One Ball, Many Friends for Dev
Dev loves to dribble the ball all alone, until the team learns a secret.
Dev was the fastest player on the Maroon Mighty. He could dribble the ball zigzagging like a snake and never lose it. He loved having the ball at his feet.
But Dev never passed. Never ever! ‘Pass it here!’ shouted Freddie. ‘Over here!’ shouted the others. Dev just kept running, and running, and running.
Soon, three players from the other side stood in Dev’s way. Dev dribbled left. Blocked! He dribbled right. Blocked! The ball was snatched away, and the other team scored.
Dev sat on the grass, huffing. Coach Enzo the elephant sat down beside him. ‘Football is a bit like a song,’ said Coach Enzo. ‘It sounds best when everyone joins in.’
The next match, Dev looked up before dribbling. Freddie was free, waving both arms! Dev passed. Freddie 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, Dev tapped it into the net. GOAL!
Dev didn’t run off by himself. He ran straight to the team and everyone piled in for a giant hug. ‘We did it!’ said Freddie. ‘We all did it,’ Dev 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 Dev as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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