TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1: Championship Match

  CHAPTER 2: Free Fees

  CHAPTER 3: Fall League or Football?

  CHAPTER 4: The Club

  CHAPTER 5: The First Match

  CHAPTER 6: The League Fee Lie

  CHAPTER 7: A Step Backward

  CHAPTER 8: The Secret’s Out

  CHAPTER 9: Another Tough Match

  CHAPTER 10: Back in the Game

  About the Author

  About The Illustrator

  Glossary

  Tennis Words You Should Know

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  Jake Maddox Sport Stories

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

  Henry looked across the net and waited for the serve. His opponent struck the ball.

  Quickly, Henry moved to his right and swung his racquet back. He stepped toward the ball and ripped a wicked shot across the net. The ball soared deep into the corner.

  His opponent reached his racquet for the ball, but he couldn’t get it. Henry had scored another point.

  Henry had already won the first set of the match. In the second set, he was ahead five games to two. The first player to win two sets would win the match. If Henry could win this set, he’d be the match winner. He knew he could do it.

  Henry loved tennis. Even though this was his first summer playing, he thought it was way more fun than any other sport he had ever played.

  Max, Henry’s best friend, had convinced him to play. Now tennis was taking over Henry’s life. He played for hours nearly every day.

  Thanks to all the practice, Henry had gotten really good. Now he was playing for the third-place trophy in the final city tournament of the summer.

  “Get him, Henry,” yelled Max from behind the fence. “Finish him off!”

  Henry heard Max’s voice, but he didn’t turn to look at his friend. Instead, he stayed focused on the match.

  His opponent launched another serve. The ball again came toward Henry’s right-hand side, his forehand side. Henry’s forehand was his strongest side. Hitting from his left side, his backhand side, was a lot harder. Henry knew his backhand needed more practice.

  Henry cocked his racquet behind his body. Then he took a big swing. The ball flew over the net, and his opponent hit a soft shot back. The ball landed short on Henry’s side of the court, so he ran up to hit it. After striking the ball, he moved toward the net.

  The other player barely got to the ball. He sent a floater toward Henry at the net. Henry waited for the ball to come down. At just the right moment, he swung his racquet over his head. Finally, he smashed the ball hard into his opponent’s court.

  The other player didn’t stand a chance. The ball landed, bounced, and crashed loudly into the back fence.

  Henry had won! He had won the match and the third-place trophy.

  CHAPTER 2

  FREE FEES

  After the tournament, Henry and Max rode their bikes home. Both boys had their tennis bags slung over their backs.

  “You played so great today,” said Max. “Your first summer of tennis, and you took third place. That’s amazing!”

  “It was pretty awesome,” said Henry.

  “So are you going to play in the fall indoor league with me?” asked Max.

  “I don’t know,” said Henry. “I’d like to, but . . .”

  “But what?” Max asked. “You have to play. It’s the Oak Point Breakers. We’re the best team in the city.”

  “I know. I’d love to play,” Henry said.

  “So what’s the problem?” asked Max.

  “I don’t know,” said Henry. “How much does the league cost, anyway?”

  “I think it’s seven hundred dollars,” said Max.

  “Seven hundred dollars?!” said Henry. “Then there’s your answer. No way is my dad going to pay seven hundred bucks for me to play tennis.”

  “I bet my dad would pay for your fees,” said Max.

  “Why would he do that?” asked Henry.

  “Why not?” asked Max. “He’s got the money. Besides, he’s the team coach and a big shot at the tennis club.”

  “My dad would never go for that,” said Henry. “Seven hundred dollars is too much. He wouldn’t want to spend that much money on tennis.”

  “Then don’t tell him,” said Max. “Don’t tell him my dad is paying.”

  “I can’t lie to my dad,” Henry said quietly.

  “It wouldn’t be a lie,” said Max. “You just wouldn’t be telling him the whole truth.”

  “That’s not much of a difference,” said Henry.

  They reached the dirt road that led to Henry’s house. Henry slowed down.

  “Well, it’s up to you,” said Max. “All I know is that you need to play. And you shouldn’t let your dad stop you.”

  “Easy for you to say,” said Henry.

  “I’ll talk to you later,” said Max, pedaling ahead. “Just remember, we need you on our team, man. We need you.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Henry called after him. He turned and pedaled toward his house.

  CHAPTER 3

  FALL LEAGUE OR FOOTBALL?

  Henry dropped his bike on the grass next to his house and burst through the back door. His parents were sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper.

  “Hey, Mom and Dad,” said Henry. “Look!” He held up the trophy he had won at the tournament.

  “Third place?” Mom said. “That’s really terrific, honey.” She stood up and gave Henry a hug.

  “Want to see, Dad?” asked Henry.

  “Of course,” said his father. Max’s dad had his face buried in the newspaper.

  Henry walked over to him. “It’s third place,” he said. “Not as good as first or second, but since this was my first season, I’m really happy.”

  Henry’s dad barely looked away from his paper for two seconds. “Good job, son,” he said.

