GOAL
This is a football story for coaches, parents and players alike. Mike wrote it for his son Ash.
Goal
It’s Saturday.
The sun is smiling and the sky is brilliant blue.
Early morning shadows run around on the bedroom wall,
Running and leaping.
Saturday is football day.
Dad says, “Eat up George, you have a big game!”
George eats a bowl of cereal, two bananas, a big red apple,
Four pancakes with maple syrup and nine pieces of toast smothered in peanut butter.
He washes the food down with a huge glass of orange juice.
Dad announces “Today George will score the winning goal!
He is bigger, stronger and faster than anyone else.”
Dad drives mum and George to the football field.
Dad raves about George, “George is so great at football; one day he will be a pro!”
George gazes out the window.
Puffy clouds are rising up away to the west.
“Bah! It looks like rain”, says dad.
“It won’t rain, dad”, says George; “They are Cumulus clouds.”
At the field George says hi to the coach and chats with his friends.
“Get ready team”, says the coach “the game is about to start;
“James! Do your laces up!”
“I don’t know how yet”, says James.
“Here”, says George “let me show you how to tie them”
“Wow! Thanks”, says James.
The game starts.
“Come on George”, says dad “kick the ball and score a goal!”
Olly gets the ball and scores a goal.
“Awesome goal Olly”, says dad.
The other team scores a fantastic goal.
“Great goal!” says George.
“Don’t tell them their goal was good!” shouts dad.
Vincent scores a goal with his head!
The game starts again,
But Vincent has dirt in his eye.
While George helps Vincent wash the dirt out
The other team gets the ball and score a goal.
“George!!” yells dad, “you could have stopped that!”
The ball goes up and down the field.
George spots a worm wriggling in the grass.
“There you go”, says George “you’ll be safe over here”.
Dad paces up and down the sideline.
The whistle sounds; it’s half-time.
The coach encourages the team. “I think you are all really doing well; make sure you have fun out there!”
George hands the oranges around.
The game starts again.
Lucy gets the ball and runs right past the other team!
She scores a really amazing goal.
“Well done Lucy!” cries dad, “Come on George, why can’t you do that too!”
Red gets the ball and does a fancy trick.
Red scores an incredible goal, but he was facing the wrong way!
George and the other children laugh.
“What was so funny about that?” dad wails,
“We need another goal if we are going to win”
Grace starts swinging on the goalpost.
The goalposts fall over!
Dad hides his head in his hands.
George runs over and fixes the goalposts.
Grace throws the ball to Vincent, who passes the ball to Olly,
Who chips the ball to James, who kicks the ball to Lucy,
Who crosses the ball to Red, who heads the ball to George.
George is right near the goal; he must score!
A fire engine flies past; the sirens are blaring and the lights are flashing.
George stops to watch the fire engine.
The other team kicks the ball away.
“George!!!!” screams dad, “that was your big chance!”
The game is almost over.
The referee is looking at his watch.
George gets the ball and kicks it so hard it flies into the other team’s goal and breaks the net.
“Yes! What a goal!” shrieks dad, dancing up and down.
The game ends.
The teams line up and shake hands.
A boy from the other team won’t shake hands; he is upset his side lost.
“It was a close game,” says George “either side could have won.
Today was our day; next time it might be yours.”
George and the boy shake hands.
The coach pats the players on their backs
“Well done team, and well done George; that was some goal.”
Dad is still dancing up and down.
On the way home dad raves about George.
“I knew you would score a goal today, George,
One day you will be a pro!”
“I might”, says George.
But maybe I will be a meteorologist,
Or a teacher,
Or a diplomat,
Or a doctor,
Or a vet,
Or a waiter,
Or a builder,
Or a fireman,
Or a psychologist,
Or maybe…
I’ll be an astronaut!”
Dad thinks for a while and then he smiles.
He says, “You know George, you would make the greatest ever astronaut!”