Theo’s Goal That Wasn’t
Theo scores a goal that no one saw was wrong. What would you do?
It was the last minute of the semi-final. The score was 1-1. The Red Rockets and the Green Giants had both played brilliantly, and everyone on the sideline was holding their breath.
Elsa sent a long, curling pass high into the air. Theo jumped as high as he could. The ball bounced off his arm, rolled onto his foot and flew into the net. GOAL!
Half the crowd cheered. The other half groaned. But the referee, Faye the pony, had been looking the other way. Faye pointed to the middle of the pitch. The goal counted!
The Red Rockets ran to Theo, shouting with joy. But Theo wasn’t smiling. His tummy felt like it was full of stones. He knew the ball had touched his arm.
If Theo stayed quiet, the Red Rockets would reach the final. If he spoke up, the goal would be taken away. Theo looked at Gus, who looked so sad. Theo took a big breath.
‘Referee,’ said Theo, walking over. ‘It hit my arm. It wasn’t a fair goal.’ The whole pitch went silent. Faye blinked. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ Faye said. ‘No goal.’
The Red Rockets lost that day, 1-1, and then the Green Giants won the shoot-out. But as Theo walked off, the crowd rose to clap. Even the Green Giants cheered. Gus hugged him.
At the end of the season, Theo was given the Good Sport Medal. ‘I didn’t win the match,’ he said, holding it up. ‘But I won something even better. I feel proud of myself.’
The little lesson
Telling the truth when it is hard shows real strength.
Let’s talk about it
- Why was it hard for Theo to tell the truth?
- How did the others feel about Theo afterwards?
Finish stories to collect Theo as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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Olive’s Match Day in the Meadow
The forest animals hold a football cup, but nobody can agree on the rules!
Kai and the Missing Goals
On Saturday morning, the goalposts have disappeared! Time for the Football Detectives.
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