Adam had enjoyed his season playing soccer. He had been the best player on the team and that was a shot in the arm and he was feeling good about how he would play in the new sport. In the summer he had played baseball and he knew that in baseball he had a good arm and he hoped that that would help him to play hockey. He had been able to handle a baseball with ease and was not a butter fingers

but now it was winter and he was looking forward to the hockey season. On his first day of practice the coach had called him cement hands. He didn't know what that meant but he asked a team mate whose name was Fred, to give him a hand. to help him to catch up. Fred was a really good player and Adam thought he was also a very nice guy. Fred showed him how to hold the stick and how to control the puck when he took a shot. Adam caught on very quickly and was soon able to shoot and hit his target on the button. He was so thrilled that he looked like he might become a good hockey player. Fred gave him a high five and told him to put 'er there and told Adam that the two of them could win the game by themselves and they didn't need anyone else on the team. On the day of his first game Adam finally felt that he was caught up and was ready to be a hockey player. When he went onto the ice for the first time in a game Fred told him to keep his fingers crossed and also told Adam that the two of them would kick butt but told Adam not to give him a suicide pass. The two of them swept down the ice with their team mates in close pursuit and Adam was caught up in the action of the game. When they got down to the opponents net Adam decided to pass off the puck just when a defense player came to him and knocked him flat. He jumped back on to his feet and by this time Fred had taken a shot which had been deflected back to him and Adam shouted, "Pass off" which Fred did, and Adam took his shot. The goalie deflected this shot back to Adam and he took another shot. He and his team mate were able to take 5 shots on goal in about 3 seconds and it was a real shoot-up. It finally hit home that he was a hockey player. The two-fisted attack that he and Fred had taken on bothered the other players because they had not passed to anyone else but had taken all of the shots themselves. When one of them complained Fred told them to talk to the hand and that he and Adam were going to be the heroes of the team. Adam didn't think that was very nice and started to think that maybe Fred wasn't such a nice guy. The rest of the team were very upset that they were being ignored and they decided that they were going to throw the game and deliberately pass the puck to the other team. The other team quickly scored two goals. Adam turned to Fred and said, "It has finally hit me, there's no i in team and we need to work with the whole team and not try to keep the puck to ourselves." Fred replied, "knock yourself out I'm going to be the star of the game and I don't need the rest of you, I can win the game by myself! " Adam thought that Fred was so caught up in himself. Adam decided that he would help the team to throw the game and they quickly lost three more goals. Fred was so mad because he liked to win and went up to Adam and said, "I'll knock you out unless you start helping me win this game. Adam said, "talk to the hand Fred. " Adam didn't want to mix it up with Fred. He knew that Fred was just trying to pick a fight. Fred was really upset because although he was a great hockey player he thought that Adam would be his ace up his sleeve and Adam could pass off the puck to him so that Fred could make all the goals and be the star of the game. Adam told Fred that he should catch the wave and join with the team. Adam told Fred that in any sport it's team work that wins, not trying to be the only player on the team. Fred got so mad that he got a penalty for cross checking and the team had to try to kill a penalty. Unfortunately they lost another goal during the penalty . When Fred got back on the ice he finally decided that he should catch the wave and work as a team player and that although he had been a hot hand for so long and forgotten that he needed a team to win. They lost that first game but Fred learned that even if you are a hot hand you should pass off the puck to your team mates and finally hit home to Fred to not get caught up in himself. Fred went up to Adam and said, "put 'er there, team mate, you taught me a lesson today! " They high fived and as they left the rink Adam looked into the stands and a real knock out gave him a big wink and a smile. Adam knew then that he was going to enjoy being a hockey player!

Idioms in the Story: a shot in the arm butter fingers good arm catch up cement hands high five put 'er there caught up a suicide pass on the button knocked him flat caught up in keep his fingers crossed give him a hand kick butt pass off two-fisted attack throw the game shoot-up hit home talk to the hand hit me throw the game knock yourself out catch the wave knock you out ace up his sleeve mix it up pick a fight kill a penalty high five hot hand pass off hit home knock out caught up in