Outcasts United: Introduction

by Warren St. John
This book tells the inspiring true story of Luma Mufleh, a Jordanian woman who quit her job in order to coach the Fugees, a soccer team of refugee boys.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Introduction, Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. squadron
    an air force unit smaller than a group
    Above was a squadron of fighter jets on their way to an air show miles away in Atlanta.
  2. cockpit
    compartment where the pilot sits while flying an aircraft
    The aircraft came closer, so that the boys could make out the markings on the wings and the white helmets of the pilots in the cockpits.
  3. crane
    stretch, so as to see better
    The teams watched with craned necks.
  4. mortar
    a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel
    There were Sudanese players on the team whose villages had been bombed, and Liberians who’d lived through mortar fire that pierced the roofs of their neighbors’ homes, taking out whole families.
  5. streak
    move quickly in a straight line
    “You guys need to concentrate!” a voice interrupted as the jets streaked into the distance.
  6. referee
    the official in a sport who is expected to ensure fair play
    The referee summoned the Fugees to the line to go over their roster and to check their cleats and numbers.
  7. roster
    a list of names
    The referee summoned the Fugees to the line to go over their roster and to check their cleats and numbers.
  8. hoarse
    deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness
    From the outset, he ran back and forth on his sideline, barking at his players in a hoarse bellow: “Man on! Man on! Drop it! Drop it! Turn! Turn! Turn!”
  9. bellow
    a very loud utterance
    From the outset, he ran back and forth on his sideline, barking at his players in a hoarse bellow: “Man on! Man on! Drop it! Drop it! Turn! Turn! Turn!”
  10. dribble
    propel a ball by repeated taps or kicks
    A few moments later, Christian Jackson of the Fugees shook himself free on the right side, dribbled downfield, and fired a line drive into the top right corner of the net: goal.
  11. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    Luma betrayed no reaction other than to adjust her tattered white Smith College baseball cap.
  12. hack
    kick on the shins
    When the angry North Atlanta players started hacking away at the Fugees’ shins and ankles, the Fugees brushed them off and scored yet again.
  13. stifle
    smother or suppress
    The Fugees tried to stifle their smiles.
  14. retaliate
    make a counterattack and return like for like
    “Gentlemen,” he said, “I’d like to thank you. You played the ball the entire game, and you didn’t take any cheap shots. They got frustrated and started hacking, and you didn’t retaliate. So I’d like to commend you on your sportsmanship.”
  15. commend
    express approval of
    “Gentlemen,” he said, “I’d like to thank you. You played the ball the entire game, and you didn’t take any cheap shots. They got frustrated and started hacking, and you didn’t retaliate. So I’d like to commend you on your sportsmanship.”
  16. refugee
    an exile who flees for safety
    I’d shown up as a reporter knowing little about the team other than that it was based in a town called Clarkston, the players were refugees, and the coach was a woman.
  17. diverse
    many and different
    I’d learned that in a little more than a decade, Clarkston had become one of the most diverse communities in America.
  18. values
    beliefs of a group in which they have emotional investment
    They and their families had fled violence and chaos and found themselves in a place with a completely different set of values and customs.
  19. culture
    a particular society at a particular time and place
    But more than anything that day, it was the surprising friendship of these kids from different cultures, religions, and backgrounds that drew me into their story.
  20. underscore
    give extra weight to
    One moment in the game underscored this for me more than any other.
  21. agile
    moving quickly and lightly
    When the ball rolled Zubaid’s way, his teammates never tried to take it from him, though they were faster and more agile than he was.
  22. turf
    surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and roots
    The ball stopped, and the North Atlanta player fell forward onto the turf: a perfect tackle.
  23. lull
    a pause during which things are calm
    At the next lull, when the ball went out of bounds, Zubaid was set upon by his teammates as though he’d scored the winning goal.
  24. outcast
    a person who is rejected (from society or home)
    Outcasts United is the inspiring true story of this amazing group of boys and their coach.
  25. inspiring
    stimulating or exalting to the spirit
    Outcasts United is the inspiring true story of this amazing group of boys and their coach.
Created on Fri Jan 19 16:11:49 EST 2018 (updated Mon Jan 22 10:43:18 EST 2018)

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