June 23, 2025 • 21 mins
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In this silly story, a young soccer player shows promise — at least in the eyes of his very enthusiastic parents. They’re convinced he’s a prodigy. He’s... probably not. But when an old, worn leather soccer ball lands in his hands — one said to bring good luck — things begin to change.
To see if the shout-out list is open, visit: lolstorytime.com/shoutouts
Visit lolstorytime.com for merch and other... stuff.
In this silly story, a young soccer player shows promise — at least in the eyes of his very enthusiastic parents. They’re convinced he’s a prodigy. He’s... probably not. But when an old, worn leather soccer ball lands in his hands — one said to bring good luck — things begin to change.
To see if the shout-out list is open, visit: lolstorytime.com/shoutouts
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hellol story Time really not a glory time rabus standing.
You'll be fine. Follow the whole storyline. Hellol story Time,
Might you love?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Released one time? Well Time, Welcome back to the show.
This is Lowell Storytime, and today I'll be telling you
a story called The Prodigy. That's one features a character
named after Boss who listens to the show with his
cat Pepper. But before we jump in a quick shadow
to the following listeners. Gemma, Noah and Theo from Rio Rancho,
(00:33):
New Mexico, Lucian and Live from Costa Rica, Sadie Knight
from Wheaton, Illinois, Winsday and Florence and Lady Honey Waffles
their big chunky cat from Kitchener, Ontario. Charlotte Miles from
Saint Louis, Josephine Cora and their dog brother Rizzo from Madison, Wisconsin,
(00:53):
Franklinonetta Brown from New Orleans, When and her dog Maple
from Barry, Ontario, and Desmond and Joey from Clarence, New York.
More shouts to come next time, But for now, let's
get into the story. This is the story of a
(01:17):
young prodigy, a boy with exceptional talent for the sport
of soccer, which, depending on where you live, might be
called football. But either way, we're talking about the game
where you kick a ball into the back of a net,
no hands allowed. You've probably seen it, you've probably played it.
And even if the closest you've come has been kicking
your brother's favorite stuffy across the room, well, you're practically
(01:40):
still a soccer player. To me. Boss was one of
those kids who learned to play before he could walk.
His parents encouraged it. Get after it, Boss, get that ball,
Do whatever you gotta do, Crawl, roll a butt, shuffle,
whatever it takes. And when Boss eventually did butt shuffle
his way across the soccer field, it was kind of
(02:01):
a big deal. Did you see that?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Did you see my baby just but shuffle across the
field to get the ball?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Oh? My baby boy is going to be a star someday.
But when Boss was old enough to play little kid soccer,
there was no way of knowing if he was any
better or worse than the kids standing next to him.
Little kid soccer should really be called cloud soccer, just
a big, giggling clump of kids orbiting around a soccer
ball that nobody can actually see. The cloud moves, but
(02:28):
the ball never comes out until a frustrated young kid
decides to pick it up with their hands, run over
to their parents and scream, it's my ball. Mine Everyone,
stay away. Boss's parents came to every single one of
his games and were always such proud supporters. Wait to
be a part of the cloud today, Boss, you were
just so nicely clumped together, just a cozy looking bunch
(02:51):
of kids. Eventually, Boss outgrew little kid soccer and started
playing medium kids soccer. In me soccer players figured out
that it was better to space themselves out, play different
positions and try out a crazy little thing called passing
the ball. But even then, Boss hadn't shown any signs
of hidden talent. He was never the best player on
(03:13):
the field, nor was he the worst. He was just
out there having a good old time and enjoying soccer
with some friends. His parents, on the other hand, refused
to let go of as butt shuffling soccer star days.
They were sure he had something special deep down inside
of him. He just needed a little nudge, or a
really really big nudge to let it out. Mom, Dad,
(03:35):
I'm handing over to the park to meet out with
some friends. Is that cool. Normally such a request would
have been totally cool, But this time Boss's parents came
at him like a couple of police detectives. The park
a with friends. Huh, are you and your friends planning
on playing soccer while at the park. Boss had no
idea what his friends were planning to do at the park.
(03:57):
I don't know, maybe, he answered, well, who are these
friends you're going with? Boss? Boss listed some names. Jack
will be there, Carolyn, Metsi drew. Boss's dad furrowed his brow.
