guys do it?” Nick asked.
“Yeah. It took us about twenty minutes, but we did it.”
Chris looked puzzled. “What’s that got to do with soccer?” he asked.
“Everything,” Josh and Aidan said at the same time, then laughed.
“We even went to the High-Top Park like the Flames did after last season,” Josh added. “Climbed on all those ladders and ropes and zip lines. It was fun.”
“I still don’t get what it has to do with soccer,” Chris said.
Aidan broke in again before Josh could even open his mouth. “The 1999 United States women’s team used this kind of team-building stuff,” he said. “And they won the World Cup. They were
Sports Illustrated
Sportswomen of the Year.”
“Since when are you the big expert?” Nick asked.
“We’re doing our research paper for Ms. Littlewood on the World Cup,” Josh explained. “Hey, don’t knock it. These team-building exercises are working. We’re playing great.”
“You guys are talking pretty big for a team that’s only won one game,” Chris said.
“What?” Josh said. “You think the Flames could beat the United?”
“Yeah,” Chris said. Then he smiled and held up a tater tot. “In a game of tater-tot toss.”
“What’s a tater toss tot … I mean—”
“Tater tot toss,” Chris corrected. “You gotta toss a tater tot into your teammate’s mouth from across the table. Let’s say the best out of three tosses. Flames against the United.”
“We gotta make sure Ms. Littlewood doesn’t see us,” Aidan said. “She’s on lunch duty today.”
“We’re way back in the corner,” Chris said. “She won’t see a thing.” He picked up a tater tot from his plate. “We’ll go first. Come on, Nick, open up.”
Nick opened his mouth. Chris held the tater tot like a dart, eyeing the distance across the lunchroom table. He let it go with a quick flick of his wrist. The greasy puff of potato flew across the table and bounced right off Nick’s nose.
Everyone at the table laughed.
“Zero for one!” Aidan shouted.
“Come on, Nick, you gotta move your mouth,” Chris said.
“All right, our turn,” Josh said, holding up a tater tot. He closed one eye, trying to zero in on Aidan’s lower jaw.
Josh’s throw was perfect. The tater tot landed on Aidan’s tongue and he snapped his mouth shut.
“Goal!” Josh shouted. “The United lead, 1–0.”
Nick’s next toss landed on Chris’s forehead and then fell to the floor. Aidan missed Josh’s head entirely, but the United team still led, 1–0.
“Okay, last try,” Chris said. “The pressure’s on.” Chris’s toss sailed true and the tot zoomed right into Nick’s wide-open mouth.
“Goal!” Chris shouted. “Tie score.”
“Keep it down,” Aidan warned. “Ms. Littlewood is looking over here.”
“We got one last shot,” Josh reminded everyone. He picked the smallest tater tot from his plate and looked across the table. Staring into Aidan’s wide-open mouth, Joshfelt like a dentist. He steadied his hand and let the tater tot fly.
It was—good! Aidan closed his mouth and punched his fist into the air. “Dee-licious!” he declared, chewing the winning tater tot.
“Another United victory!” Josh turned to Chris and said, “I’m telling you, these team-building exercises are working. Big time.”
Chapter 14
A ll right,” Coach Hodges called. “Bring it in.” Despite the order, the United players kept playing. Evan slid a back pass to Aidan, who lofted a pass to Josh, positioned perfectly in front of the goal. Josh headed the ball and it looked good, but the ball sailed just inches above the goal. He threw his head back and shouted, “Aaarrgh!”
“Good try,” Evan said. “That was
almost
an unbelievable shot.”
Evan pointed at Aidan. “Great pass,” he said.
The boys turned toward Coach Hodges at the edge of the practice field. A large canvas bag was on the ground next to her.
“Get some water and get over here,” she ordered. “Let’s
“Yeah. It took us about twenty minutes, but we did it.”
Chris looked puzzled. “What’s that got to do with soccer?” he asked.
“Everything,” Josh and Aidan said at the same time, then laughed.
“We even went to the High-Top Park like the Flames did after last season,” Josh added. “Climbed on all those ladders and ropes and zip lines. It was fun.”
“I still don’t get what it has to do with soccer,” Chris said.
Aidan broke in again before Josh could even open his mouth. “The 1999 United States women’s team used this kind of team-building stuff,” he said. “And they won the World Cup. They were
Sports Illustrated
Sportswomen of the Year.”
“Since when are you the big expert?” Nick asked.
“We’re doing our research paper for Ms. Littlewood on the World Cup,” Josh explained. “Hey, don’t knock it. These team-building exercises are working. We’re playing great.”
“You guys are talking pretty big for a team that’s only won one game,” Chris said.
“What?” Josh said. “You think the Flames could beat the United?”
“Yeah,” Chris said. Then he smiled and held up a tater tot. “In a game of tater-tot toss.”
“What’s a tater toss tot … I mean—”
“Tater tot toss,” Chris corrected. “You gotta toss a tater tot into your teammate’s mouth from across the table. Let’s say the best out of three tosses. Flames against the United.”
“We gotta make sure Ms. Littlewood doesn’t see us,” Aidan said. “She’s on lunch duty today.”
“We’re way back in the corner,” Chris said. “She won’t see a thing.” He picked up a tater tot from his plate. “We’ll go first. Come on, Nick, open up.”
Nick opened his mouth. Chris held the tater tot like a dart, eyeing the distance across the lunchroom table. He let it go with a quick flick of his wrist. The greasy puff of potato flew across the table and bounced right off Nick’s nose.
Everyone at the table laughed.
“Zero for one!” Aidan shouted.
“Come on, Nick, you gotta move your mouth,” Chris said.
“All right, our turn,” Josh said, holding up a tater tot. He closed one eye, trying to zero in on Aidan’s lower jaw.
Josh’s throw was perfect. The tater tot landed on Aidan’s tongue and he snapped his mouth shut.
“Goal!” Josh shouted. “The United lead, 1–0.”
Nick’s next toss landed on Chris’s forehead and then fell to the floor. Aidan missed Josh’s head entirely, but the United team still led, 1–0.
“Okay, last try,” Chris said. “The pressure’s on.” Chris’s toss sailed true and the tot zoomed right into Nick’s wide-open mouth.
“Goal!” Chris shouted. “Tie score.”
“Keep it down,” Aidan warned. “Ms. Littlewood is looking over here.”
“We got one last shot,” Josh reminded everyone. He picked the smallest tater tot from his plate and looked across the table. Staring into Aidan’s wide-open mouth, Joshfelt like a dentist. He steadied his hand and let the tater tot fly.
It was—good! Aidan closed his mouth and punched his fist into the air. “Dee-licious!” he declared, chewing the winning tater tot.
“Another United victory!” Josh turned to Chris and said, “I’m telling you, these team-building exercises are working. Big time.”
Chapter 14
A ll right,” Coach Hodges called. “Bring it in.” Despite the order, the United players kept playing. Evan slid a back pass to Aidan, who lofted a pass to Josh, positioned perfectly in front of the goal. Josh headed the ball and it looked good, but the ball sailed just inches above the goal. He threw his head back and shouted, “Aaarrgh!”
“Good try,” Evan said. “That was
almost
an unbelievable shot.”
Evan pointed at Aidan. “Great pass,” he said.
The boys turned toward Coach Hodges at the edge of the practice field. A large canvas bag was on the ground next to her.
“Get some water and get over here,” she ordered. “Let’s
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