  Henry frowned and looked at his mom. She gave him a little smile. “You did great, honey,” Mom said.

  “So, Henry,” said his dad. “I’m reading about the Bears training camp. That new quarterback seems to be pretty talented. I can’t wait for football season to start. How about you?”

  “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that,” Henry said.

  Dad looked up. “Yeah?” he asked. “What is it?”

  “I don’t want to play football this season,” Henry said.

  Henry’s dad put his paper down. “What? Why?” he asked.

  “I want to play tennis, in an indoor league with Max,” Henry explained.

  “You want to quit the team?” Dad asked.

  “I want to play tennis, Dad,” said Henry.

  “Honey, you’ve seen this coming for a long time,” Mom told Dad. “Henry has never loved football like you do.”

  Henry’s father let out a big sigh. He folded up his newspaper.

  “Yeah, I know,” he said. Then he turned to Henry and said, “You really love it, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I do,” said Henry.

  “Well, then,” said his father, “I think you need to play tennis.”

  “Are you serious?” asked Henry.

  “Of course I am,” said his father. “You go join that team and you give it everything you have, okay?”

  “I will,” said Henry, grinning. “Thanks!”

  Henry was thrilled. He got to play in the league, and since Dad hadn’t asked about the fees, Henry hadn’t had to lie. He couldn’t wait to tell Max the great news.

  CHAPTER 4

  THE CLUB

  Henry pulled open the large double glass doors of the Oak Point City Tennis Club and walked inside.

  A pretty girl behind a desk asked, “May I help you?”

  “I’m here to see Max Martinson,” Henry said.

  “I’ll have him paged right away, sir,” said the receptionist.

  Henry had never been called “sir” before. He felt out of place in the large, fancy lobby.

  Water trickled down a marble fountain in the corner. Soft piano music filled the air. He thought he should sit down, but the chairs looked too nice to sit on.

  “May I get you something to drink?” asked the girl. “An energy drink, an iced coffee, a bottle of water?”

  “No thank you,” said Henry.

  “Hey, buddy!” said Max as he crashed through a door next to the desk. “First day of the indoor season. This is going to be awesome.”

  Henry smiled at the receptionist. Then Max led him through the door and into the club.

  “Let’s go to the locker room,” said Max.

  As the two of them walked through the club, Henry noticed coolers loaded with sports drinks and tables piled high with energy bars. “Are those free?” asked Henry.

  “Of course,” said Max, laughing. “Have one.” He tossed an energy bar to Henry.

  They rounded a corner and stepped into an open room. Big leather chairs sat in the middle of the room. Flat-screen TVs hung from one wall. Along the other walls were tall, open lockers.

  “This is the locker room?” asked Henry.

  “Yes. You like it?” asked Max.

  “It’s unbelievable,” said Henry.

  “Come here,” said Max. “Check this out.”

  Henry followed Max to a locker on the far side of the room. Above the locker was his name, Henry Fredrickson, in large bold letters. Inside the locker hung a white Breakers uniform and a brand-new tennis racquet.

  “What do you think?” asked Max.

  “Is that stuff mine?” asked Henry.

  “You bet it is,” said Max. “They’re gifts from my dad. Get dressed, and we’ll head to the courts.”

  The indoor courts were in another part of the building. Henry couldn’t believe his eyes when they walked in. There were sixteen courts in two rows of eight. The first eight courts each had ball machines, like the ones Henry had seen on TV. Those courts were for practicing hitting.

  “Let’s practice next to each other,” said Max. He handed Henry a tiny remote control. “Here’s the controller. Push the green button when you’re ready.”

  Max jogged to a court. Henry ran to the next court.

  Suddenly Max’s ball machine came to life and started firing balls across the net. Max hit a couple of nice shots back.

  Henry pressed the green button on his controller. An instant later, a ball shot toward him. Henry lined up the ball and smacked a shot over the net.

  “Nice!” yelled Max.

  The balls kept coming as the machine moved back and forth. It fired shots to both Henry’s forehand and backhand sides. “This is awesome!” shouted Henry.

  “I know!” yelled Max. “Welcome to the team!”

  Other players came in, each player entering a court. Soon, eight players were warming up against the ball machines.

  Then Max’s dad walked in. Mr. Martinson let them practice for a while longer. Then he led the team through a dozen different drills. Finally, it was time to play a match. Henry and Max played against each other.

  On the last point of the match, Henry hit a ball deep into Max’s court. Max fired back a shot to Henry’s forehand. Henry set up for the shot. He waited for just the right moment. Then he blasted the ball into the court and past Max.

  “Yes!” Henry yelled.

  Henry and Max met at the net. “Nice shot,” said Max shaking Henry’s hand.

  “Nice match,” said Henry, smiling.

  “Now, are you ready to go to the pool?” asked Max.

  “There’s a pool?” asked Henry.

  “Of course there is,” said Max. “There’s an outdoor pool with cold drinks, lounge chairs, and cute girls. And we can order whatever we want for lunch and bill it to my dad. Let’s go!”

