Free Switch Play! by Matt Christopher, Stephanie Peters, Daniel Vasconcellos

Chapter 1

    I t was a hot day on the soccer field, but that’s not why Ted Gaddy was steamed. For the past minute, he’d been watching his
     fellow Soccer ’Cats cheer for his sister, Lisa. Both he and Lisa played the position of fullback. Both were good players,
     but Lisa had a special move that no one else on the team could do.
    Whenever the ball bounced over the sideline near her, it was her job to throw the ball back into play. Most players did the
     usual two-handed, over-the-head throw. Not Lisa.She was short and couldn’t throw it very far that way. So she learned to do a front handspring throw-in. She actually would
     do a flip while holding the ball! When she finished the flip, she’d let go of the ball. It usually flew high and far into
     the air, way over most defenders’ heads.
    This move was her secret weapon. She didn’t do it all the time. But when she did, it was a real crowd-pleaser. Today, Lisa
     flip-threw the ball to striker Jerry Dinh, who then made a goal. Even though Jerry was the one who had scored, it was Lisa
     who got most of the applause. As usual.
    Ted knew he should be happy. His team was ahead of its opponent, the Panthers. His only sister — his twin, no less — had made
     it happen. But all he could think of was how no one had ever cheered for him the way they were cheering for Lisa.
    The Panthers and the ’Cats got into position to restart the game. At the whistle, the Panthers’ center striker toed the ball
     to his teammate. The teammate quickly passed it back and the attack was on.

    ’Cats halfbacks Dewey London and Bundy Neel double-teamed the Panther with the ball. The Panther tried to pass the ball to
     his teammate. Amanda Caler, the third ’Cat halfback, jumped between them and stole the ball. Suddenly, the ’Cats were the
     ones on the attack.
    Great
, thought Ted, kicking at the grass.
Now we have to stand around again, waiting for the ball to come to our end.
    Usually Ted liked his position at fullback. He liked knowing that he helped prevent the other team from making a goal. But
     today, most of the action had been in front of the Panthers’ goal. He, Lisa, and the other two fullbacks, Alan Minter and
     Brant Davis, hadn’t gotten much action.
    He watched Bundy battle for control of the ball with a Panther striker. Bundy won andkicked the ball back into Panther territory. The ’Cats fans applauded loudly.
    I bet if I played halfback, people would clap for me, too
, Ted thought sourly.
Or striker
, he added to himself as Stookie Norris scored a goal, his second for the game. Once again, cheers rang out from the stands.
    But fat chance of that happening. It’d take a miracle for me to find myself in front of any goal but this one!
    Stookie’s goal was the last one of the game. When the ref blew his whistle a minute later, the ’Cats had won, 3–1.
    After he’d shaken hands with the Panthers, Ted sat on a bench and took off his shin pads and cleats. As he was putting on
     his regular sneakers, Lisa sat next to him.
    “Another win! Yahoo!” she crowed as she changed her shoes.
    Ted was about to say something when one of the Panthers stopped in front of them. She was grinning.
    “Hey, Lisa! When are you going to teach me how to do that flip-throw?” she asked. “It is so cool!”
    Lisa grinned back. “Maybe when the season’s over,” she said. The girls laughed and the Panther walked away.
    Ted rolled his eyes.
    “What’s that look for?” Lisa asked.
    “Nothing,” said Ted. He slid from the bench and started walking. “Let’s just go home, okay?”
    Silently, Lisa followed him. Ted could feel her eyes on his back, but he refused to turn around.
    Let her see what it’s like to be ignored
, he thought meanly.

Chapter 2

    T wo days later, Ted showed up at practice still in a bad mood. He hadn’t said much to Lisa since the game, and she’d given
     up trying to talk to him.
    Coach Bradley called everyone together. “Okay, we’ll do the usual