Howard was the fat kid, but against all odds, he surprisingly made the soccer team. His family celebrated. They were happy that he was being active, and they wanted him to make new friends. Howard was happy, too.
On his first day of practice, the coach made a short speech. "Congratulations on making it to the team. You have a tradition to keep. Our team is the best high school soccer team in northern Mississippi. Practice is going to be rough, but it's going to be worth it. Practice is two hours a day, every day, including Saturday and Sunday." Howard started to sweat. Was he ready for intense exercise every day?
The team captain was the next to make a speech. "Coach is right, you guys all have to keep up. Keep up or go home." First, the team did warm-ups, which included stretching, running, bouncing the ball with their knees, and more. Howard was having trouble, especially with running. After the warm-ups, the boys played a game. Howard was already very tired. The captain pulled him aside and said, "I don't know how you made the team. You got lucky." Howard ignored what he said and continued to do the best he could.
