When Nick and Kia try out for the rep team they played for the previous year, they assume they will make the grade. That is, until they meet the new coach. Suddenly all their assumptions are thrown out the window. Coach Barkley, a former college star who missed out on a pro career due to injury, is a strict disciplinarian, and his aggressive coaching techniques are a new experience for the kids. The new coach expects near perfection and does not deal well with anything less. When he matches them up against a team of older players and then refuses to accept their loss, the kids begin to wonder if they even want to make this team. Eric Walters lives in Mississauga, Ontario, and spends as much time as possible visiting kids in classrooms all over the country.