Ponyville Junior Hoofball Tryouts

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Apple Bloom snogged on her apple some more, happy to see everypony calm down from earlier. Now that they were just kicking balls around and not competing they were all starting to just look at one another as fillies. As long as they did that they could become friends and once they became friends they could become real teammates and competitors for spots on the team. You had to have respect and friendship on a team for a real competition to begin! Abby had to laugh at Scootaloo's nearly offended defense of her kick power in relation to Apple Bloom's head. Well, she could see why Scoots would feel that way. After all, it must have been really exciting to have your kick expertly head-blocked by the best defensive player this side of the Sparkling Sea. Who was an Apple. Who was under age. “Oh, Ah'm sure yer gonna kick tha ball so hard that it'll go a whole two hooves lengths,” Apple Bloom teased, tossing her friend another apple as Sunrise replied.

Wow, she got her cutie mark on account of hoofball? That was awesome! Apple Bloom wish she could get her cutie mark on account of a sport she loved to play. Then her life would be absolutely perfect and Apple Toss and Catch would become an Equestrian super sport that she would lead into being the biggest event everywhere she played. It would be so cool and ponies all across the world would have her poster on their walls. Talk about role reversal! “Yeah! Bucking trees gets yer hind legs all sortsa strong. Y'all should see Applejack and Big Mac's legs. They're thicker than tree trunks!” Apple Bloom tried to illustrate just how big but realized the mythic proportions of muscles she was giving her big brother were simply too much for her truncated leg lengths. Back on topic. “Any story involving hoofball has gotta be something! Ah wish my cutie mark will involve sports! Ain't it cool? Could ya tell me tha whole story?!"

[Lux]

As the foals went for their refreshments, Zecora watched them as she ate an apple to see how they would interact with each other when not in competition or practicing. Good sportsponyship was something that did not get left on the field like a hoofball. It needed to carry forward to other aspects of the young pony's lives. So far there hadn't really been any issues among the ponies. Just then Rainbow Dash came over to which the Zebra wondered if she was still worried about her after the unfortunate collision with the ball. Instead though the coach asked her opinion on the fillies she saw. The Pegasus certainly had a keen eye on the player's abilities but mentioned that she saw no ponies that stood out as stars. 

 

"Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are both doing well it's true. Sunrise Beach is a pony that one can easily teach. Her kicks seem to be very strong and her her endurance lasts long. Bebop is small but this can be a good need especially if she also has speed. Marzipan and Purple Haze are doing fairly well, at least from what i can tell. The main thing is how they all work as a team. Perhaps splitting them up light you though will show how much working together they got." 

 

Scootaloo meanwhile noticed that Apple Bloom was acting a little too confident with her skills. There was no denying that she was good but did she think that she was too good? 

 

“Oh, Ah'm sure yer gonna kick tha ball so hard that it'll go a whole two hooves lengths,” 

 

"Right, and I suppose that you can kick three lengths, huh?" she said taking a bit of the apple. 

 

Even got mah cutie mark through Hoofball! 

 

"Cool! You know I didn't really know what your mark meant. Kind of looked like a beach ball, you know, because of it relating to your name. I never really read anything about Hoofball either, well except for famous Hoofball players. I just learned by playing with others like Apple Bloom. Didn't have enough to play a game so I would just pass the ball around or try to score a goal with another in the net."

 

Scootaloo's eyes went wide when Purple Haze said that the Wonderbolts weren't a sport. 

 

"Hey, flying itself is a sport! A Pegasus can't fly that well without practicing and learning the various stunts. The Wonderbolts take hours every practice perfecting those moves especially timing it with the other ponies. Most Pegesai if they tried that without practicing would crash for sure with each other in the air!" 

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

Rainbow Dash

Dash grinned down at the excited little mute unicorn, giving a ruffle to Bebop's mane. "Well, sure! Not promising anything, but you've been doing great! Til we're done, though, nopony knows their fate. You'll have to wait til tomorrow to see the postings, but you showed some real hustle out there. Zecora's doing just fine, thanks for asking. Now go get some drinks, gotta stay fit!"

​

 

 

Yay! This going even better than she expected. Bebop was grinning bright before she quickly jotted down something for Dash to read; the message was basically a whole bunch of sayings that were variations on the term 'Thanks'. The brown filly happily stuffed her little writing implements into her bag and began to walk over to the rest of the ponies, taking a moment to fix her mane from the ruffled state that the coach had put it in. Once that was done she  waved to everypony else and took an apple slice in her magic before calmly munching on it as her magi engulfed pencil wrote speedily on the notepad asking Applebloom and the rest of the ponies what they were talking about. 

 

On one of the notes which the pony levitated youngest apple pony's way asked about that club that she was running. Bebop often saw the trio of Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle galloping around Ponyville doing all kinds of seemingly random things with looks of intense concentration. Most of the time once school ended, the jazzy little filly would head right back to her grandparent's house... she really wanted to find some more things to do!

[MudBug]

Both of the colts had been daydreaming - or in their own little worlds at this point - as they had finished their laps, done their warmups with the ball, much to Starlight's chagrin and then were ready for the real practice. Champ had been showing off with some obvious ploys at coming off as a hot shot to the girls and the coach....though....it didn't really seem to be working as well as he'd liked and Starlight was busy trying to flutter after butterflies, barely getting an inch off the ground before he ended up on his blank patoot again and then tried with all his might to focus on the game.

 

It was when Sunrise's errant ball had gone and smacked Zecora in the head that both Starlight and Champ had stopped what they were doing....only for there to be an OUTBURST of laughter from the teal colt as he fell on his back, practically in a fit with laughter.