Are any of those kids exceptional soccer players who can
(04:17):
help elevate your game and take your skills to the
next level. Boss stood there, eyeing the front door, wondering
if he should just make a run for it, like,
I don't know, Dad, they're all fine at soccer, I guess,
well except for Metsi. He's the one who usually just
sits on the field picking clovers. Boss's parents allowed him
to go this time, but he knew this was going
(04:39):
to be the start of something bad. Within a few
short weeks, Boss's calendar had completely filled up. No longer
was there any time for swimming lessons or free time
at the park. Every available hour was spent on soccer,
extra practice, one on one coaching fitness drills. They even
made him sit with a wise old man for an
hour every week who just made him repeat the line
(05:02):
I believe in myself over and over, until eventually Boss
forgot what it was he was even supposed to be
believing in. The Only nice thing was that the wise
old man gave him a gift at the end of
their final session. He was an antique soccer ball, a
ball that looked older than the old man himself. It
kind of looked like a soccer ball, except it was
(05:22):
brown and made of leather. It looked like it had
been kicked around since the dinosaur days. It was my
lucky ball when I was a kid. They don't make
him like this anymore. But I'm afraid this ball has
already played its last game. As you can see, it's
pretty old, So please be gentle with it. Perhaps it
(05:45):
will bring you a bit of luck. Bost didn't believe
in such things as a soccer ball bringing good luck.
He once got kicked in the crotch during a game
of soccer, even though he'd been wearing his lucky underwear
that day. After that had happened, he decided to throw
those unlucky andies away. When the first game of the
new season ruled around, Boss was feeling a lot of pressure.
(06:06):
His parents had spent a lot of time and money
in all of this extra soccer training. As the game
got underway, Boss began to question if all of that
extra work had been worth it. He was still better
than the kid who only picked clovers, but he definitely
wasn't the best player on the field, hardly what anyone
would call a prodigy. When it was time for a
break at halftime, one of the referees noticed a strange
(06:28):
looking ball in Boss's soccer bag. Hey, kid, is this yours?
I've never seen a ball like this before in real life.
They sure don't make him like this anymore. Boss nodded
his head, but the referee barely paid him any attention.
He was too busy marveling at the ball. Then, as
if forgetting Boss was even there, the ref walked off
with it and brought it onto the field just as
(06:50):
the second half of the game was about to resume. Wait,
what are you doing? I don't think that ball is
really meant to be played with anymore. There were a
lot of confused players wondering why they were now kicking
an old brown leather ball across the field. The ref, however,
thought it was the coolest thing ever. Boss figured the
ref must have developed a soft spot for him, because
(07:11):
now the ref was giving him some really good tips.
Passed a player thirty two, He's wide open. Another time,
he told Boss to fake right and then cut left.
It worked perfectly as he easily broke away from a
defending player. On his next shot, it was an easy goal.
The referee had told him exactly where to aim, left
side of the goalkeeper. Boss finished the game with five goals,
(07:35):
a league record for goal scored in just one half.
His parents, of course, were very excited.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Oh that's my boy. Did everyone see that? My boy
is a prodigy, A prodigy, I tell you.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Boss was waiting for the other team to start complaining
about how unfair it was that the referee had been
helping him, but no one said anything about it. It
was as if they hadn't actually noticed. But how could
that so? After the game, Boss was gently placing the
ball back into his soccer bag when he heard the
referee congratulate him on a good game. But when he
looked up the referee was nowhere to be seen. Did
(08:13):
anyone else hear that? His teammates looked around, confused, here
what Boss did? Someone fart? Boss didn't know what was happening.
Was he just hearing things? Now? Is this what happens
when you practice too much soccer? Perhaps it was all
the cookies he'd eaten sometimes sugar made him get a
little bit weird. At his next game, it was the
(08:36):
same story all over again. Referee asks to use Boss's ball.
Referee decides he likes Boss. Referee starts helping Boss. Boss
finishes the game with nine goals. It was such a
delight for his parents watching from the stands, Oh, my
little prodigy is such a prodigy. Feeling guilty about using
the old, worn out soccer ball when he knew it
(08:57):
was too fragile, Boss decided to even at home. But
in the next game he played terribly, not even managing
a single decent pass. Twice he whipped completely missing the
ball and landing flat on his butt. He did score
one goal, unfortunately it was on his own team's net.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
My little prodigy must be sick. It's the only logical explanation.
Someone please check his temperature. He must have a fever.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Boss wasn't sick. He just had a bad game. He'd
had plenty of those before. This was totally normal. Still,
his parents weren't convinced. They sent him straight to bed.