  Max took off running. Henry chased him, yelling, “This is even better than you said it would be!”

  CHAPTER 5

  THE FIRST MATCH

  Henry bounced a tennis ball on the court. He looked across the net at his opponent. It was the sixth game of the first real match of the indoor season. The Breakers were playing against the Penn Tennis Club Aces.

  Henry was ahead four games to one in the first set. Just two more games and he would win the set. Then, if he won another set, he would win the match.

  He bounced the ball once more. Then he threw it high into the air. He slammed the ball with his racquet. The ball soared over the net.

  His opponent slid to his right and hit a hard shot back. Henry moved forward a little. He hit the ball deep across the net. The other player hit it back.

  Henry then sent a shot to the other corner. His opponent tried to get to it, but couldn’t. Henry won the point.

  On the next point, Henry hit a serve so hard that his opponent didn’t even touch it. Ace!

  Henry was on a roll. Next, he went to the net and smashed a hard, fast shot right at his opponent’s feet. Then the score was 40–0.

  Henry lined up his next serve. He bounced the ball four times, then threw the ball up into the air. He pounded the ball with his racquet and raced to the net.

  The other player hit a lob over Henry’s head instead of trying to hit a shot past him. Henry had no choice but to race back to get the ball after it bounced.

  Henry ran back to the end of the court. He got there just in time to hit a shot back across the net. It was a short shot, though, so his opponent came to the net and hit a bullet back toward Henry.

  This time, Henry was ready for it. He took one step back, pulled his racquet behind his right side and hit a killer shot past the reaching arm of his opponent. The game was over.

  Henry was ahead 5–1 in the set. One more game and he’d win.

  The players got ready for the next game. Henry bounced back and forth on his toes as his opponent prepared to serve.

  Henry won that game without breaking a sweat. He had won the first set easily, six games to one.

  As the two players took a break between sets, Henry sat on the bench. He smiled happily. He was playing the game he loved in a totally awesome indoor tennis club, and he was winning his first match of the season.

  After a quick drink of water, he jumped to his feet and raced onto the court, ready to start the next set.

  CHAPTER 6

  THE LEAGUE FEE LIE

  Henry was on a winning streak. He’d won the match against his opponent from the Aces. Two days later, he beat a player from the Prestwood Strings.

  Hours after winning his third match in a row the following Saturday, Henry sat in his living room. There was a professional tennis tournament on TV.

  “Hi, Henry,” said his dad, entering the room.

  “Hey, Dad,” said Henry, keeping his eyes on the TV.

  “What is this?” his dad asked.

  Henry turned around. His dad held up his new tennis bag. Usually, Henry tucked it under his bed when he got home from the tennis club.

  I forgot to hide it, he thought nervously.

  “It’s my tennis bag,” said Henry. He sat up straighter in his chair.

  “I can see that,” said his dad. “It’s new. And the racquet is new too. Do you want to tell me where they came from?”

  “Max’s dad, Coach Martinson, gave them to me,” said Henry.

  “Why did he give you these things?” his father asked. “And why didn’t you tell us?”

  “He’s the coach,” Henry explained. “He was just being nice. I guess I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you wouldn’t let me keep them.”

  “Henry, I’m not happy about this,” said his dad. “We don’t keep secrets in this family. You know that.”

  “I know, Dad,” said Henry. “I’m sorry.”

  “I want you to ask Mr. Martinson how much he paid for these things,” Henry’s dad said. “Then I want to pay him back. You got that?”

  “But Dad, they were gifts,” said Henry.

  “Don’t argue with me,” Dad said, shaking his head. “You find out how much they cost, and then I’ll pay him back.”

  “Okay,” Henry said quietly.

  “Are there any other secrets about this tennis league you’ve been keeping from us?” Dad asked.

  Henry looked down at the carpet.

  “Henry,” said his dad. “I asked you a question.”

  “No, Dad,” said Henry. “No other secrets.”

  Henry felt terrible for lying. But he knew that if he told his dad that Max’s dad had paid his league fees, Dad would make him quit the team.

  “Good,” said his dad. “When you’re done watching that match, go outside and mow the lawn, okay?”

  “Sure,” said Henry. His dad left the room. Henry sunk down into his chair.

  He felt awful. His dad had asked him about the league, and Henry had lied right to his face. He hadn’t lied to his dad since he stole a candy bar from the gas station when he was five.

  Henry didn’t feel like watching TV anymore. He turned it off and headed to the back yard.

  CHAPTER 7

  A STEP BACKWARD

  Henry’s winning streak ended after the conversation with his dad. He lost the next two matches he played.

  A week later, Henry was playing against a member of the Inglewood Smashers. The Breakers were hosting a tournament with three other teams.

  Henry was down in the match, one set to nothing. He was losing the second set, five games to two.

  “Come on, Henry!” Max shouted from the bleachers. “You can definitely beat this guy!”

  Henry bounced on his feet and waited for his opponent to serve. He watched a strong serve come to his left side. Henry took a step in that direction and hit a backhand.

 

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