Once upon a time there was a green valley and behind it there was a colourful village. Several children lived there. They all loved one game: soccer. Every day, they kicked the ball, practiced dribbling and passing, and above all, learned to work together and be team players.
Soccer isn’t just about kicking a ball and scoring goals; it’s about the team. It’s about players learning to rely on one another and pass the ball.
The children from the colourful village learned this firsthand. It happened recently, in the fall. It was chilly outside, but the weather was still good enough for a soccer match. That day, the children from the Painted Village—who called themselves the Painted Kicks—were set to play against the children from the Green Valley, who called themselves the Greenies. Both teams had trained hard, and both were eager to win.
When the day of the big match arrived, everyone was nervous. Parents and grandparents sat in the stands around the field, ready to cheer on their little players. On the field, the captains shook hands, and the referee called out: “When I blow the whistle, you can start. But don’t forget—keep it fair. No cheating, no fouls; I want to see a nice game that you’ll enjoy.”
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, the match began. The spectators cheered loudly. The Painted Kicks were faster, darting across the field from side to side at incredible speed. The Greenies, on the other hand, were stronger: they could shoot hard and pass the ball across the entire field. Both teams were very good. It looked like the game was going to end in a tie – until suddenly the Greenies started messing things up. Instead of passing and helping one another, they just started yelling at each other.
Soon, the same complaints echoed among the Greenies: “Can’t you see that? Why didn’t you control it? What are you doing? You were supposed to run after it! Hurry up, don’t be lazy!” Instead of working together, they made mistake after mistake. They were distracted and angry. The Painted Kicks took advantage of this and scored their first goal. They were overjoyed, while the Greenies glared at the ground and kicked at the turf in frustration.
Then, an important guest in the stands suddenly sat up straight. He was a soccer player – one of the best. He couldn’t stand watching the Greenies’ behavior, so he called them over to the bench. They were shocked at first. They all knew who he was, and they were thrilled that he had called them over.
The former player leaned toward them and said, “I’ve been watching you since the start of the game. You play very well.”
“Then why did we let in a goal?” one of the players asked.
The former player just smiled and continued, “Because you’re not working together. You’re just yelling at each other. You’re not enjoying the game, and you’re not playing as a team. That’s your mistake. If you stick together and stop blaming each other, you can win. But more importantly, you’ll enjoy the game. You’ll have fun.”
The Greenies thought about it. He was probably right. When they returned to the field, they remembered his words. They didn’t yell at each other. They passed the ball, worked together, and enjoyed the game – and they even scored the goal. It felt great. And even though the match ended in a tie, they were really happy with the game.
After the match ended, they looked towards the stands and the bench. They were hoping to see the former player and thank him. But he was gone. Only a note lay on the bench in the dugout: “I knew you could do it.” The Greenies were glad that someone had shown them how to do it and reminded them that soccer isn’t just about winning, but about teamwork.