 

"BWAHAHAHA! OH! OH MAN! GOOD SHOT -DUMB-RISE! Maybe you should go buck apples or something, your cutiemark obviously got you wrong! Haha!-OW!!!!" His laughter was cut short by a tiny white hoof bucking him in the flank for his rude laughter, said aggressor frowning down at the teal colt before cantering off onto the field, however his cantering was cut short when Sunrise took a nasty fall and the teal colt was yet again laughing his flank off. Smacking his hooves into the grass and almost in tears from laughter.

"STOP! STOP THIS IS TOO MUCH! HAHAHA!!"

 

Too far out to scold the bully, Starlight just kept running on to the field, even after the tricoloured haired filly was back on her hooves before almost skidding into her....but with the size difference he more just lightly bumped into her side before looking up at her...even with the growth spurt, seemed he was still a shortstack and wiggled his ears as he heard coach Rainbow Dash call for ten. Great timing! He looked back to the aqua filly with obvious concern.

 

"Are you okay, Sunrise? You took a nasty fall there...."

[Bramble Rose]

 

Purple Haze gritted her teeth as she glared over at Champ, firmly reminding herself that if she bucked him in the teeth, she'd probably get kicked off the team ... she tried to turn herself back to the teasing, though some of the fun had just gone out of it... but if she could keep her friend distracted from the teasing so her feelings wouldn't get hurt...

She blinked at Marzipan.  "Uh ... Eggheads, are ... um ... Oi'll explain later."  She turned back to Sunrise.  "Aye, it takes practice, nae doubt.  Everythin' does.  But if they're such a sports team, then who are they playin' against, an' how do they tell they won?  Swimmin' kin be a sport, but nae synchronized swimmin'.  It's loik ... dancers."  She looked to Scootaloo.  "Loik, riverdancin'.  If normal ponies tried tae do some of those moves, they'd fall all o'er each other.  But dinnae mean a dance troupe's a sports team!"

​

 

Rainbow Dash

Rainbow Dash nodded towards Zecora's assessment, mixing it with similar assessments in her own mind.  "Yeah, how they play together and against each other will show a lot, I'm thinking-"  She cute off at the all-too-familiar tone of voice cutting across the field.  While laughing was one thing, that sort of name calling was not cool.  Besides, there were echoes of 'Rainbow Crash' echoing in the back of her head every time she heard that tone of voice.  "'scuse me, I gotta take care of something."

Dash flit across the field to land behind Champ and loom over him a bit.  "Hey!" she said sharply.  "Champ, you better stow that sort of talk.  Doesn't matter how good you might be with the ball - if you can't be a good team player, you won't be getting on my team.  No name-calling."

​

[brianblackberry]

 

Sunrise Beach felt embarrassed; the colts did notice her messing up, not only with accidentally bonking Miss Zecora in the head with the ball, but with her klutzy trip over her own hooves!  Ugh, she was supposed to be great on the sports field, and more often than not that was true, but this practice thus far has been but one fumble after another for her.    Champ’s teasing hurt enough, and she could feel a single tear forming around her left eye, but what really bothered Sunrise was that Starlight saw how clumsy she was, totally beyond embarrassing!!

 

The turquoise unicorn filly’s uncomfortable feelings went to full on mortification when she heard Starlight’s voice of concern for her.  Sunrise turned facing away from him sniffing, she didn’t want him of all colts see her tear up, not even a little.  She was tough! She was no crybaby!  No colt is going to like a crybaby filly after all! C’Mon Sunrise, like, get it together, you don’t want to look like some total lame-o foal who cries at words!  He’s looking at you!!   She wiped away her tear with her forehoof, “yeah, like, I’m cool, just like.. Ya know, something in my eye from all the dirt here, it’s nothin’.”  She filly turned back to him and gave an awkward smile that became more sincere since she was reminded once again how totally cute he was!

 

She started to feel a bit of a warm blush looking at Starlight and not wanting him to notice, quickly re-focused her attention to her bestie, Purple Haze, who just couldn’t get through her thick noggin that the Wonderbolts were true athletes!  “Like, c’mon Purple, like see Marzipan and Scootaloo totally agree with me, you have to be like, total athletes to do what they do!  Just like, admit it, it isn’t like it takes anything away from hoofball or other sports or somethin’!”  Auuuugh!  Sunrise knew this argument always just went in circles over and over, Purple was stubborn and it wouldn’t matter that others took Sunrise’s side, so she would have to play another card, “like, could you just say they are athletes for meeee?  For your very, very, bestiie?? I would so totally appreciate it and junk!  C’monnnnn!  Just this once!?”   The unicorn filly gave her biggest smile in helps that would help.

[PedestrianWolf]

 

BWAHAHAHA! OH! OH MAN! GOOD SHOT -DUMB-RISE!

 

Marzipan shot a nasty look at the teal colt. Why did boys always have to be so awful? Well, not all boys. The little white colt seemed to be pretty nice. But still, that other one could stand to be taken down a peg or three. If the Coach hadn't just said no name calling, she would have blistered his ears with her hot words. Instead, the filly stared daggers at him, and made a mental note to 'foul' him the first chance she got on the field.

 

Returning to the conversation at hoof, she offered her opinion. "Ah, si. The Wonderbolts are athletes. But a sporta team? Nay. They no compete with anypony buta themselves." She hoped that this would be enough of a compromise to satisfy both Purple Haze and Sunrise Beach.

