Double-Axel Doubt

by Jake Maddox

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 1: The Big News

  Chapter 2: Meeting the Coach

  Chapter 3: The Audition

  Chapter 4: Up to the Task

  Chapter 5: The New Jump

  Chapter 6: Do You Want to Win?

  Chapter 7: Gabby’s Decision

  Chapter 8: The Axel

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Glossary

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  More About Figure Skating Jumps

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  CHAPTER 1

  THE BIG NEWS

  “Now, the sit spin!” Coach Stone called from the side of the ice rink. Out on the ice, Gabby skated in a wide circle. The ice spread out before her like a sheet of glass.

  Gabby sped up as she completed the circle. Her skates scraped across the smooth surface of ice.

  Then she bent her knees and twirled, crouching low on the ice. She extended one leg out in front of her as she spun.

  Gabby rose, still spinning, until she was upright again. She lifted her leg out behind her and glided into a backward circle to complete the move.

  “Nice work, Gabby!” Coach Stone called. She motioned her student over. “Let’s take a quick break from practice. I need to talk to you about something.”

  Gabby skated over to the side of the rink. She quickly slipped on her skate guards and sat down next to her coach in the stands. “What’s going on, Coach?” she asked.

  Coach Stone put her hand on Gabby’s knee. “Gabby, how long have I been your coach?” she asked.

  “Um …” Gabby paused. “Seven years,” she said. “Ever since I started skating.”

  “Well, pretty soon we’re going to have to make some changes,” Coach Stone said. “I’m retiring at the end of the month.” She smiled gently at Gabby. “I know this is a surprise, but I’ve been coaching for a long time. I’m ready for a break.”

  Gabby stared at her coach. She tried to understand what she had just heard. “So, does this mean you won’t be my coach anymore?” she asked.

  Her fingers pinched at the knees of her warm-ups. Gabby had never skated with any other coach. She wouldn’t know what to do without Coach Stone.

  Coach Stone nodded. “That’s right,” she told Gabby gently. “And even though I know it doesn’t feel that way right now, I think this could be a good thing.”

  Gabby shook her head. I’m not going to cry, she told herself. But she could feel the tears filling her eyes. “How can this be a good thing?” she asked.

  Coach Stone paused. “You won a lot of medals when you were younger, Gabby,” she said. “But how many have you won in the past couple of years?”

  Gabby thought. “Um … one. That third place two years ago,” she said. She sat for a minute, thinking. “Wow. That’s not very many.”

  “Exactly,” Coach Stone agreed. She leaned over so that she could look into Gabby’s eyes. “You need a change. You’re stuck in the same place lately, and that’s why you haven’t been winning. Sometimes, people just need a little push forward. I think you could you use that push now.”

  She rose from the bench and walked over to her bag on a nearby table. She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Gabby as she sat back down on the bench.

  Gabby unfolded the paper and gazed down at it. It read, Coach Pearce, Rosemont Ice Arena, 555-2034. “Who’s Coach Pearce?” Gabby asked.

  Coach Stone smiled. “She’s the best figure-skating coach in the area,” she said. “Well, until I officially retire, she’s the second-best. I think she would be great as your new teacher. Coach Pearce has a different way of teaching than I do. That change might be just what you need to start winning again.”

  Gabby stared down at the wrinkled piece of paper.

  “Gabby,” Coach Stone said gently, “if you want to work with Coach Pearce, you’ll have to start doing the big jumps again. Your injury is healed.”

  Gabby stared down at her lap. She had hurt her ankle last year when she fell doing a double Axel. Since that day, she’d only done easy, basic jumps — nothing like she used to do. She just couldn’t make herself.

  Her ankle was healed now, but every time she flung herself in the air, the memory of her fall came rushing back. It was just too scary.

  Coach Stone had been understanding. They had worked on spins, footwork, and easy jumps for the past year. Gabby had avoided big jumps — like Axels, Lutzes, and flips. Coach Stone said she was ready, but Gabby just couldn’t do it.

