Cradle and Crease: Word Tools After Lacrosse Practice

Ifeoma's First Practice

1Ifeoma had never held a lacrosse stick before Tuesday. The stick had a long metal handle and a small net pocket at the top. At her first practice with the Maple Street Herons, Coach Henrik showed the new players how to catch the ball in the pocket. Then he told them to cradle it as they ran.

2"Cradle?" Ifeoma whispered to her friend Callum. "Like a baby's bed?" Callum shrugged. Coach Henrik jogged across the grass, rocking his stick gently back and forth. The ball stayed snug in the pocket the whole time.

3Later, the coach pointed to a white circle painted around the goal. "Watch how the goalie moves inside the crease," he called. Ifeoma looked down at her T-shirt. It had a crease across the middle from being folded in her drawer. Now she was really confused.

4That night, Ifeoma opened the team handbook. In the back she found a glossary. A glossary is a list of the special words used in a book, with their meanings. She also opened a digital dictionary on her family's tablet. She wanted to check how to say each word and to read all of its meanings.

5Next, Ifeoma wrote in her practice journal. She wanted to tell her grandmother how the first drill had felt, but the word nervous seemed too plain. She searched a thesaurus for a word that matched the jumpy, shaky feeling she had in her legs.

6By bedtime, Ifeoma understood every word the coach had used. She set her stick by the door, and she could hardly wait for Thursday's practice.