Out of Bounds (Fred Bowen Sports Stories)

Eighth-grader Nate Osborne is a forward on his U-14 soccer team, the Strikers. He and the rest of his teammates are very competitive, especially when it comes to playing against their rivals, the Monarchs. They want to win so badly that they're willing to root against them when they play other teams. But Nate's soccer-playing aunt demonstrates how playing fairly with good sportsmanship and trying your hardest is more important than winning. During a game between the Strikers and the Monarchs, Nate is put in a situation where he has to decide between going for a goal after a player on the rival team gets injured, or kicking the ball out of bounds as an act of good sportsmanship. His teammates cannot understand when Nate stops the play and sacrifices his chance to win the game. What is the balance between exceptional sportsmanship and playing your best to beat your opponents?