  The black writing on the paper in Gabby’s hand blurred. Her eyes overflowed. A big tear fell right on the paper. “I don’t want to skate with anyone but you,” she whispered.

  Coach Stone smiled and pulled Gabby into a hug. “I know. Leaving my students is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “But all things have to change. And you do, too. Just give Coach Pearce a try. She might be good for you.”

  “Maybe …” Gabby said doubtfully. She wasn’t sure. How could anyone replace Coach Stone?

  CHAPTER 2

  MEETING THE COACH

  After dinner that night, Gabby excused herself and went to her room. She took out the piece of paper Coach Stone had given her and stared at it. Finally, she sighed, picked up the phone, and dialed the number.

  A sharp voice answered after two rings. “Hello?”

  “Hi, this is Gabby Lange,” Gabby said nervously. “Um, Coach Stone —”

  “Ah, yes,” Coach Pearce cut in, not giving Gabby time to finish. “Coach Stone told me you would be calling. I want you to audition for me. Tomorrow at Rosemont Arena. That’s where we practice. Don’t be late.”

  Gabby opened her mouth to reply, but instead, she heard a click. Coach Pearce had hung up the phone. The dial tone beeped in Gabby’s ear.

  Slowly, she set the phone down. Tomorrow was awfully soon for an audition. She didn’t even have time to prepare.

  But what choice did she have? Coach Pearce didn’t seem like the kind of coach you argued with.

  * * *

  The next afternoon, Gabby made her way into Rosemont Arena. She’d never been to the modern ice rink before. It was brand new, all glass and shiny metal. It was so different than the old arena where she skated with Coach Stone. As she stood in front of the big glass doors, trying to find the courage to push them open, someone bumped into her from behind.

  “Oh!” Gabby exclaimed, stumbling forward a few steps before catching herself. She turned around to see a boy about her own age.

  “Whoa! Sorry about that,” the boy said. “Are you okay?”

  She looked him over as she brushed her hair back out of her face. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said. “Thanks.”

  “Are you lost?” he asked. “This place is huge. It took me weeks to find my way around.”

  Gabby shook her head. “I think I’ll be okay,” she said. “Thanks, though.” She hitched her skating bag a little higher on her shoulder. The boy smiled at her and pushed through the big doors, disappearing inside.

  Gabby took a deep breath, trying to calm her shaky stomach. Maybe Coach Pearce wouldn’t expect big jumps today. It was just an audition, after all. There’s nothing to be nervous about, Gabby told herself.

  She shoved open the glass doors. Inside, skating banners hung from the high ceiling. Skaters lounged on benches lining the walls.

  Straight ahead, Gabby could see the entrance to the main rink. The shouts of coaches and the scrape of skates filtered through the heavy doors. One woman’s gruff voice rose above the rest.

  Maybe that’s Coach Pearce, Gabby thought. I guess there’s only one way to find out. She pulled open the doors and felt a cool blast of air on her face.
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br />   The ice was covered with skaters practicing jumps and spins. Their coaches shouted directions from the sidelines. “Ah, Gabrielle!” a small woman cried. Her voice echoed in the vast rink. The woman strode toward Gabby, holding out both of her hands.

  “Hello,” Gabby said, shaking the woman’s hand. “Thanks for meeting me.”

  “Gladly!” Coach Pearce cried, hurrying over to the sidelines, where a small table was set up. “Coach Stone told me you’re an excellent skater. It’s too bad she’s retiring, but I think this could be a very good opportunity for you.”

  Coach Pearce picked up a piece of paper from the table. “Now, Coach Stone mentioned that you haven’t done any complex jumps for almost a year now. But she tells me your old injury is perfectly healed,” she said with a smile. “I’m sure you’re a lovely jumper. I’m excited to see what you can do today.”

  Gabby felt the blood drain from her face. “Today? I-I don’t know if I can,” she stammered. She imagined the thud of her body hitting the ice. She stepped back. “I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she said.