[SteelEagle]

 

Apple Bloom smiled and guffawed a little, just a little, a giggle really, as she watched the trio fight over whether the Wonderbolts were athletes or a sports team. The fact they gave two hoots about that distinction was silly, wasn't it? Athletes and your average sports star were almost identical. They worked hard and did everything they could to be the best they could be, the top of the standings, the pick of the litter! Really, the only difference between them was the concept of some sort of game. The Wonderbolts weren't a sports team but they were athletes and  performers, and that was just as cool as any sort of sports team she could think of. Apple Bloom leaned in to the group and made her points. “They ain't no sports team but they're athletes and boy howdy, probably the best athletes in all of Equestria! Well, Ah mean, after Applejack, of course,” Apple Bloom interjected proudly, trying to come up wth the proper middle ground. She even mostly agreed with Marzi! See, progress was being made.

Progress was decidedly not being made with those colts. Apple Bloom was generally a pretty easy to please filly but she didn't like bullies and mean-spirited types none at all, and she sure as rain wasn't happy to think of them as teammates. You couldn't have team work without respect and she didn't respect them at all after how they were acting. For all of the laissez-faire attitude that the adults jad broadcast so far they weren't gonna have any of that on their team. Apple Bloom nodded with a small amount of victory towards the adults as they laid down the law. Good. Speaking of laying down the law, Apple Bloom hd to lay down some facts for Scootaloo. “Oh, not three! Don't be silly. If you kick two Ah'll have ta kick...Ah dunno, six?” Apple Bloom giggled impishly afterwards, her energy already back up to maximum. What was the next stop on the training express?

[Lux]

Scootaloo looked over at Bebop Slide as she showed the group what she was writing asking what they were talking about. 

 

"Oh well we're talking about what we'd consider a sport. But actually I wanted to talk to you for a moment. Since you don't have a cutie mark, and you know Apple Bloom and I don't we have a club where we try to help each other get our cutie marks together. Sound fun Bebop? What do you think Apple Bloom, is Bebop here material for our group?"

 

But if they're such a sports team, then who are they playin' against, an' how do they tell they won?  Swimmin' kin be a sport, but nae synchronized swimmin'.  It's loik ... dancers."  She looked to Scootaloo.  "Loik, riverdancin'.  If normal ponies tried tae do some of those moves, they'd fall all o'er each other.  But dinnae mean a dance troupe's a sports team!"

 

"Err... not sure what river dancing is Purple. Most of the time I go swimming in a river, not dancing. Still you're right some things take practice and strength or speed but aren't sports."

 

"BWAHAHAHA! OH! OH MAN! GOOD SHOT -DUMB-RISE! Maybe you should go buck apples or something, your cutiemark obviously got you wrong! Haha!-OW!!!!"

 

Scootaloo could hear the jeering remarks some colt made towards Sunrise after the accident with the ball and Zecora. If there was one thing that the orange filly hated it was a pony that acted like a bully towards another.

 

"Hey, leave her alone," she said walking up to the colt, "It was an accident, something that anypony else could have done! Like you never did something bad in your life!" 

 

Yeah, how they play together and against each other will show a lot, I'm thinking-"  

 

Zecora knew why Rainbow Dash stopped talking as she turned to see a colt making a jeering slight against Sunrise. She knew that ainbow Dash was perfectly capible of handling the situation, and she didn't want to undermine her authority. Still it was her duty as a referee to promote good sportsponyship. 

 

Hey!" she said sharply.  "Champ, you better stow that sort of talk.  Doesn't matter how good you might be with the ball - if you can't be a good team player, you won't be getting on my team.  No name-calling."

 

"There is a certain rule that although old holds true, do unto others as you would have done unto you. How would you feel if a mistake you did make and the same remarks you then had to take?" 

 

The Zebra could see that Sunrise was trying to put up a good defense, hiding what clearly were tears. 

 

"You don't need to heed what that colt said, what matters is how you feel about yourself instead. When a pony puts another down that he did then, there is something bad that the pony usually has that they don't like about themselves that they try keeping well hidden. Don't let him bring you down, but prove him wrong and stand your ground." 

 

With Rainbow Dash's arrival Scootaloo backed off from the colt. She knew her best older friend didn't like bullies as much as Scootaloo detested them. The focus shifted towards helping Sunrise. 

 

"You ok Sunrise?" 

 

“They ain't no sports team but they're athletes and boy howdy, probably the best athletes in all of Equestria! Well, Ah mean, after Applejack, of course,” 

 

"Yeah, you're right, but they still are awesome to watch." 

 

“Oh, not three! Don't be silly. If you kick two Ah'll have ta kick...Ah dunno, six?” 

 

"Six, huh. Wanna make a bet at that? The pony whose team scores the most against the other gets something at Sugarcube Corner with the loser buying?"

[Bramble Rose]

 

Purple Haze felt her stomach roiling, wanting to buck that bully in the face soooo much, especially when she saw Sunrise working so hard to keep those tears in check.  And then those big eyes, and that totally, TOTALLY unfair plea!  "Aiya, that's nae fair, Sunrise!  Awfu sleeket a ye."  She grumbled softly.  She sighed and sagged.  "Aight, aight... Mebbe they're a mite athletic, but 'at one's all bampot o'er books an' got in by takin' a history test."

She was glad to see Dash standing up against bullies, though.  Eggheads often had problems with standing up to bullies that way, though she supposed it helped when the eggheads were adults and the bullies were kids.  Though lots of adults just looked the other way with bullies, too.  However it happened, Dash was doing right by her.  She nodded in satisfaction that even if Dash was a bit odd, her big brae was doing all right by her.

