Jan's Sandy Soccer Plan

Jan loved the beach more than anything. Not just for splashing in the waves, but for building the best sandcastles on the whole coast. While other kids made simple mounds, Jan built clever castles with twisty moats and bridges made of flat, smooth shells. The sun was warm on Jan’s back, the air smelled salty, and the sand felt lovely and squishy between their toes.

But today, things weren't so lovely. Jan's soccer team, the Sandy Shooters, were playing a game against the Wave Riders, and they were losing, badly! Every time someone tried to kick the ball, it would get stuck in the soft, fluffy sand with a dull thump. Everyone was starting to get a bit grumpy.

"I've got it!" Jan announced, using their best problem-solving voice. "We just need to kick it harder! Super-duper harder!" So they all tried. Whoosh! Liam kicked the ball so hard it buried itself in the sand. Sploosh! Mia kicked it right into a wave. "This isn't working!" groaned the team, their shoulders slumping.

Jan felt a bit glum, but then looked over at their amazing sandcastle. The water flowed perfectly in the moat where the sand was wet and packed down firm. That was it! "Team huddle!" Jan called out. "Forget kicking it hard! Let's play on the wet sand near the water. We need to do little passes. Like this... tap-tap-tap!" Jan showed them how to pass the ball quickly along the hard, damp edge of the beach.

It worked! With a chorus of "tap-tap-tap," the Sandy Shooters moved the ball down the beach. They scored a goal, and then another! They didn't win the game, but it didn't matter. They were laughing and having fun again. They had solved the problem together, proving that the cleverest plan is always better than the hardest kick.