Ivy Serves Up a Surprise
Ivy is playing in her first tennis tournament against a much better opponent.
Ivy had practised for months. Today was her first tennis tournament. As she stepped onto the court, her hands were sweaty and her heart was thumping. Across the net stood Priya, the club champion.
‘Just play your game,’ said her coach, Juno the deer. ‘Enjoy it.’ Ivy nodded. She bounced the ball three times, tossed it high, and served. THWACK! It flew over the net.
Priya was fast and strong. Point after point went to Priya. Ivy lost the first set, 6-2. She wanted to cry. But in the second set, she took a deep breath and tried a new plan.
She ran for every ball. She won three points in a row! The crowd cheered. Though Priya won the match in the end, Ivy had played her best tennis ever.
At the net, Priya shook her hand. ‘That was a great match,’ said Priya. ‘You’ll be champion one day.’ Ivy grinned. ‘I’ll see you next year!’
The little lesson
Courage and effort matter more than the score.
Let’s talk about it
- How did Ivy feel before the match?
- What did Priya do at the end?
Finish stories to collect Ivy as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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