Flo’s Fair Play Award
Flo scores a goal that no one saw was wrong. What would you do?
It was the last minute of the semi-final. The score was 1-1. The Sunny Rovers and the Teal Turtles had both played brilliantly, and everyone on the sideline was holding their breath.
Rani sent a long, curling pass high into the air. Flo jumped as high as she could. The ball bounced off her arm, rolled onto her foot and flew into the net. GOAL!
Half the crowd cheered. The other half groaned. But the referee, Opal the owl, had been looking the other way. Opal pointed to the middle of the pitch. The goal counted!
The Sunny Rovers ran to Flo, shouting with joy. But Flo wasn’t smiling. Her tummy felt like it was full of stones. She knew the ball had touched her arm.
If Flo stayed quiet, the Sunny Rovers would reach the final. If she spoke up, the goal would be taken away. Flo looked at Mia, who looked so sad. Flo took a big breath.
‘Referee,’ said Flo, walking over. ‘It hit my arm. It wasn’t a fair goal.’ The whole pitch went silent. Opal blinked. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ Opal said. ‘No goal.’
The Sunny Rovers lost that day, 1-1, and then the Teal Turtles won the shoot-out. But as Flo walked off, the crowd rose to clap. Even the Teal Turtles cheered. Mia hugged her.
At the end of the season, Flo was given the Honest Heart Trophy. ‘I didn’t win the match,’ she said, holding it up. ‘But I won something even better. I feel proud of myself.’
The little lesson
Telling the truth when it is hard shows real strength.
Let’s talk about it
- Why was it hard for Flo to tell the truth?
- How did the others feel about Flo afterwards?
Finish stories to collect Flo as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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