Winning Kicker

by Thomas J. Dygard

Book Overview

"A pretty, 110-pound girl joins her high-school football team as a first-rate place kicker. This book deals matter-of-factly with the problems created by her doing so . . . As exciting as anything for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 014034117X
• ISBN13: 9780140341171
• Release Date: April 1990
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.4" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

A book about meritocracy and women's liberation

This book is one that could not have been written before the 1970's. John Earlingham was not a football player; he started his high school career as an algebra teacher. However, when the football coach of Higgins High went off to fight in the Second World War, Earlingham was the only choice they had for a temporary coach. He was so successful that when the war ended, there was no thought of making a coaching change. That was decades ago and John has already decided that this will be his last season. He considers this year's team to have the potential to be his best ever. His situation changes dramatically when Kathy Denver signs up to play football. Although she is only 5'4" tall and weighs 140 pounds, she is an excellent placekicker. It is here where Earlingham shows that he is much more than a football coach. Despite pressure to the contrary he keeps Kathy on the team and when she shows that is more accurate than anyone else on the team, he names her the kicker for extra points and field goals. This completely unnerves the team as Kathy's presence makes national headlines and there are reporters on the sidelines watching every practice. The team begins to fall apart and they barely win their first game 7 - 6 against a weak opponent. However, when Kathy tries to quit the team, Earlingham works to have her change her mind. It would have been easy for him to go along, but his sense of teamwork and fair play make him do otherwise. When Kathy is injured on the field and is taken away in an ambulance, the team pulls together and demolishes their opponent. The high moment is when Earlingham goes to Kathy's house and gives her a letter sweater, even though she did not garner the required amount of playing time. This story involves sexism, woman's liberation and many of the other events of the seventies. However, the most important point is that it is about teamwork and succeeding in a meritocracy. There were several points where Coach Earlingham could have eased Kathy off the team. Rather than do that he gave her a chance and did everything he could to make her a success and for all the right reasons. She was the best kicker he had, so the position was hers.