There was a book of short stories that I read as a kid that I’d like
to read again.

One of the stories was about this (African?) footballer who had a
special kick. He could kick a soccer ball so that it would bend around
so completely it went past the goalkeeper more often than not.
Scientists studied his feet and kicks, but they couldn’t figure out
how he did it.

I believe the story ended with him being somehow frozen in a kicking
pose.

Where can I get this short story?

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Request for Question Clarification by justaskscott-ga on 17 Dec 2002 22:52 PST

When and where did you read this story?  Do you recall where you got
the book?  Also, do you remember any other stories in the book?

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Clarification of Question by markabe-ga on 18 Dec 2002 16:12 PST

I read the story in a library around 1988. Other stories? Well, I
vaguely recall a couple, but the problem is I don't know if they came
from this book or a different one altogether.

For what it's worth, the stories are:

One was called Perfect Paul, and was about this smug kid who was
always right and made sure everyone knew about it. Something happened,
and the twist was he ended up being a social worker in the worst part
of the city.

The other story was about some girl who had this fantasy of being a
pop star. She imagines herself standing at the side of the stage,
hearing her screaming fans, and repeating to herself, "Me".