All that paled in comparison, though, to the upcoming event. "Ye fancy a wee wager, eh?  Oi'll take some a that action!  If'n mah team loses, which it won't, oi'll e'en do one better - oi'll make th' winners a batch a carrot cake muffins w' cream frostin', an' Apple Bloom'll tell y'all that mah carrot muffins 'r better than Sugar Cube Corner's OR Applejack's carrot muffins!  Nae wot Applejack makes carrot muffins alla that much."

​

Rainbow Dash

Rainbow Dash was torn - she was very proud of the players for defending Sunrise, but the number of fillies trying to shout over Dash herself to scold Champ made her uneasy.  "All right, all right, settle down, everypony.  I've got this handled."  She gave Champ a direct look which said, without words, "It's handled, right?"  She hoped that he could be a better team player - he was pretty good at handling a ball, and Dash DID like to win.  She'd give him another chance.

She could see both Champ and Sunrise being her star players, if they could just get along.

Well, there was still a bit of break time left.  And she had to handle her least favorite part of being a coach.  The paperwork.  She smiled wanly to Zecora.  "Keep an eye on things while I quick tally this up, all right?" and then settled down with a pencil in her mouth to mark notes on her clipboard, flipping through the pages to make certain of the numbers she'd quickly written down during the first half of tryouts.  Now, it'd make sense to make sure each practice team had a player of Champ and Sunrise's quality ... but she did want them to work together.  If she tested how they worked together by putting them on the same team, they could either dominate the game, or end up sabotaging their own team.  Urg.  Choices, choices, choices... on a sheet of blank paper, she started scribbling names and crossing them out again.  Separate the CMC, or put them on the same team?  Same with Sunrise and Purple.  Perhaps she should break up the common groups, get a better idea of how they work without their usual wingpony...

 

Within two minutes, she was doodling little foalish wonderbolt doodles in the margins instead of working on the team lists... NO, WAIT!  Back to the lists!  ARGH!  Focus, Dash, Focus!  You have to get this done, they're waiting for you!

​
 

[Corsair]

As the tryouts continued, a slightly beaten-up farm wagon slowly approached the field.  The two mis-matched colts pulling it were both straining against the load.  The taller of the pair looked down at his partner and asked, "Why'r we doin' this again, Snips?"

 

Snips groaned and glared up at his friend, sweat dripping down his forehead.  "We talked about this, Snails!  You wanna go to Daring Con in Manehattan this year, right?  Our parents want us to pay for part of the tickets!"

 

"I know that part," Snails answered, "But why'r we going to the hoofball field?  We don't even like hoofball!"

 

Snips rolled his eyes.  "Because the tryouts are today!  You saw the flyer.  There's gonna be lots of ponies there, all runnin' around, getting hot and thirsty!"

 

A smile slowly spread on Snails' face.  "And that's when we sell 'em stuff!" he said, getting the idea.

 

"Now you're gettin' it!" Snips replied.  He knew his friend wasn't dumb, but sometimes it took longer for him to think things through.  Then, noticing that they had slowed down. he added, "Now keep pullin'!"

 

The pair finally manuvered the wagon to the sidelines of the field.  They panted as the unhitched themselves, Snips flopping on the ground for a moment to rest.  After a moment, the began setting up.  A table was pulled form the wagon, followed by two coolers, and a bushel basket full of lemons.  Finally, a hoof-painted sign was set up in from of the table.  'Lemonade 2 bits!'  The sign proclaimed, the first 'e' painted backward.  In smaller print, in what looked like an afterthought, was painted 'Sandwiches 3 bits.' 

[brianblackberry]

 

Wanted to give muddy a chance to reply first, but she is currently AFK and I don't want this thread to sputter. So until she returns, her characters will be minor NPCs. Besides there are two new colts to possibly draft.

 

Sunrise Beach appreciated that the other fillies were willing to come to her defense, but she much rather not have any extra attention brought to the situation, as it was embarrassing.  Besides, she didn’t want to look like some weak, prissy filly that can’t handle herself and allow some colt’s insults bring her down.  At least the coach was cool about handling it, not making him apologize or anything, which would have been very awkward for the both of them and possibly get her labeled as a favorite, akin to a teacher’s pet, which is the last thing Sunrise wanted.  In fact, it was Zecora who had the best advice, stand your ground, and that was what Sunrise was going to do, actually, she was going to do better than that, she was now even more determined to be the best on the field, no annoying colt was going to out play her!!

 

What really improved the little turquoise filly’s mood was that Purple haze finally agreed that the Wonderbolts were athletes!   How could she not, it was so totally obvious!  Plus she was outvoted 4-1!  Not even Fet Loch ponies are that stubborn!  “Like I’d knew you’d come around and be rad about it Purple!”  She gave her bestie a warm hug, “besides like, even athletes have to study books and junk!  What about the playbooks of the pro Hoofball leagues?  Those are like, important!  Still.. At least we don’t have to do that, not for Junior Hoofball, I think”.    Sunrise hoped not, she was still behind the other ponies her age on reading comprehension and the last thing she wanted was to be cut from the team because she had trouble making out words in a playbook!

 

Sunrise’s ears suddenly perked up when she heard the others staring to wager on their potential practice teams winning.  Now they were talking, she was all for that!  “Like, I’ll be in on that too!”  The issue though is what she would wager?  She couldn’t cook, and she really didn’t have much in the way of bits, as being a page was more of a room and board gig than a paying one.  Sure there was the allowance she got from Princess Twilight, but it was very small.  Sunrise sighed and then an idea suddenly formed in her head!  “If my team loses, I’ll be like your page for a day!”  It sounds like a lot, having to do chores and junk for a pony for a day, but she was sure any team that had her, well that team was sure to be victorious!

