Shoot and Score was a school only for football,
almost like space training designed by NASA.
It had the best players across the country,
and some so skilled, they could even play for Barca.
Despite being so short, one player stood out from the rest.
Her name was Leah. She was kind, quick, and magical.
She was the best of the best.
All of the players worked hard, but if they didn't do well:
they would have to try, try, and try again
... Except for Leah, who never ever fell.
For Leah, everything came easy.
Penalties, passes, and a goal-scoring pose.
They were all great and breezy.
On the pitch, she was like a magician waving a wand,
Even though her shots were messy,
Leah felt at home like a duck in a pond.
Fans would clap and the other team's heads would turn.
Only one man remained silent and unimpressed.
Old Coach would shake his head and say: "One day, she'll learn."
Top scorer and most popular player,
Leah was going up and up.
There was nothing she could not do...
Except win the all-important Championship Cup.
No matter how much she ran and how much she shot,
It did not matter,
A Championship Cup winner, she was not.
Her team lost, lost, and lost again.
It was a feeling Leah couldn't bear,
No claps, no trophies.
Leah would even cry out: "This is not fair."
Fans’ mouths were open in shock,
But a Championship Cup you had to earn,
That's why the Old Coach sat back and said:
"One day, she'll learn."
Leah didn't know what to do,
"It's not supposed to be this hard," she said.
She didn't want to lose again, so she decided to stop.
"No more football," were her words while she dropped her head.
Without football, Leah could not lose.
But her heart felt empty and sad.
It was not the life she wanted to choose.
One day, Leah went for a walk,
There she saw Old Coach, who said, "Let's talk."
"Life's hard, Leah. You're now starting to learn," Old Coach said.
"How do I make it easy again?" Leah asked him then.
"It's never easy, but that doesn't mean you stop what you love,
"You try, try, and try again."
That day, Leah learned something simple & wise.
In life, you keep trying...
If you want to win the prize.
Not long after this day, Leah returned to football.
And although she didn't win the Cup straight away,
This time, she didn't quit at all.
Leah simply said, "I'll try, try, and try again."
Illustration by the wonderful Kayleigh Allan
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