Value
We Are Learning:
Leadership, teamwork, perseverance,
humility, and believing in yourself.
Moral
of the Story:
The greatest champions are never
measured only by how many games they win or how many trophies they collect.
True greatness comes from lifting others up, encouraging teammates, practicing
faithfully, staying humble, and never giving up when challenges arise. A team
becomes stronger when every player believes in one another, and a leader
inspires others through kindness, confidence, and hard work. When you help
others succeed, everyone wins together, and that is the greatest victory of
all.
Isla was twelve years old.
She had beautiful brown hair,
sparkling blue eyes, and a smile that could brighten an entire gymnasium.
Wherever she went, she carried her favorite volleyball because to Isla, every
open space was another chance to practice.
Everyone around the world knew her
by one special name...
Isla the Great.
She wasn't called that because she
wanted attention.
She wasn't called that because she
said she was the best.
People called her Isla the Great
because she worked harder than anyone they had ever seen, encouraged everyone
around her, and always played with kindness.
Isla was Poppy's older sister.
While Poppy loved tennis, Isla had
fallen in love with volleyball the very first time she watched a ball sail high
above the net.
"There it is," she
whispered that day.
"My dream."
From that moment on, Isla practiced
every chance she could.
Before school she served volleyballs
into the corner of the court.
After school she practiced passing
against the garage door.
In the evenings she worked on
setting, blocking, digging, and spiking until the stars appeared overhead.
Sometimes she practiced alone.
Sometimes she practiced with
teammates.
Sometimes Poppy tossed volleyballs
to her just so Isla could work on her spikes.
The two sisters loved cheering for
one another.
"You've got this!" Poppy
shouted.
"You can do it!" Isla
answered.
Their parents smiled because they
knew something wonderful.
The greatest champions aren't
competitors inside their family.
They're each other's biggest fans.
As Isla grew older, coaches
everywhere noticed something extraordinary.
She jumped higher.
She moved faster.
She anticipated every play before it
happened.
She could dive across the floor to
save impossible balls.
She could block towering spikes.
She could place a volleyball exactly
where she wanted it almost every single time.
But there was something even more
remarkable.
Whenever a teammate made a mistake,
Isla never frowned.
Instead she ran over with a smile.
"You'll get the next one."
"We're a team."
"I believe in you."
Soon people realized that Isla
wasn't just becoming the world's greatest young volleyball player.
She was becoming the world's
greatest teammate.
One year, the International Junior
Volleyball Championship invited the finest twelve year old players from every
continent.
Children came from Brazil, Italy,
Japan, Poland, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Kenya, Germany, and many other
countries.
Every team dreamed of bringing home
the championship trophy.
Every match was exciting.
The gym echoed with cheers.
Volleyballs flew through the air.
Players dove, blocked, passed, and
celebrated incredible rallies.
Isla's team worked together
beautifully.
Some matches were easy.
Others were incredibly difficult.
Then came the semifinal.
It was the toughest match Isla had
ever played.
Her team lost the first set.
They barely lost the second.
Everyone felt discouraged.
During the timeout, Isla gathered
her teammates into a circle.
She smiled.
"No one wins a championship
alone," she said softly.
"We don't need one
superstar."
"We need six friends who
believe in each other."
Her teammates nodded.
Something changed.
They stopped worrying about
mistakes.
They began encouraging one another
after every point.
Amazing saves appeared from nowhere.
Perfect sets floated through the
air.
Thunderous spikes landed inside the
lines.
Together they won the next three
sets and advanced to the championship match.
The next day, thousands of cheering
fans packed the arena.
Millions more watched around the
world.
The championship was unforgettable.
One team would score.
The other team answered.
The rallies became longer and
longer.
Every player gave everything they
had.
Late in the final set, the score was
tied.
One last serve floated over the net.
The rally seemed to last forever.
The ball crossed back and forth
again and again.
Then Isla leaped higher than she
ever had before.
With perfect timing, she delivered
an incredible spike that landed just inside the back corner.
The whistle blew.
The match was over.
The crowd erupted.
Children waved flags from every
nation.
People stood and applauded.
The announcer smiled.
"The World Junior Volleyball
Champion...
Isla the Great!"
As cameras flashed and confetti
filled the air, Isla surprised everyone.
Instead of holding the trophy by
herself, she invited every teammate to gather around her.
She lifted the championship high
into the air.
"This belongs to all of
us," she said.
"We won together."
The crowd cheered even louder.
Later, young children asked Isla
what it felt like to become the best young volleyball player in the world.
She smiled.
"The greatest victory isn't
winning a trophy," she answered.
"It's helping someone else believe
they can do something amazing."
Those words traveled around the
world.
Children began encouraging their
teammates.
They celebrated each other's
successes.
They discovered that helping others
become better made everyone stronger.
And whenever someone asked who the
greatest young volleyball player in the world was, people smiled and answered,
"Her name is Isla the Great.
She wins with her heart before she
ever wins a game."
Moral
of the Story Poem:
Reach up high and never fear,
Lift your teammates with a cheer.
Practice hard and always try,
Keep your dreams up in the sky.
Lead with kindness every day,
Help your friends along the way.
Greatness shines for all to see,
When your heart sets others free.
Questions
for Parents and Children:
1.
Why did people call Isla "The
Great"?
2.
How did Isla help her teammates when
they became discouraged?
3.
Why is teamwork so important in
volleyball and in life?
4.
What does it mean to be a humble
leader?
5.
How can you encourage someone today
to help them believe in themselves?
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