 

At that moment she heard some commotion behind them; two new colts have shown up to the field with a small wagon.  Why would they bring a wagon?  It didn’t take long to see they were there to sell stuff at least part of the time, maybe they wanted to make bits on the side while trying out?  Was that allowed?  Sunrise though was more surprised because who they were, “hey like, Purple, aren’t those two unicorns like go to our school and junk?  I didn’t think they were like, you know, into sports.”

[SteelEagle]

 

 

"Of course she is, Scoota," Apple Bloom said with a laugh as she considered Bepop, but there were other matters ahoof! Apple Bloom smirked as the bets flew every which way. Everypony seemed mighty confident of their abilities, didn't they? 'Course they were all thinkin' of some sort of offensive position. Apple Bloom was the only pony here who seemed all that concerned about defense. Didn't anypony know that defense won championships? Look at the last few champions. Heck, look at all the great dynasties. There was a lot of greatness coming from great defenses winning games while great offenses got smashed underhoof. So, they could all get awfully excited and toss wagers about all they wanted, because Apple Bloom was easily the best defender here, and would see to it that by the time it was over they all knew that defense wins games. Defense wins championships!

“Ah reckon all of these bets sound good. Now we just gotta make sure that Rainbow doesn't put us on the same team,” Apple Bloom said with a flick of her tail as she trotted over to the coach, who seemed rather involved with whatever doohickeying she was doing. She seemed frazzled and not at all dazzled, as if a little bitty piece of paper was going to consume her whole day. Snips and Snails arrived and Apple Bloom waved to them, more focused on coach at the second- sure, Snips and Snails were good for some laughs, some huge mistakes, and the occasional disaster, but she wondered why they were here. But her focus was on Rainbow, who Apple Bloom almost felt bad about interrupting as she wandered on over. “Hey coach, you should make sure ta put Scoots an' Ah on opposite teams, okay? I wanna show her who the best defender is in all of Ponyville! Heeyaw!” Apple Bloom started bucking to and fro for a second, excited to get into the game sooner rather than later.

[Lux]

As Zecora oversaw the fillies and colts to make sure there weren't any hard feelings, Scootaloo noticed that more ponies joined in on the wagering, each putting in their talents or thoughtful ideas. Carrot Fields would bake for the losing team and Sunrise Beach who was in much better spirits agreed to be somepony's page just as she was with Princess Twilight. 

 

"Sounds like this is going to be a good match! I'm sure Rainbow Dash will match us up evenly." 

 

Apple Bloom elected to go and volunteer to have the two put on different teams. It would be strange facing her best friend, but it was just a friendly competition. She decided to back Apple Bloom up and trot over to Rainbow Dash. 

 

"Yeah Rainbow Dash, and I want to show that I'm the best goal scorer! Plus how will we know how good we are and what we need to improve on if we don't play against each other?" 

[Pretzelparty]

Bebop couldn't help but feel like she missed a huge portion of the conversation. In the end all she could do was what she normally did with her peers; go with the flow. The filly was really mostly just paying attention to Applebloom and Scootaloo. Soon after she'd reunited with the group of fillies and colts, Scoots pulled her aside a second to ask her about possibly joining their club... it certainly sounded fun! The jazzy little filly gave a happy smile and nodded energetically in response. She was more then willing to go along with whatever they wound up doing as a result of this wager they were doing with their classmates. 

 

Bebop trotted along in tow behind her two new friends as they approached the coach. She quickly wrote down her thoughts on her notepad and levitated up so Dash could see what she'd written. "I'm fine bein' on either side, but I wanna be goalie. That okay, coach?" 

 

 

(OOC: Sorry for the short post ;( )

[Bramble Rose]

RAINBOW DASH

Rainbow Dash worked furiously, trying to finish the team lists, trying to figure out just the best and most fair way to divide everypony so they would have fun and so she could figure out who was best for the team.  And finally ... finally she thought she had a good -

Her train of thought was interrupted by Apple Bloom's request.  What?!  Different teams?  Hadn't they already learned their lesson about teamwork and ... Ohhhh.  A *wager*.  Now that, Dash could understand!  Well, then, if they were on opposite teams, then ... hrm ... the other team would need a better defender ... so move ... and then ...

Rainbow Dash grinned down to Bebop.  "No requests on positions, sweetie.  I'm assigning positions based on ability and talent.  Just wait up a few more minutes."  Then she turned back to her own notepad.  Just a couple more names ...

There!  She grinned and looked up ... and saw Snips and Snails.  What?!  She ... didn't have any notes on them!  She couldn't just tell them that she'd missed their practice all this time!  She'd *swear* they hadn't been here yet!  Oh, man, and she couldn't bear to see their sad little faces if she told them she hadn't noticed them.  She'd just put them on the teams, and have to judge their skill from the scrimmage.  Hurriedly, she scribbled one of their names to either team.

"All right, everypony!  Here's the teams!"  She tossed out two bags full of baggy mesh shirts - one green, one purple.  "If I tell you you're green, then you're on green team, and you take green cloth! If I tell you you're purple, then you're on purple team, and you take purple cloth!  Green.  Purple.  Got it?"

She noticed that snips and snails were messing around with some homemade snack stand.  "HEY!  Snips, Snails, comon, get over here!  No slowpokes, comon!"  Then she turned back to the hoarde of foals looking eagerly up to her.