No postgame ice cream with the team, and ice cream
was always the best part. You do the thing and
then you get ice cream. Why play soccer if not
for the ice cream that follows. But while getting ready
(09:48):
for bed, Boss heard it again, the referee's voice. Come on, man,
why didn't you bring me to the game today? Do
I embarrass you? Is it because I'm old? I can
be cool? You know, real cool? Do kids still use
the word cool? Or is it uncool to stay cool?
Boss looked around his room, but no one was there. Hello,
(10:12):
is someone there? He heard the voice again? Oh what
are you just pretending you don't see me? Now? Come on,
I help you score nine goals the other day, and
this is how you treat me. I may be a ball,
but I still have feelings too. You know this was
so weird. Boss looked down at the old brown leather
soccer ball in his bedroom floor. Ball that was you?
(10:36):
But how is this possible? Boss picked up the ball
and studied it a little closer. He didn't see a
Belton speaker or anything of that sort. It's possible because
I've been around for a long time. I've seen it all.
I know everything there is to know about soccer. Figured
I could give you some pointers. But how are you
(10:56):
even talking right now? Boss demanded soccer balls could shrug
this one probably would have done so. I don't know, kid,
I just use my words. How do you talk? Is
it not weird just having words come out of a
hole in your face? Boss didn't know what to do.
Maybe he did have a fever. I could write stuff
(11:18):
down for you if you'd rather offered the ball, that is,
if the whole talking ball thing is too weird for you.
But just so you know, if I do that, I'll
have to somehow pass you notes during the game, and
you'll have to stop and read them, and then by
the time you figure out what you're supposed to do,
the other team will probably have scored Somehow. The ball
was aware that Boss was leaving the room. Hey kid,
(11:41):
wait where are you going? Boss was on his way
to the kitchen to find some cookies. Listen, Ball, I
haven't had a cookie in over a week. If it's
not the sugar making my head off fuzzy. Then I'm
gonna go ahead and have myself a cookie. If you
had a soccer ball talking to you, you'd be wanting
to stuff your face with cookies. What else are you
supposed to do when this happens. Boss woke up in
(12:05):
the morning, expecting it to have all been a strange dream.
But as he opened his eyes, he heard the voice again. Yo, Boss,
I went ahead and ruled myself over and into your
soccer bag, so you wouldn't forget me this time. Big game, tonight,
time show everyone that you are the prodigy. Well, that night,
Boss showed everyone exactly that. He proved it during that game,
(12:28):
and the next game and the game after that. Pretty
soon Boss was forced to change leagues. Boss, you are
clearly a very talented and skillful player. We'd like to
move you to a higher division. I know you'll miss
your friends, but you're basically running circles around them while
the other half of your team sits around picking clovers.
(12:49):
We think you're ready for something a little more challenging.
Boss only played one game at the next level. The
coaches had already started talking about moving him to an
even higher level. Soon he was playing in a league
with teenagers, But even the teenagers were no match for
what Boss could do. They may have been bigger, but
Boss was an absolute boss, and all the while, no
(13:11):
one had any idea how Boss just always seemed to
know how to make the perfect play in almost every situation.
Hey ball, why is it that no one else can
hear you talking? Boss asked one day. The ball scoffed
at such a question, because I'm not talking to them,
I'm talking to you, silly, don't you know how talking works.
(13:33):
I know how listening in on other people's conversations works,
answered Boss. But however, the whole talking ball thing worked.
It was working out very well. His coach was happy,
his team was happy, and best of all, his parents
were happy. Boss even enjoyed having someone to talk to
about soccer while laying in bed at night. Hey ball,
(13:54):
why didn't you tell me not to pass to number
thirty nine? Today? He was wide open? He was open.
He wasn't very focused. He had just let out in
an embarrassingly weird sneeze cough hiccup combo, and it was
just looking around to see if anyone had noticed. Never
in a million years would Boss have guessed that he'd
become best friends with the ball and never in a
(14:15):
million years with the ball. I guessed it would be
the reason why a kid got called up to the
big leagues. How would you like to play pro soccer,
young man? A coach had asked one day, pro soccer
like with the grown ups that you see on TV.
