Poppy’s Day We Didn’t Win
Poppy’s team lost, and Poppy feels like stomping. But there’s a surprise at the end.
Poppy wanted to win more than anything. She practised every day. She even slept with the football beside her pillow. Today the Orange Tigers were playing the Lime Leopards.
The game was tough. Poppy ran and ran, and Gus did too. But the Lime Leopards were just a little bit better. When the whistle blew, the score was 2-0. The Orange Tigers had lost.
Poppy’s face went hot and red. She threw down her gloves and stomped across the grass. ‘It’s not FAIR!’ she said. Stomp, stomp, stomp.
Then she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Max from the Lime Leopards. Max held out a hand. ‘Good game,’ he said. ‘You ran so fast. I could hardly keep up.’
Poppy looked at the hand. Her cross feeling started to fizzle like a bubble. She took a breath and shook it. ‘Good game,’ Poppy said quietly. ‘You played really well.’
Afterwards, both teams sat together on the grass eating a big orange slice. Gus told a silly joke about a football that wanted to be a pumpkin. Everyone laughed.
That night, Poppy was still a bit sad. But she also felt proud. She had done her best and been kind. And tomorrow, she would get a new chance to play.
The little lesson
Losing is part of playing, and kind words make any game a good one.
Let’s talk about it
- How do you feel when you lose a game?
- What kind thing could you say to someone who won?
Finish stories to collect Poppy as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Football stories
Otto’s Mud Cup
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Noah and the Handshake
Noah’s team lost, and Noah feels like stomping. But there’s a surprise at the end.
Maya’s Great Muddy Match
Rain pours on match day, but Maya has an idea that makes the game the muddiest, happiest ever.
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