"All right!  Green Team!  Goalie:  Purple Haze!  Ground Team:  Scootaloo, Hard Ball, Whippersnapper, Green Hoof, and Snips!  Sky Team:  Marzipan, Sweet Breeze, Cloud Rush!  Striker:  Champ!"

"Purple Team!  Goalie:  Bebop!  Ground Team:  Apple Bloom, Starlight, Paper Trail, Dewey Decimal, and Snails!  Sky Team:  Flutterby, Dark Clouds, and Evening Starlight!  Striker:  Sunrise Beach!"

"Everypony else, you're on the sidelines!  I'll swap you into one team or the other over the course of the scrimmage so everyone has a turn!  After a couple trade-ins, you might find yourself on the other team - just reach into the bag and pull out a cloth of the other color to trade up!  Everyone out on the field, get set up!"

​

Purple Haze loved a good bet.  How fun!  The bets kept coming in.  Everypony was getting into the swing of things!  She felt kinda bad for Snips and Snails, though - setting up a snack stand when everypony had free drinks and snacks right there ...

She forgot all about any of that as Rainbow Dash called them over, though.  From the start of the team listing, she was thrilled!  She got to be goalie!  She knew she'd been doing a good job there.  The other team wasn't going to get ANY balls past her!  Though the other team had a unicorn as goalie.  Though she hadn't really used her magic at all in practice, who knew what she was holding back on?  And she wasn't on the team with Sunrise!?  "Heh.  Looks like yer gonna be my page for a day, Sunrise!  I'm gonna have so many pots for you to scrub," she taunted, as she grabbed the only green-and-black striped mesh shirt for goalie and pulled it on.  It was good she was on green!  You could barely see the shirt against her green coat!  "Comon, Marz!  Let's go show them how to kick tail!   WOO!  Green team is the BEST!  We're gonna DESTROY purple!"

​

 

I know that I'm referencing several ponies which aren't posting right now, but in case they come back, I want them to be part of things.  For now, they're in the background, though you folks can go ahead and decide on any actions for background ponies - but NOT for Marzipan, Champ, or Starlight.

[Corsair]

Snips and Snails stood by their booth, smiles fixed on their faces.  They each tried to catch the eye of any of the colts and fillies on the field, but no pony was paying attention to them.  They all seemed to be arguing about something, but the pair had arrived too late to see what it was all about.  Snips waved when he saw Sunrise looking their way, but the filly turned her attention back to Purple Haze. 

 

Through the forced grin on his face, Snails said, "Nopony is buyin' anything.." out of the side of his muzzle.

 

Starting to sweat a bit, Snips answered the same way.  "I can see that," the told his friend, a little snidely.

 

"Wut are we gonna do?"

 

"Uh, just wait!  They'll come sooner or later!  I hope..."

 

The colts stood stiffly until they heard Rainbow Dash calling out to the players.  They relaxed a bit at that.  If the foals weren't even playing yet, it made sense that nopony had come over.  But when Rainbow Dash called out to them, both of the colts' jaws dropped open in near-identical looks of shock. 

 

"Wait, us??"  Snails called out, locking eyes with Snips.

 

"B-but, we're not here to play!" Snips said more to Snails than anypony else.

 

"But... but Rainbow Dash asked us!" Snails responded.

 

"I hate hoof ball...  You hate hoof ball!"

 

"But...  Rainbow Dash!"

 

The two colts agreed that Rainbow Dash was one of the coolest ponies ever.  If she wanted them to play, how could they say no??

 

The two reluctantly approached the others on the field.  They looked at each other as they selected opposite color shirts.  This day was not going the way they had planned...

[brianblackberry]

 

Sunrise Beach soooo couldn't wait!  What teams will her friends be on?  What position would they get?  What position was SHE going to get!?  She hoped she was striker!  That was the BEST position!  omehgerd omehgerd omehgerd!  It'd be sooo cool if she and Purple and Marzi were on the same team!

 

Team Green started to be called, and she heard Purple's name, and Scootaloo, and Marzipan!  Aw, wow, that sounded like an AWESOME team!  She hoped she'd be on it!  Striker!  Dash was calling Striker, and -

 

CHAMP?!  Champ was the striker!?   Her face fell into a tragic mask of despair.  That JERK of a colt was striker, and not Sunrise?!  He wasn't even that good!  And now Dash was calling team Purple, and that meant that she wasn't going to be on the team with her friends.  Not striker, and not with her friends... her stomach felt squirmy.

 

As the role call for the purple team went on, a brand new cold pit settled into her stomach.  She still hadn't gotten called.  Was she going to even end up on the team?

 

"Striker-" Dash called out, and Sunrise tensed up.  This was going to be the last name.  There were so many foals around, it could be any of them.  She was either going to be striker, or she wasn't even good enough to make the first round.  "Sunrise Beach!"

 

"TOTALLY AWESOME!!"  Sunrise leaped into the air, crowing her excitement!  She's the Striker!  She's not with her bestie Purple, but at least Apple Bloom is a good defender, and she's with Starlight!  She gave a goofy little grin.  He was soooo cute... Bebop had at least done well at goalie, and despite his egghead name, Dewey Decimal seemed pretty good, too.

 

Her attention was drawn when Purple started taunting and talking smack about how good Team Green was.

 

"Pfft! Like, you soooooo wish!  You think you're like, a good goalie, but you're not good enough to stop my righteous blazin' kick!  Like, you're soooo gonna lose that bet!  You're gonna lose so hard you'll make me an entiiiiire cake!"  She held out her hooves to their limit, as if to emphasize the size of the cake that Purple would have to create in order to make up for such failure.