But I'm only a kid. There were very strict rules
forbidding kids from playing in professional leagues. You're not just
(14:39):
some kid. You're a prodigy, a prodigy that people want
to see play. People will pay good money for a
ticket to watch a kid make grown up soccer players
look like fools. The league has agreed to make an
exception just for you. So what do you say? What
was there to say? Boss had been dreaming about becoming
a professional soccer player. He was in cloud soccer. Some
(15:02):
people grow up and become teachers, others become doctors. Boss
decided those people were weird. Getting paid to play soccer
made way more since. He did have one question, though,
do pro soccer players still go out for ice cream
after every game? Of all the questions the coach had
been prepared to answer, this had not been one of them.
(15:23):
Ice cream after parties. Uh no, I don't believe they
do anything of that sort. But we'll be paying you
so much money you can just buy the entire ice
cream truck. So Boss agreed to play professional soccer, because
that's just what prodigies do. But he only agreed under
one condition. If he played, he'd get to pick the
(15:44):
game ball. Well would you look at that, folks, For
the first time in history, we have a kid making
his way onto the field here at a sold out
Stubbley Stadium. The crowd is so noisy, I can hardly
hear myself, think Boss, imagine, and he probably looked a
little funny standing next to men who were twice his size.
Not only was there a significant height difference, but no
(16:07):
one had thought to order him a jersey in a
kid size. Guys, I think my shirt might be a
little too big. Kind of feels like I'm wearing a dress.
But as nervous as Boss felt, he knew he had
a job to do and he was going to stop
at nothing to get it done. Not even a screaming
mother from the stands could distract him.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Now that's my boy, right there, my prodigy boy. That
right there is my professional prodigy boy.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
The game started out great, better than Boss had expected.
These grown ups were good, but he had the best
secret weapon around, an old brown leather ball. Look at that, folks,
Young Boss just made an incredible pass. How did he
know that other guy was about to be open? Boss
scored the only goal in the entire first half of
(16:58):
the game, But while he himself felt great and was
playing the best he'd ever played, things did not seem
to be going quite so well for the ball. Every
time someone made a pass or took a shot, Boss
would hear something like, oh ah, hey, watch now, whoa nelly?
(17:19):
That was a hard one. Is everything okay? Boss asked?
At the halftime break. Some of his teammates glanced over,
wondering whether the new kid was talking to a ball.
Oh boy, these prodigy kids sure are different, aren't they.
When I was a kid, we didn't take the game
so seriously. We were just in it for the ice cream.
Now you've got kids trying to become best friends with
(17:40):
the ball. It took the ball a while before it
could speak, and when it finally did, it sounded like
it had been through the ringer. Boss? Is that you? Boss?
Is the game over? Man. Boss explained that there was
still another forty five minutes to go. What's going on, ball?
He sounded awful. Boss. I'm not sure if you've noticed this,
(18:05):
but I'm kind of old. I'm also not sure if
you notice, but professional soccer players kicked really hard. Why
they got a kick so hard? Man? I missed the
way those pee wee kids kicked. Boss remembered what the
old man had told him when he had given Boss
the ball. The ball had long since played its last game.
Boss had promised to take care of it and be gentle,
(18:27):
and here he was bringing the ball to a professional game,
punishing it with the hardest kicking players the ball had
ever encountered. Oh, this is all my fault. I should
never have let you play. Boss hollered over to the
referee and told him to get another game ball ready
for the second half. What are you doing, Douglas, don't
(18:47):
pull me out of the game. I'm still good. My
stitching is starting to unravel, but I'm still good. I
may have been a little confused when he accidentally just
called you, Douglas, but I'm still good. Boss assured the
ball that everything was gonna be okay. He could handle
things on his own. Now. The ball had already taught
him so much. That was the ball's turned to rest
(19:09):
and his time to shine well. The second half the
game soon got underway, and shine that little prodigy did not.
No sunglasses required to watch that kid play. The ball
kept trying to yell instruction from the sideline, but it
was difficult for Boss to hear. Huh, what what did
you say? Kick it to whom? Oh? No, look at that, folks,
(19:35):
The young prodigy just passed to someone on the other team.
And why does it seem like he's talking to a
ball sitting next to a bench? Is that what happens
when kids have too many cookies. Boss's teammates were getting
frustrated too, kid, who are you trying to talk to?
Focus on the game. But Boss couldn't focus on the game,
(19:55):
not while his friend was hurt. He abruptly ran off
the field and over to the ball coach. Thanks for
putting me in, but I have to go. Maybe i'll
see you again in ten years when I'm ready, but
now is not the time for me. You might think
this league is the best one to play in, but
you'd be mistaken. The people watching from the stands were
confused as to why Boss was walking out of the
(20:17):
stadium before the game had even finished. He's still a prodigy,
that sweet little boy of mine, called out Boss's mother
from the stands. Pro soccer was probably too easy for him.
