Two on One

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Twelve-year-olds twins Jake and Rebecca Mitchell are members of
Calgary’s co-ed Barracuda hockey team. Jake plays left wing and
“Becks” is a goalie. While Rebecca’s life goal is to become a
doctor who works in Third World countries, Jake is a wannabe Calgary
Flame.

Like many books in the Sports Stories series, the central character
must deal with a sports-related problem as well as one in his home life.
In Two on One, Jake’s problems become interrelated. His desire to play
in the NHL causes him to be perceived as a puck hog by his teammates and
to neglect his schoolwork (he views education not to be a requirement
for becoming a professional athlete). Jake’s parents, who believe in
extrinsic motivation, give him cash bonuses for his goals and assists, a
situation that exacerbates his reputation for being a selfish player. At
the same time, they also try to motivate him to improve his school
grades by creating a home lottery, the prize being a summer hockey camp;
the 2,000–to-1 odds of Jake winning are used to mirror his chances of
actually becoming an NHLer. The book concludes with the team playing in
a spring tournament where the Barracudas advance to the championship
game. Jake, now a “team player,” scores the win in an unusual
overtime that sees him ultimately playing one on one—though, with
Beck’s solid goaltending, Jake sees it as “two on one.”

The book’s game action is more engaging and convincing than Jake’s
personal challenges. Recommended.