam Kerr & Fiona Harris
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Published: 2021-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE KNIGHTS’ HOME GROUND

SATURDAY

3.12 pm

‘Sam! Get back in position!’ Ted shouts from the sideline.

I look around and realise that I’m on the wrong side of the pitch.

Oops.

I was supposed to stay on the right side, at the back, to be ready for when the ball came my way, but I ran towards it without thinking.

‘Over there!’ Dylan shouts, gesturing towards the opposite side of the pitch.

‘Gotcha,’ I call back.

My first game with the Knights isn’t going very well. For me or the team.

The score is 1–0 and there are only ten minutes left in the second half so it’s not looking good. I spent most of the first half running around trying to get near the ball and, when I finally did get near it, I had to force myself not to pick it up and boot it across the pitch. Now I’ve totally forgotten what Ted said at half-time about my position.

I feel like a clueless newbie, mainly because that’s exactly what I am. It’s not a very nice feeling. I still don’t understand what ‘offside’ means, or any of the rules really. Training was totally different to being out on the field and playing against an actual team. And the boys we’re playing against today aren’t being as nice as the boys at training, which is fair enough.

I’m not used to feeling out of my comfort zone on a sports field. But that was when I was playing footy. Soccer is a whole different ball game. Literally! What if I never feel as comfortable playing soccer as I did when I was playing AFL?

When the whistle finally blows, I just want to sink into the cold, hard ground. Mum and Dad really wanted to come and watch my first game, but I asked them not to. I’m glad they weren’t here to watch their daughter embarrass herself.

‘Not bad for your first game,’ Dylan says, jogging up to walk beside me.

‘Don’t lie,’ I mutter. ‘I was woeful.’

‘Nah, you were okay,’ Ky says, appearing on my other side. ‘Shoulda seen me at my first game. I sucked.’

‘Don’t worry, mate,’ says another boy whose name I can’t remember. ‘First game is always rough. There’s a lot to remember.’

‘Thanks,’ I say, feeling a little better.

We all grab our water bottles and slurp greedily from them on the sidelines.

Ted waves us over. ‘Sit down, boys.’

We plonk down on the grass and listen while he gives us feedback on the game. Thankfully, Ted doesn’t single me out for doing absolutely nothing of note on the field, but he doesn’t look at me either. I think that being ignored is worse than being yelled at. I stare down at my new soccer boots. Boots that I was so proud to put on this morning, imagining myself kicking the winning goal for the team. What a joke!

But I don’t want my teammates to see how upset I am. It’s Maddi’s slumber party tonight, so I’m going straight to Indi’s after here. I’ll wait until I get to Indi’s before I have a good sook.

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