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