  Coach Pearce put down the piece of paper and fixed Gabby with a stern gaze. “How many medals have you won in the past year, Gabrielle?” she asked.

  Gabby looked down at the toes of her boots. “None,” she mumbled.

  Coach Pearce nodded. “That’s right,” she said. “And that is because you have not performed any high-level jumps, correct?”

  Gabby didn’t respond. She focused on her shoelaces.

  Coach Pearce was silent for a moment. Then she sighed. “All right, Gabrielle,” she said. “You will skate for me today with only small jumps. For now.”

  Gabby looked up, a grin splitting across her face. “Thank you,” she said. Coach Pearce nodded, a little smile on her lips.

  CHAPTER 3

  THE AUDITION

  Gabby sat down on a bench at the side of the ice. She quickly pulled off her boots and laced up her skates. She tugged the familiar laces tight and stood up, bending to touch her toes. She felt her calves and hamstrings stretch and loosen.

  She straightened up. Her body felt strong, warm, and loose. She skated onto the shining ice, her arms swinging by her sides.

  It’s going to be fine, she told herself. It’s just a normal routine … I’ve done this a thousand times.

  Behind her, Coach Pearce clapped her hands. The sound echoed like a rifle shot in the big space.

  “All right, Gabrielle, please begin,” she said. “Let’s get you warmed up. I want you to start with an upright spin, then a sit spin.”

  Quietly, Gabby skated in a large circle, warming up her legs. She could feel Coach Pearce watching her. If she skated well, Coach Pearce would take her on as a student. And if she didn’t …

  I’ll be walking right back out those glass doors, Gabby thought. And I don’t want that. I want to skate.

  As Coach Pearce watched, Gabby sped up and moved into a layback spin. She gracefully arched her back and let her head drop back behind her. She extended her arms overhead, spinning so fast the arena blurred around her.

  She slowly came to a halt. “Very nice!” Coach Pearce called. Gabby felt a little prick of pride in her chest. “Please continue.”

  Her heart pumping harder now, Gabby skated backward around the edge of the arena, holding her arms out by her sides. She pivoted lightly on her skates and turned to face forward again.

  Next, she moved across the ice on the diagonal. Gabby crossed her legs, one over the other, turning forward, then backward, then forward again.

  She glanced quickly at Coach Pearce. The coach had her hands on her hips, smiling as she watched. Smoothly, Gabby rose and began a layback spin, letting her arms and head fall gracefully back behind her.

  “Excellent, Gabrielle!” Coach Pearce called. “Now let me see a single toe loop.”

  That was a little jump. Gabby skated backward to gather speed. She stuck her left toe pick into the ice and pushed herself into the air.

  Gabby rotated a half turn in the air before landing on her right skate, arms held slightly out to her sides as she glided backward. Then, from across the arena, she heard Coach Pearce shout, “Now a double Axel! Now, Gabrielle!”

  Without thinking, Gabby turned and spread her arms to prepare for the jump. Then she realized what she was doing. A double Axel was a top-level jump. A skater had to take off from the forward outside edge of one skate and land on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. Gabby would have to rotate a full two and a half times in the air to complete the jump.

  Gabby screeched to a halt. Standing in the middle of the rink, panting, she stared at Coach Pearce. Her coach gazed back, her eyes calm and knowing.

  “You said no big jumps,” Gabby said. Her voice was nervous.

  Coach Pearce shrugged. “I wanted to see if you could do it if you didn’t think about it first,” she said.

  She looked down at her clipboard and made a mark. “You’re going to have to get over your fear, Gabrielle. Jumps are a part of a skater’s life.” Her voice was hard. “You’re an excellent skater. I’ll take you on as my student.” Without waiting for a reply, Coach Pearce turned her back and walked away.

  “That will be all,” she called back over her shoulder. “Be here at three o’clock tomorrow. And Gabby … don’t be late.”

  Gabby stood frozen in the middle of the ice, arms at her sides, mouth hanging open. She watched Coach Pearce walk through a door at the other end of the rink and disappear.