He's just getting bored out there. Okay, it may not
have been bored him, but Boss knew exactly where he
and his ball belonged. Well, my friend, let's say we
(20:39):
get you home so I can fix your stitching. Then
we can go somewhere where both of us can have
a little fun, a little place I like to call
the park. Nothing better than soccer with friends. And this
time you don't have to say anything at all. The
old tired soccer ball was more than okay with that,
just as long as Boss remembered to bring it along
for ice cream after the game. The end. That's the story,
(21:08):
And here is your question of the week. What's a
sport or activity you wouldn't mind having a little bit
of extra help with Anyway, that's all for today's episode.
We'll catch you on the next one.
Hellol story Time really not a glory time rabus standing.
You'll be fine. Follow the whole storyline. Hellol story Time,
Might you love?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Released one time? Well Time, Welcome back to the show.
This is Lowell Storytime, and today I'll be telling you
a story called The Prodigy. That's one features a character
named after Boss who listens to the show with his
cat Pepper. But before we jump in a quick shadow
to the following listeners. Gemma, Noah and Theo from Rio Rancho,
(00:33):
New Mexico, Lucian and Live from Costa Rica, Sadie Knight
from Wheaton, Illinois, Winsday and Florence and Lady Honey Waffles
their big chunky cat from Kitchener, Ontario. Charlotte Miles from
Saint Louis, Josephine Cora and their dog brother Rizzo from Madison, Wisconsin,
(00:53):
Franklinonetta Brown from New Orleans, When and her dog Maple
from Barry, Ontario, and Desmond and Joey from Clarence, New York.
More shouts to come next time, But for now, let's
get into the story. This is the story of a
(01:17):
young prodigy, a boy with exceptional talent for the sport
of soccer, which, depending on where you live, might be
called football. But either way, we're talking about the game
where you kick a ball into the back of a net,
no hands allowed. You've probably seen it, you've probably played it.
And even if the closest you've come has been kicking
your brother's favorite stuffy across the room, well, you're practically
(01:40):
still a soccer player. To me. Boss was one of
those kids who learned to play before he could walk.
His parents encouraged it. Get after it, Boss, get that ball,
Do whatever you gotta do, Crawl, roll a butt, shuffle,
whatever it takes. And when Boss eventually did butt shuffle
his way across the soccer field, it was kind of
(02:01):
a big deal. Did you see that?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Did you see my baby just but shuffle across the
field to get the ball?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Oh? My baby boy is going to be a star someday.
But when Boss was old enough to play little kid soccer,
there was no way of knowing if he was any
better or worse than the kids standing next to him.
Little kid soccer should really be called cloud soccer, just
a big, giggling clump of kids orbiting around a soccer
ball that nobody can actually see. The cloud moves, but
(02:28):
the ball never comes out until a frustrated young kid
decides to pick it up with their hands, run over
to their parents and scream, it's my ball. Mine Everyone,
stay away. Boss's parents came to every single one of
his games and were always such proud supporters. Wait to
be a part of the cloud today, Boss, you were
just so nicely clumped together, just a cozy looking bunch
(02:51):
of kids. Eventually, Boss outgrew little kid soccer and started
playing medium kids soccer. In me soccer players figured out
that it was better to space themselves out, play different
positions and try out a crazy little thing called passing
the ball. But even then, Boss hadn't shown any signs
of hidden talent. He was never the best player on
(03:13):
the field, nor was he the worst. He was just
out there having a good old time and enjoying soccer
with some friends. His parents, on the other hand, refused
to let go of as butt shuffling soccer star days.
They were sure he had something special deep down inside
of him. He just needed a little nudge, or a
really really big nudge to let it out. Mom, Dad,
(03:35):
I'm handing over to the park to meet out with
some friends. Is that cool. Normally such a request would
have been totally cool, But this time Boss's parents came
at him like a couple of police detectives. The park
a with friends. Huh, are you and your friends planning
on playing soccer while at the park. Boss had no
idea what his friends were planning to do at the park.
(03:57):
I don't know, maybe, he answered, well, who are these
friends you're going with? Boss? Boss listed some names. Jack
will be there, Carolyn, Metsi drew. Boss's dad furrowed his brow.
