Page 63 - Girl's World (October 2019)
P. 63
your storytime
BENCHED
No, why’d she run that way? She’s heading right into the other
team’s trap, Alex thought as she watched her teammate
dribble the ball from the sidelines.
Normally, Alex would be on the field with ing to convince her teammates to stay after
the rest of her soccer team. In fact, she liked the game for extra practice when her coach
to think of herself as the team’s star player, pulled her aside.
but her coach told her that way of thinking is “Alex, I need you to take a deep breath,”
what got her benched. Coach Melissa began her lecture. “I know how
It all started after last week’s game. Alex’s much you like to win, and I admire how hard
team had faced off against the team from two you work in practice. But you’re taking things
towns over. They weren’t very good. They’d too far. You can’t blame your teammates
only won three games the whole season, and when we lose a game, and we always shake
Alex’s team had won 10. She thought they’d hands with the opposing team after a win
win no problem ... but they didn’t. or a loss. That’s good sportsmanship.”
The other team scored a goal to win the
Alex started to get a bad feeling about this
ILLUSTRATIONS BY KIMBERLY SODERBERG game a minute before the ref blew the final conversation, and her instincts were right.
“I’ve spoken to your parents, and we’ve agreed
whistle. Alex was devastated. She didn’t get
you’ll be benched for the next two games,”
off the bench to shake hands with the other
Coach Melissa continued. “I still want you to
team, and she kept asking the goalie how
she’d given up that last goal. She was try-
come to practices and try to bond more with
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