By: Max Cao

Do you play soccer?

If you do, does your team play well?

Our soccer team, the Lions, is pretty good one, but compared to a rival team, the Dragons, we were ants beneath a giant’s foot. In fact, the last time we played them, we got crushed 6-1.

Sadly. in our championship game, our team is playing the Dragons. I was practicing in my yard one day, and thinking about our upcoming match when, a red streak came crashing through the fence. “What the heck was that?” I thought.

Looking over to where the thing had landed, I saw a glowing red soccer ball. Examining it closer, I saw a little note attached to it. Ripping it off, this is what I read:

This will help you in the game. Kick the red dot while thinking about it as hard as you can. It will then fly into the goal. Only one time will it work.

The note was absurd. Looking back at the ball, I saw the red dot. I decided I would have to trust the note.

The long-awaited game finally came. The score was 1-2, Dragons. Henry passed to William, who was wide open, close to the goal, and to top it off, he was shouting at the top of his lungs, “Here! Pass!” William took his time setting up his kick, but when his foot made contact, the ball went sailing into the goal. 2-2!

8 seconds left. Before the play started, I told the ref, “hold on, use this ball”. Of course, the players cannot trade balls on command, so the ref disagreed. When the play started, I charged ahead to my defender, who was just passed the ball. With a flurry of side tackles and kicks, I easily stole the ball and raced towards the goal. I was thinking about the red dot, as I knew with the magic ball I could have kicked the ball from half court and gotten an easy win. Without the ball, I would have to depend on pure skill.

With the grass skimming beneath my feat, I got as close as I dared to the goal and slammed my foot into the ball. Before I knew it, the ball had accelerated to unimaginable speeds and virtually teleported into the goal, just like the note had said. 3-2!!!

At first the crowd was silent, as if not believing what had just happened. Then, they burst into cheers. We had WON!! We had won against the best team in the league!

So how did I make the magic happen without the magic ball? At first, I was clueless about that, and that was when I realized the red dot in the note wasn’t just on the ball, yet it was a seed – a motivation – that would urge you to try, to believe in that seed which will grow into a tree in your heart. That tree isn’t just there as a piece of wood; it will blossom as an entire connection in your life.