Suki’s Ball Hog
Suki loves to dribble the ball all alone, until the team learns a secret.
Suki was the fastest player on the Midnight Owls. She could dribble the ball doing a little dance and never lose it. She loved having the ball at her feet.
But Suki never passed. Never ever! ‘Pass it here!’ shouted Juno. ‘Over here!’ shouted the others. Suki just kept running, and running, and running.
Soon, three players from the other side stood in Suki’s way. Suki dribbled left. Blocked! She dribbled right. Blocked! The ball was snatched away, and the other team scored.
Suki sat on the grass, huffing. Coach Opal the owl sat down beside her. ‘Football is a bit like a song,’ said Coach Opal. ‘It sounds best when everyone joins in.’
The next match, Suki looked up before dribbling. Juno was free, waving both arms! Suki passed. Juno 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, Suki tapped it into the net. GOAL!
Suki didn’t run off by herself. She ran straight to the team and everyone piled in for a giant hug. ‘We did it!’ said Juno. ‘We all did it,’ Suki 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 Suki as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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