Called Up
Called Up
Please. Not house league for me. Anything but house league.
Sweat made my hands slick inside my gloves. I looked up into the stands and saw my mom in the back row. She saw I was looking up at her.
Oh no. Please don’t wave. Do not wave. Do not…
And then my mom waved.
It’s at that very moment that I fell down. Do you know how hard it is to fall down when you’re standing still on the ice?
The coach stopped talking. Everyone else on the ice was laughing at me. And then the coach blew his whistle.
“Okay, there, you on the ice,” he said.
Oh, no. The coach doesn’t even know my name.
“You there,” said Coach Lavellee. “You might need to get up, now. Heads up and listen to what I have to say.”
“That’s okay, kid,” said the kid standing right next to the coach. “We can bring you a chair to use.”
More laughter. It was awful.
Called Up uses making a Triple A hockey team from House League as the backdrop to explore many other issues. David Timko is 13-years-old, and his entire focus is on making the Triple A hockey team. When this doesn’t happen, he is angry at being forced to play at the House League level if he wants to continue to play hockey. David is also angry because he believes that his House Team “sucks”. He wants to prove himself, but he has to learn first about sportsmanship and how to be a teammate, NOT a hot shot.
Through the character of David, readers experience how important making this Triple A team is. Through the eyes of Omar, a newcomer to Canada, and also David’s friend, Sunil, readers become aware of how others view David and his actions. It is these opposing views that force readers to question not only the importance of making the Triple A team but also what friendship means and ultimately acceptance.
Called Up, a simple story expertly intertwined with many themes, is a good read.
Christina Pike is the Principal of Macdonald Drive Junior High in St. John’s, Newfoundland.