Off the Wall

John Walker is a professor of Spanish at Queen’s University.

Although soccer is played throughout Canada, the differences in our
weather demand indoor sites for the winter game. Camilla Reghelini
Rivers, the author of Shutout! (2000), has set her new soccer novel in
Winnipeg. The main character, 12-year-old Lizzie, has been playing
soccer for four years and is used to the indoor game. Her coach, Vern
Hiebert, is a good type whose philosophy of sport is rooted in
enjoyment, effort, and respect; if the players do their best, he
believes, they will be winners in the big game of life.

Lizzie’s life is complicated by a school friend, Brock, who enjoys
bugging her and playing tricks, and by her relationship with her family.
Since both her parents are professionals who sometimes work late, she is
often left to take responsibility for her younger sister Shelby, a
bright, successful young girl. This sibling rivalry reaches a climax
when Shelby’s team, led by an arrogant, unsporting coach, meets
Lizzie’s Pythons in the final of an indoor tournament; the end result
is harrowing but predictable.

The pushy adults and the aggressive coach failed to see the danger of
pitting young players against the older and stronger girls, as Lizzie
had forewarned. Off the Wall contains a valuable les-son for those
involved not just in soccer, but in any contact sport. Highly
recommended.