Iris’s Ball Hog
Iris loves to dribble the ball all alone, until the team learns a secret.
Iris was the fastest player on the Red Rockets. She could dribble the ball hopping on one foot and never lose it. She loved having the ball at her feet.
But Iris never passed. Never ever! ‘Pass it here!’ shouted Mabel. ‘Over here!’ shouted the others. Iris just kept running, and running, and running.
Soon, three players from the other side stood in Iris’s way. Iris dribbled left. Blocked! She dribbled right. Blocked! The ball was snatched away, and the other team scored.
Iris sat on the grass, huffing. Coach Moe the turtle sat down beside her. ‘Football is a bit like a song,’ said Coach Moe. ‘It sounds best when everyone joins in.’
The next match, Iris looked up before dribbling. Mabel was free, waving both arms! Iris passed. Mabel passed to a friend. The friend passed back.
The ball zipped from foot to foot, and the other team couldn’t catch it! At the very end, Iris tapped it into the net. GOAL!
Iris didn’t run off by herself. She ran straight to the team and everyone piled in for a giant hug. ‘We did it!’ said Mabel. ‘We all did it,’ Iris grinned.
The little lesson
Great teams win together, and sharing the ball makes the game more fun.
Let’s talk about it
- Why is passing the ball important?
- How does it feel when someone shares with you?
Finish stories to collect Iris as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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