Free Game-Day Jitters by Rich Wallace Page B

said. “Of course you’ll play harder than ever. Championship games are like that. But you’ll do better if you start out by telling yourself that it’s just another game.”
    Ben scowled and yanked the fork out of the chicken. He took a swig of milk and set down the glass. “You wouldn’t say the league championship is just another
race
, would you?”
    Larry shrugged. “That
is
what I’m saying. If I let myself get all nervous about it, I’d probably run badly. Staying focused and calm is the way to go.”
    “Easy for you to say,” Ben replied. “Let’s see how you feel tomorrow night. Or on Friday before the race.”
    Larry laughed. “You’re right. It isn’t easy to stay calm. But you can try. And believe me, you’ll be sorry tomorrow if you don’t eat. You’ll be sprinting around that soccer field harder than ever, and you’ll run out of fuel.”
    Ben scooped up a bite of chicken and shoved it into his mouth. It tasted good. Suddenly he realized how hungry he was. He ate everything on his plate and then asked for more.
    *   *   *
    Ben lay on his bed later that evening, staring at the ceiling. He thought about the first time his team had played the Falcons. Loop and his teammate Alex had made Ben look silly a few times with some very tricky fakes. He’d worked on that a lot since then—making fakes of his own and learning not to get fooled by another player’s moves.
    And even though the Bobcats had lost that game, Ben knew his team was nearly as good as the Falcons. They could keep the game close tomorrow. But could they beat them? He wasn’t so sure about that. And if he played poorly, the game could be a blowout.
    Ben’s door was open, but Larry knocked on it to get his attention. “How you doing, knuckle head?” Larry said.
    “I’m okay. Just nervous.”
    “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad before,”Larry said. “I just know what it’s like to get so worked up before a game that you hurt your chances. The other team will be jittery, too.”
    “Loop doesn’t get the jitters,” Ben said. “He acts like they’ve already won the game.”
    “Then he’ll be shocked if you guys jump out to the lead tomorrow,” Larry said. “Let him think they’re going to stomp on you again. Being overconfident can be even worse than being afraid.”
    “I’m not afraid,” Ben said. “I just can’t wait to get going. I want to win this game more than any I’ve ever played.”

CHAPTER TWO
Full Force

    As soon as the final bell rang on Thursday, Ben hurried out of the classroom and out of the school. He was already wearing his soccer shirt, and he had his shorts on under his pants. His shin guards and cleats were in his backpack, so he ran all the way to the field.
    He had planned to sit in the bleachers and watch the first play-off game between the Rabbits and the Panthers, but he couldn’t sit still.
    He kicked a ball back and forth with Erin for a few minutes, then dropped to the grass and looked up at the clouds. The air was cool and there was a light wind. A perfect day for soccer.
    Once in a while, Ben heard cheering from the field, so he looked over. Usually it was the Rabbits who were cheering.
    He stood near the sidelines to watch the end of the game. The Rabbits had beaten Ben’s team both times they’d played. Ben knew they’d have a third meeting if the Bobcats could beat the Falcons, because the Rabbits were on their way to an easy win over the Panthers.
    First things first
, he thought. This semifinal would be the Bobcats’ toughest test yet.
    When the game ended, Ben stayed put for a minute, watching Loop and his teammates as they raced onto the field in their red jerseys. They sure looked confident.
    Ben looked around at his own teammates. The Bobcats had started the season slowly, not even scoring a goal until their third game. But they’d become a solid team in the second half of the season.
    We’ve come a long way
, he thought. He swallowed hard. Could they