Leo the Lion Cub Takes the Shot - A Children's Story

Leo the Lion Cub Takes the Shot

By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller and Author

Moral of the Story:
If you allow fear or doubt to stop you from stepping forward and giving your very best effort, you will miss the opportunity to learn, grow, and discover your true strength, but when you choose to be brave, take chances, give one hundred percent of your effort every single time, and keep trying no matter how many times you fall short, you begin to build confidence, develop skill, and understand that success is not about never missing, but about always showing up and trying again, because you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take, but every shot you do take gives you a chance to succeed.

In a lively little town filled with fields, courts, rinks, and playgrounds, there lived a young lion cub named Leo.

Leo the Lion Cub loved sports.

He loved basketball.
He loved baseball.
He loved soccer, football, and hockey.

But there was one problem.

Leo loved watching sports…

More than he loved playing them.

Every afternoon, Leo would sit on a wooden bench and watch the other animals play.

There was Benny the Bear shooting basketballs into the hoop.
There was Carlos the Cheetah kicking soccer balls into the net.
There was Frankie the Fox throwing footballs down the field.
And there was Harry the Hedgehog skating across the ice, guiding a hockey puck into the goal.

“Wow…” Leo would whisper. “They’re so good.”

“Come play with us, Leo!” Benny would call.

Leo would smile… but shake his head.

“I’m not ready,” he’d say quietly.

Inside, Leo was thinking something else.

“What if I miss?”
“What if I mess up?”
“What if everyone laughs?”

So he stayed on the bench.

Watching.
Wishing.
Waiting.

One afternoon, Coach Max the Moose walked over and sat beside Leo.

“Why aren’t you out there playing?” Coach Max asked gently.

Leo looked down. “I’m not good enough.”

Coach Max smiled. “Not good enough yet.”

Leo looked up. “What do you mean?”

Coach Max pointed to the field.

“Do you think Benny made every basket the first time?”
“Do you think Carlos scored every goal?”
“Do you think Frankie threw every perfect pass?”

Leo shook his head. “No…”

Coach Max leaned in and said something Leo would never forget.

“You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Leo blinked.

Coach Max continued, “If you don’t try, you already lose. But if you do try, you give yourself a chance to win.”

That day, Leo decided to try.

Just one shot.

He walked slowly onto the basketball court.

His paws felt heavy.
His heart was pounding.

Benny tossed him the ball. “You got this, Leo!”

Leo looked at the hoop.

It seemed so far away.

He took a deep breath…

And he shot.

The ball hit the rim and bounced away.

Miss.

Leo lowered his head. “I knew it.”

But Benny ran over, smiling. “That was awesome!”

Leo looked confused. “Awesome? I missed.”

Benny laughed. “Yeah, but you took the shot!”

The next day, Leo tried soccer.

Carlos passed him the ball.

“Shoot it!” Carlos shouted.

Leo kicked…

And the ball rolled wide of the goal.

Miss.

Leo sighed. “I’m not good at this.”

Carlos ran over. “You’re getting better!”

Leo tilted his head. “I am?”

“You tried,” Carlos said. “That’s how it starts.”

The next day, it was baseball.

Frankie tossed the ball.

“Swing, Leo!”

Leo swung…

Whoosh.

Miss.

Leo frowned.

But Frankie grinned. “Great swing! Try again!”

Day after day, Leo kept trying.

Basketball.
Soccer.
Baseball.
Football.
Hockey.

Shot after shot…
Kick after kick…
Swing after swing…

And yes…

Miss after miss.

But something began to change.

Leo stopped worrying about missing.

He started focusing on trying.

Instead of saying, “What if I fail?”
He started saying, “Let me try again.”

Instead of stepping back, he stepped forward.

Instead of fearing mistakes, he welcomed them.

And little by little…

He got better.

One bright afternoon, Leo stood on the basketball court again.

Benny passed him the ball.

“Take the shot!” Benny said.

Leo smiled.

He bent his knees.

He lifted the ball.

And he shot.

Swish.

The ball sailed through the hoop.

Leo’s eyes lit up.

“I DID IT!”

The court erupted in cheers.

Later that week…

Leo kicked a soccer ball…

Goal!

He swung a bat…

Crack!

He caught a football…

Touchdown!

And on the ice…

Tap…

Score!

Leo could hardly believe it.

“I’m doing it!” he shouted. “I’m really doing it!”

Coach Max smiled from the sidelines.

“What changed?” he asked.

Leo grinned proudly.

“I stopped being afraid to try.”

That evening, as the sun dipped low and painted the sky in warm colors, Leo sat with his friends.

“I used to think missing meant I wasn’t good,” Leo said.

Benny nodded. “A lot of people think that.”

“But now I know,” Leo continued, “missing just means I’m trying.”

Carlos added, “And trying leads to getting better.”

Frankie said, “And getting better leads to success.”

Coach Max smiled.

“And success,” he said, “starts with taking the shot.”

Leo looked out across the fields, courts, and rink.

He smiled.

“I get it now,” he said softly.

“You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take… but every shot you take gives you a chance to win.”

And from that day on…

Leo the Lion Cub never sat on the bench again.

Moral of the Story Poem:

Take the shot and do not fear,
Every try will bring you near.
Miss or make it, just give your best.
That is how you pass the test.
Step up strong and take your chance.
Growth begins with just one glance.
For every shot you choose to take,
Builds the path your dreams will make.

Questions to Think About:

1.     What is something you’ve been afraid to try, and what might happen if you gave it your best effort?

2.     Why is it important to keep trying, even when you miss?

3.     What “shot” can you take this week to help you grow stronger and more confident?