“I don’t get it, Ms. Perez,” Nora said. She and the rest of the girls stood in a half circle around Ms. Perez and Melina. They had all just been told the terrible news. “How could this happen?”
For once, Melina agreed with her rival. Soccer was her life. What would she do without her team?
Ms. Perez offered a half shrug. “Well, the city schools have had to make lots of cuts due to budget constraints — there also won’t be boys’ middle school soccer or boys’ swim and dive this year.”
“What are budget constraints?” called out Holly Bing from the back.
“That means they’re outta money,” Nora answered with a smirk.
Ms. Perez nodded. “That’s the general idea,” she admitted.
“So we won’t be able to play any soccer at all?” asked one of the sixth grade girls.
“Yeah,” said the girl sitting behind her. “Because my parents said they can’t afford to put me on one of the club teams this year.”
Melina glanced at the worried sixth grade players. She had seen both of them around, but she didn’t know their names. Without a soccer team, she probably wouldn’t ever learn their names, either.
“Well, of course you girls can always get together to play soccer, if you make the time,” Ms. Perez said. “But I’m afraid I don’t have any other options for you sixth graders.”
Melina looked up at her hopefully. “What about for the eighth graders?” she asked.
“And seventh graders?” asked Prissy Wilkins. She had been on the team with Melina last year.
“There I do have some good news,” Ms. Perez said, “depending on how you look at it.”
“What do you mean?” Melina asked.
“I wasn’t just on the phone with the money people this afternoon,” Ms. Perez explained. “I’ve also been talking with the junior varsity coach at the high school, Coach Naranjo.”
Melina felt a flutter of excitement, despite the sad situation. Ms. Perez was talking about Coach Maya Naranjo, former captain of the Bulloch High School varsity team. When Melina was seven, she had seen Maya play. She had been amazing. Melina had dreamed of playing on the high school team ever since.
“I made a suggestion, and I got the school board’s approval,” Ms. Perez continued as a smile began to form on her lips. “Coach Naranjo was okay with the idea too, so we’re going to give it a shot.”
“Tell us already!” Nora said, bouncing on her toes.
“Yeah, Ms. Perez,” Melina said quietly. She had an idea what her coach was going to say, but it was too wonderful to believe. “What’s the plan?”
“All seventh and eighth graders are invited to try out for the high school’s junior varsity team,” Ms. Perez said, and her lips bloomed into a hundred-watt smile.
Melina smiled too. She had a chance to play soccer after all! And not just any soccer, she reminded herself. But high school soccer, coached by former all-star striker Maya Naranjo!
“Wait, what?” Nora said. She was not smiling. “We’re supposed to try out against high school girls? They’ll clobber us!” A few of the girls nodded in agreement.
“The JV team is mostly ninth and tenth graders,” Melina pointed out. “The really strong players will be on the varsity team.”
Ms. Perez nodded. “I think you’re right about that,” she said. “Still, you’ll all have to show Coach Naranjo your best if you want a chance to play on a school team this year.”
Suddenly, Melina realized something else. “Wait, what about you, Ms. Perez?”
“I’ll be the JV team’s assistant coach,” the coach replied. “So I’ll be around plenty, don’t worry about that.”
Melina nodded, relieved that not everything was changing. She was still disappointed that there wasn’t a middle school team and that she wouldn’t be their captain. But the idea of playing on a high school team was thrilling. Melina was ready to up her game.
“Okay,” Nora said, pacing back and forth. “So when do we try out? How much practice time do I have?”
She seems nervous, Melina noticed. Nora’s usually super confident — over confident, even. Where did it all go?
“You have two days,” Ms. Perez said. “Tryouts are tomorrow at three thirty, right here.” She pointed firmly at the ground they were standing on: the shared athletic field between the middle school and high school.
“We won’t let you down,” Melina assured her.
“Of course you won’t,” Ms. Perez said. “But just to be sure, let’s practice.”
Melina gave her a puzzled look. “Practice? But you’re not in your sweats, and we don’t have any soccer balls.”
“I was in a hurry,” Ms. Perez said. She pulled a lanyard from her pocket and handed it to Melina. The key to the equipment room dangled from the strap. “We still have an hour or so. Might as well make the most of it.” She turned to the group and added, “Prissy, help her out, please.”
Together the two girls hurried to the equipment room.
“Think we have a chance of making the high school team?” Prissy asked.
“It’ll be tough,” Melina said, “but I think we might!”
The truth was, though, Melina was confident that by this time next week, she’d be on the junior varsity team.