 

Turning away from Purple with a grin, she reached out and pulled her teammates in for a huddle, with Starlight ending up right next to her.  She grinned.  "OK, ponies, like we can sooo do this!  Do any of you like know what a Wronski feint is?  ... No?  OK, how 'bout a 2-4 rush?  ... Allll right.  Let's keep it like, totally simple, then.  Apple Bloom, Starlight, Paper, you three stay in back as defenders.  Uhhh.. Evening Starlight, Dark Clouds, Flutterby, you hang back like you're playing defense, too, while Dewey and Snails rushes forward with me.  Then, when I totally give the signal, Sky team, you leave the sky zone undefended to rush down and charge the ball with us.  That's a 2-4 rush!  See it’s like soooo radical and easy at the same time, they won’t know what hit ‘em!"

[SteelEagle]

 

Apple Bloom waited with baited breath for the announcement of the teams. No doubt there was a whole lot of possibly not so bad colts and fillies around who could go ahead and do well enough to pass muster but she was listening more to where some of the older fillies and colts would go. First was green team. They seemed rather okay. She wished she had Purple Haze on her team but heck, otherwise they weren't anything to be afraid of. Good, solid competition no doubt and not one sided in any real way as it meant she knew who was on her team. Pretty dang good roster split! She didn't think Rainbow had it in her to make it as even as she did, but Apple Bloom was happy to be proven wrong. Rainbow was quickly growing on her as a coach, flaws included.

 

Team huddle called by the outrageously excited Sunrise, which fit Apple Bloom just fine. In most circumstances you had a team captain that would be the one calling the huddles and communicating strategies from the coach to the players. In the absence of a team captain, the Striker was often the de facto leader unless somepony with much more experience pushed ahead. Apple Bloom had a healthy amount of playing time on her pelt but she could only guess Sunrise had even more. At the very least it was nice to see somepony quickly pull together some semblance of order and team. That would prove more valuable than any amount of raw skill.
 

Did Apple Bloom know what a Wronksi Feint is? “Yep!” Okay, what about a 2-4 Rush? “Yep! Ah know that!” though she appeared to be the only one outside of Sunrise who did. No matter. She went about explaining it and trying to ensure that everypony knew their roles. Speaking of, it was Apple Bloom, Starlight, and Paper Trails were the defenders. Ohhh boy, hopefully it worked. She didn't mean nothing bad by it but Starlight seemed flighty and she didn't know much about Paper. So who would go in what area? Hmmm. They could always play simple. Apple Bloom could free float and track while they split the defensive half. If there was a lot of accurate passing the opposing team could break the zone, but it would be simple for those two to play and gave Apple Bloom the ability to move around and disrupt them. When the green team had the ball she could count on some more help up top but either way it was the best method she had.

“Alright, Ah'll play tracker, you two just cut up the defensive half into halves, lefty righty style, an' pick one. Ah'll track n' hunt tha ball down, y'all lock it doen, we'll kick some green tail an' make'm clean our hooves six ways ta sunday,” Apple Bloom said as she took the purple cloth and put it on, liber and ready to go.

[Lux]

With the wagers decided Scootaloo waited to see who she would be teamed up with. She knew that Rainbow Dash was fair in making her decisions, balancing teams with strong and not so strong ponies. After all what fun was it being on a strong team and beating another when the other team couldn't play well? Scootaloo knew who she wanted on hr team from watching others play, but in the end the choice was out of her hooves! 

 

"All right!  Green Team!  Goalie:  Purple Haze!  Ground Team:  Scootaloo, Hard Ball, Whippersnapper, Green Hoof, and Snips!  Sky Team:  Marzipan, Sweet Breeze, Cloud Rush!  Striker:  Champ!"

 

Scootaloo didn't know many of the ponies on her team other than Purple Haze and Snips. The former she knew would make a good goalie but the later she wondered how Snips would do as he didn't appear to be an athletic pony type. 

 

"Comon, Marz!  Let's go show them how to kick tail!   WOO!  Green team is the BEST!  We're gonna DESTROY purple!"

 

"Alright, keep alert Purple because they're going to drive fast. I'll take the right mid field to support the striker and help out defending too. We need to make sure that when we get the ball that we drive it down the field together! And if we lose the ball we have to get it back as soon as possible. Now let's do this!" 

 

*********************************

 

Zecora watched as the teams lined up in their positions making a note of who was doing what part on the field.It was slightly different from her memories playing hoofball  in Unyasi, particularly because there was no sky team to watch out for. But she was confident that she would do her job. 

 

"Alright everypony, I want you all to play fairly. Whether you win or lose, it's all the same as long as you enjoy the game!" 

[Corsair]

As Snails approached Sunrise, the athletic filly was saying... something to the team.  Snails stared at her, confused.  One ear was perked up, trying to listen, while the other was slicked down.  It was like she was speaking some other language...  Applebloom, at least, seemed to understand what Sunrise was saying.  The Apple filly then made her own additions, which clarified... exactly nothing.

 

Snails took a moment to pull the purple jersey over her head with his magic, but the shirt snagged on his horn as he pulled it down.   He struggled for a moment before resorting to using his hooves to correct the uncooperative garment.  By the time he finally had the jersey on, the two fillies had completed their... strategy session?  Maybe?  ...Anyway, they had finished talking, and were looking at the rest of the team expectantly.  Snails raised a hoof and asked, "Uh, so we're supposed to kick the ball into the goal, right?"