  Looks like I have a new coach, Gabby thought, whether I like it or not.

  CHAPTER 4

  UP TO THE TASK

  The next afternoon, Gabby made sure she was at the rink on time. As she pushed open the big doors, she immediately spotted Coach Pearce, bundled in her huge puffy parka.

  “Hello, Coach Pearce,” Gabby said as she walked over.

  Coach Pearce pointed at the bench in front of her. “Sit, Gabrielle,” she commanded.

  “Uh, actually, I prefer Gabby,” Gabby said. She hadn’t wanted to correct Coach Pearce the day before, but now that she was officially her student, it was probably okay.

  “Please don’t interrupt, Gabrielle,” Coach Pearce said.

  Gabby’s eyes widened. Coach Pearce definitely had a different style of coaching than Coach Stone. Gabby sat still on the bench, her back very straight as she listened.

  Coach Pearce paced in front of her. “I have some ideas for you, Gabrielle,” she explained. “As you may know, the regional competition is coming up in just a couple of weeks. I think you could do very well if you practice hard enough.”

  She paused and stared at Gabby. “We’ll focus on footwork and spins. For now, your jumps will be a single flip, a single toe loop, and a single Salchow,” she said. “I’m sure you can handle that.”

  Gabby nodded. All of those jumps are easy, little ones, she thought with relief. Coach Pearce hadn’t mentioned any high-level jumps, like the double Axel. I wonder why, Gabby thought. She didn’t have time to think about it more, though. Coach Pearce was already shooing her toward the ice to begin her warm-up.

  * * *

  Gabby had never skated as hard as she did during the next two weeks. She was drenched in sweat at the end of every practice. Every day, she worked on her routine for the regional competition.

  Some of the moves were hard, especially the flying spin, which she’d never done before. But Gabby was pleased that she hadn’t had any trouble so far. She’d even done a slightly harder jump — a single Axel.

  Coach Pearce hadn’t said anything about doing a high-level jump since the audition. Gabby tried to forget about it. But in her heart, she knew she would have to do at least one double jump to compete at the juvenile level. Still, every time that thought came up, she shoved it aside. Coach Pearce was the coach — she knew what she was doing.

  CHAPTER 5

  THE NEW JUMP

  A week before the competition, Gabby had worked through most of her routine. Only the ending was left, an
d Coach Pearce still hadn’t told her what she would do.

  For more than two hours, Gabby skated through the beginning and middle of her routine over and over. She was completely exhausted. Finally, Coach Pearce called out, “Excellent work, Gabrielle! Two-minute break.”

  Gabby bent over, rested her hands on her knees, and panted. Coach Pearce was really pushing her today. At this rate, she’d definitely be ready for Saturday.

  She stood up and took a gulp from her water bottle. Then she skated to the center of the rink where Coach Pearce stood waiting for her.

  “Let’s run through the routine one more time,” her coach said, placing her hands on her hips. “But this time, I want you to do the ending. Please finish with a double Axel.” Her voice was firm. “This is an important jump. If you can land it, it could help you win.”

  Gabby’s stomach dropped. She’d known this moment was going to come. She’d been avoiding it as long as she could.

  “I’ve watched you skate for two weeks now,” Coach Pearce said. “You can do this. Your ankle is fine. Your single Axel is solid. It’s time to take it back to the level you were at before your injury.”

  Gabby swallowed. “I don’t know, Coach Pearce,” she said. “What if I’m not ready? Can’t I just do the single Axel instead?”

  Coach Pearce looked startled. “Excuse me?” she asked in shock. “I’ve been coaching for twenty years. Do you think you know better than me?”

  Gabby’s mouth felt dry. She’d never argued with a coach before. She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry,” she muttered.

  Coach Pearce stood back. “Then please do the jump,” she said. Gabby could tell that she didn’t really have a choice.

  Gabby took a deep breath. Maybe she was worrying too much. After all, Coach Pearce was her coach. And she’d done the single Axel just fine. She just had to do the double without thinking.