Are any of those kids exceptional soccer players who can
(04:17):
help elevate your game and take your skills to the
next level. Boss stood there, eyeing the front door, wondering
if he should just make a run for it, like,
I don't know, Dad, they're all fine at soccer, I guess,
well except for Metsi. He's the one who usually just
sits on the field picking clovers. Boss's parents allowed him
to go this time, but he knew this was going
(04:39):
to be the start of something bad. Within a few
short weeks, Boss's calendar had completely filled up. No longer
was there any time for swimming lessons or free time
at the park. Every available hour was spent on soccer,
extra practice, one on one coaching fitness drills. They even
made him sit with a wise old man for an
hour every week who just made him repeat the line
(05:02):
I believe in myself over and over, until eventually Boss
forgot what it was he was even supposed to be
believing in. The Only nice thing was that the wise
old man gave him a gift at the end of
their final session. He was an antique soccer ball, a
ball that looked older than the old man himself. It
kind of looked like a soccer ball, except it was
(05:22):
brown and made of leather. It looked like it had
been kicked around since the dinosaur days. It was my
lucky ball when I was a kid. They don't make
him like this anymore. But I'm afraid this ball has
already played its last game. As you can see, it's
pretty old, So please be gentle with it. Perhaps it
(05:45):
will bring you a bit of luck. Bost didn't believe
in such things as a soccer ball bringing good luck.
He once got kicked in the crotch during a game
of soccer, even though he'd been wearing his lucky underwear
that day. After that had happened, he decided to throw
those unlucky andies away. When the first game of the
new season ruled around, Boss was feeling a lot of pressure.
(06:06):
His parents had spent a lot of time and money
in all of this extra soccer training. As the game
got underway, Boss began to question if all of that
extra work had been worth it. He was still better
than the kid who only picked clovers, but he definitely
wasn't the best player on the field, hardly what anyone
would call a prodigy. When it was time for a
break at halftime, one of the referees noticed a strange
(06:28):
looking ball in Boss's soccer bag. Hey, kid, is this yours?
I've never seen a ball like this before in real life.
They sure don't make him like this anymore. Boss nodded
his head, but the referee barely paid him any attention.
He was too busy marveling at the ball. Then, as
if forgetting Boss was even there, the ref walked off
with it and brought it onto the field just as
(06:50):
the second half of the game was about to resume. Wait,
what are you doing? I don't think that ball is
really meant to be played with anymore. There were a
lot of confused players wondering why they were now kicking
an old brown leather ball across the field. The ref, however,
thought it was the coolest thing ever. Boss figured the
ref must have developed a soft spot for him, because
(07:11):
now the ref was giving him some really good tips.
Passed a player thirty two, He's wide open. Another time,
he told Boss to fake right and then cut left.
It worked perfectly as he easily broke away from a
defending player. On his next shot, it was an easy goal.
The referee had told him exactly where to aim, left
side of the goalkeeper. Boss finished the game with five goals,
(07:35):
a league record for goal scored in just one half.
His parents, of course, were very excited.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Oh that's my boy. Did everyone see that? My boy
is a prodigy, A prodigy, I tell you.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Boss was waiting for the other team to start complaining
about how unfair it was that the referee had been
helping him, but no one said anything about it. It
was as if they hadn't actually noticed. But how could
that so? After the game, Boss was gently placing the
ball back into his soccer bag when he heard the
referee congratulate him on a good game. But when he
looked up the referee was nowhere to be seen. Did
(08:13):
anyone else hear that? His teammates looked around, confused, here
what Boss did? Someone fart? Boss didn't know what was happening.
Was he just hearing things? Now? Is this what happens
when you practice too much soccer? Perhaps it was all
the cookies he'd eaten sometimes sugar made him get a
little bit weird. At his next game, it was the
(08:36):
same story all over again. Referee asks to use Boss's ball.
Referee decides he likes Boss. Referee starts helping Boss. Boss
finishes the game with nine goals. It was such a
delight for his parents watching from the stands, Oh, my
little prodigy is such a prodigy. Feeling guilty about using
the old, worn out soccer ball when he knew it
(08:57):
was too fragile, Boss decided to even at home. But
in the next game he played terribly, not even managing
a single decent pass. Twice he whipped completely missing the
ball and landing flat on his butt. He did score
one goal, unfortunately it was on his own team's net.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
My little prodigy must be sick. It's the only logical explanation.