 

Snips was having similar difficulties with Purple Haze and Scootaloo.  They were both enthusiastic about the whole thing, but their talk of strategy went right over her head.  He donned the green jersey, but found that it had not been designed for a pony of his stature.  He had to roll up the sleeves to keep them above his hooves.  "Um, guys?" he asked his team mates.  "Where am I supposed to be going?"

[Bramble Rose]

Purple Haze grinned eagerly to Scootaloo and nodded.  "Aye, that's a roit good plan, it is!  Ye hie on down wi' champ."  She looked down a bit uncertainly to Snips.  He didn't *look* very athletic, but ... well, you couldn't judge on looks!  You judged on actions!  "Roit," she said to Snips, "You stay back 'ere near me, as defense.  Try t'make sure they dinnae reach me wi' th' ball!  An, uhhh... Green Hoof, ye stay back wi' me, too!  Hard Ball, Whippersnapper, ye hie up th' left along wi' Scootaloo an' Champ!  An' sky team, ye drop in as ye need."

She hurried on over to her goal, then, with a big and eager grin on her face as she got ready to make save after save in a heroic effort!

​
 

 

Rainbow Dash sat at the sidelines with her clipboard, ready to watch the game, and reminding herself that she was not allowed to have a 'favorite team' to root for during this match.  Nor favorite players.  She needed to watch everypony.  And what's more, she needed to make sure anypony she had to cut, she needed to offer them advice on what they could work on to improve for future tryouts.

That was the worst part about this job.  Telling foals they didn't make it onto the team.  It broke her heart to see their little faces.  But not EVERYPONY could make it.  That was just the truth of it.

 

"All right!  Everypony ready?" she called as all the colts and fillies seemed to be getting to position.  She gestured to Zecora to get ready to drop the ball in the center, then lifted one hoof.  "SET!"  She dropped her hoof as she blew hard on the whistle, letting out a piercing call that let them all know the practice match had begun!

 

FWEEEEEEEEE!

​

[MudBug]

 

All that'd happened, all the mess that'd gone on, Starlight just went along with it and hadn't spoken with Champ during the whole thing...he was more concerned with his friend's feeling anyway, especially poor Sunrise who'd been the center of the cerulean bully's jesting.

 

Speaking of which, the cowed colt suddenly received an earful from filly and adult alike, ears flattening back defensively as he peered at them and immediately recalled every situation after that'd been similar to this. Cheerilee, Sweetie Belle....those lessons with Applejack to help him 'straighten up and trot right'. Seemed to have fallen through and peering between the coach AND the zebra, Champ found himself immediately turned quiet...if angrily so as he scuffed a hoof against the field. It was times like this that he missed Fillydelphia.

 

Whatever.

 

When Rainbow Dash finally called out their positions, or was ready to, both colts took their place amidst all the other foals excitedly - when the first team was called out, Starlight immediately cringed and leaned away from the big brute of an earth colt as striker was called and he immediately responded with;

 

"BOOYEAH!" Followed by an excited stomp to the ground. Atleast he was happy, even if he had to give an amused snort at the idea of Sunrise being his opposing striker, that little show earlier'd made him highly dubious to say the least. Or maybe he was just bitter?

 

Starlight meanwhile was MORE than elated to not be on the same team as Champ, already glancing at the other team almost apologetically before he was dragged into the huddled and listened as attentively as he could. He had NO idea about any of this terminology but he nodded his fluffy head to Sunrise, grabbed a vest of their team colour and stood near the goal with the most determined little look a defender could have, wings puffed out like an overly defensive pigeon.

 

All the while...Champ was uh...

 

"Alright -listen up-," Oh boy, here he went. "Those that aint assigned specific roles, here's what you're gonna do, Scootaloo, you're fast, you're taking the field with me as my ball finder, it's your job to get the ball to me quick as you can, same goes for you Greenhoof...Hardball, Whippersnapper and Snips, you three are defending Purple Haze and the goal...if you CAN, get atleast ONE good kick in but try not to overextend and make us LOSE." He huffed and peered up to the sky. "Yo, butterflies, I expect you to keep an eye out if the ball goes too high and maybe throw in a few feint swoops now and then, okay?"

 

That was oddly well planned out, Champ was certainly in his element to say the least and he snorted as he took the field when Rainbow Dash called out and stared at Sunrise as he pawed at the ground ever so slightly. This was his field.

[brianblackberry]

 

Sunrise Beach stood there like a coiled spring as she eagerly waited for Coach Dash to blow the whistle, looking right at Champ with a smile of determination, that ball was going to be her's!  As soon as the whistle sounded, Sunrise Beach used her magic to divot the ground beneath the ball, knocking it towards her and sending up a cloud of dust to distract Champ.  She grinned, taking up the ball and swerving to the left and taking off towards the opposing goal.  "Not fast enough, Chump!" she cried - just barely remembering to shove the divot back down into the ground.  Ha!  That'd show that jerk!

She briefly pondered just driving straight for the goal - she really wanted to score and show how good she was to the coach, after all there could only be one starting Striker - but she knew that too many of them were focusing on her just now - especially Champ, who was right there.  Her quick eyes darted around - she should have had Starlight up front on offense with her! She was sure he would have the speed and maneuverability to play the offense, plus she could watch him in action, ya know, for teamwork and junk!   Ah well, can't focus on cute colts now!  As she looked about, Dewey was covered by Purple, but Snails was open!  She expertly kicked the ball ahead of Snails so that he could drive it down field!

He was pretty tall and lanky, surely he could gallop fast and drive that ball right into the goal, this was going to be easy!