Hello my name is Sara and my best friend Becky is not trying hard in math. We just got a test back and she got 23% and she didn=t care. I didn=t know what to do. When I asked her why she did so bad and didn=t try she just said I don=t need math because I am going to be a professional football player. You have to do well in school to do that Sara told her.

No I don=t,@ said Becky. AMy mom said that I could do anything I want to do and that is what I want to do. I don=t have time for math in my life. Just please stop bugging me says Becky rudely.@

The next weekend the friends who live in Prince Edward Island decided that they were going to take one last trip to Moncton together before Becky=s mom found out her bad mark and she was grounded. Becky who is 17 and in grade 11 was allowed to drive her father s car as long as she did well in school. The two friends went over and they shopped all day. They were about to leave the mall when they saw a table with the famous football player Mike Orr. He was signing autographs. Becky got very nervous and she wanted to go over. She felt so lucky because there wasn=t even a line. The two friends walked over and asked for the autograph.

ASure@ says Mike. He gives the girls his autograph and says, ADo you have any questions?@

AYes@ says Sara, A do you need math if you want to play football professionally?@

AYou sure do. It is the most important subject if you want to play any sport.@

AWhat do you need math for?@ replies Becky in an unsure voice.

AIn football you sometimes hear the talk of distances like how many yards a kick pass or run was. But do you know how to figure these distances on you own? It is easy, a football field is 100 yards long, and is marked every 10 yards by a line. The 50-yard line is in the center, and it divides one team's side from the other. To calculate distance across the field, you simply calculate the distance on both sides of the50 yard line and that is just a little of the math you need to know. If you apply to play football professionally they ask you for your math mark. I knew a really good player and he had a bad attitude towards math and they didn=t get on the team because he didn=t do well enough.@

AOh my@, says Becky. I am doing the same thing now; I didn=t think that math was that important.

AWell you better start trying your best or you won=t be able to play professionally,@ says Mike trying to make Becky realize what she is doing to herself by not doing well in math

AOk thank you so much I can=t believes that I did that.@

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