Buddy Plays Soccer - Becky Pantaleon

Lelu had been practicing her soccer moves with Buddy for a good three years, and they had both become very good players. Lelu always preferred to practice with Buddy because he was fast and forced her to play her best. Her team, Goal Girls, was tied for first place in their division and while Lelu was nervous, she was also excited about maybe winning the championship. She practiced for hours every day, leading up to game day.

On game day, as Lelu walked on to the field, she noticed that many of her teammates were not there. Coach Dale said that five of the girls had caught the flu and would not be able to play. That left them with only five players, and if anyone got hurt, they would have to forfeit the game. Not only could they not get hurt, they also could not rotate out to rest. How could they play their hardest and not get hurt or tired at the same time? The girls were going to have a tough time beating the Crushers, but they were up to the challenge. With a tied score, their excitement turned to disappointment as they watched Ariana fall and grab her ankle in pain.