Someone please check his temperature. He must have a fever.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Boss wasn't sick. He just had a bad game. He'd
had plenty of those before. This was totally normal. Still,
his parents weren't convinced. They sent him straight to bed.
No postgame ice cream with the team, and ice cream
was always the best part. You do the thing and
then you get ice cream. Why play soccer if not
for the ice cream that follows. But while getting ready
(09:48):
for bed, Boss heard it again, the referee's voice. Come on, man,
why didn't you bring me to the game today? Do
I embarrass you? Is it because I'm old? I can
be cool? You know, real cool? Do kids still use
the word cool? Or is it uncool to stay cool?
Boss looked around his room, but no one was there. Hello,
(10:12):
is someone there? He heard the voice again? Oh what
are you just pretending you don't see me? Now? Come on,
I help you score nine goals the other day, and
this is how you treat me. I may be a ball,
but I still have feelings too. You know this was
so weird. Boss looked down at the old brown leather
soccer ball in his bedroom floor. Ball that was you?
(10:36):
But how is this possible? Boss picked up the ball
and studied it a little closer. He didn't see a
Belton speaker or anything of that sort. It's possible because
I've been around for a long time. I've seen it all.
I know everything there is to know about soccer. Figured
I could give you some pointers. But how are you
(10:56):
even talking right now? Boss demanded soccer balls could shrug
this one probably would have done so. I don't know, kid,
I just use my words. How do you talk? Is
it not weird just having words come out of a
hole in your face? Boss didn't know what to do.
Maybe he did have a fever. I could write stuff
(11:18):
down for you if you'd rather offered the ball, that is,
if the whole talking ball thing is too weird for you.
But just so you know, if I do that, I'll
have to somehow pass you notes during the game, and
you'll have to stop and read them, and then by
the time you figure out what you're supposed to do,
the other team will probably have scored Somehow. The ball
was aware that Boss was leaving the room. Hey kid,
(11:41):
wait where are you going? Boss was on his way
to the kitchen to find some cookies. Listen, Ball, I
haven't had a cookie in over a week. If it's
not the sugar making my head off fuzzy. Then I'm
gonna go ahead and have myself a cookie. If you
had a soccer ball talking to you, you'd be wanting
to stuff your face with cookies. What else are you
supposed to do when this happens. Boss woke up in
(12:05):
the morning, expecting it to have all been a strange dream.
But as he opened his eyes, he heard the voice again. Yo, Boss,
I went ahead and ruled myself over and into your
soccer bag, so you wouldn't forget me this time. Big game, tonight,
time show everyone that you are the prodigy. Well, that night,
Boss showed everyone exactly that. He proved it during that game,
(12:28):
and the next game and the game after that. Pretty
soon Boss was forced to change leagues. Boss, you are
clearly a very talented and skillful player. We'd like to
move you to a higher division. I know you'll miss
your friends, but you're basically running circles around them while
the other half of your team sits around picking clovers.
(12:49):
We think you're ready for something a little more challenging.
Boss only played one game at the next level. The
coaches had already started talking about moving him to an
even higher level. Soon he was playing in a league
with teenagers, But even the teenagers were no match for
what Boss could do. They may have been bigger, but
Boss was an absolute boss, and all the while, no
(13:11):
one had any idea how Boss just always seemed to
know how to make the perfect play in almost every situation.
Hey ball, why is it that no one else can
hear you talking? Boss asked one day. The ball scoffed
at such a question, because I'm not talking to them,
I'm talking to you, silly, don't you know how talking works.
(13:33):
I know how listening in on other people's conversations works,
answered Boss. But however, the whole talking ball thing worked.
It was working out very well. His coach was happy,
his team was happy, and best of all, his parents
were happy. Boss even enjoyed having someone to talk to
about soccer while laying in bed at night. Hey ball,
(13:54):
why didn't you tell me not to pass to number
thirty nine? Today? He was wide open? He was open.
He wasn't very focused. He had just let out in
an embarrassingly weird sneeze cough hiccup combo, and it was
just looking around to see if anyone had noticed. Never
in a million years would Boss have guessed that he'd
become best friends with the ball and never in a
(14:15):
million years with the ball. I guessed it would be
the reason why a kid got called up to the
big leagues. How would you like to play pro soccer,
young man? A coach had asked one day, pro soccer
like with the grown ups that you see on TV.
But I'm only a kid. There were very strict rules
forbidding kids from playing in professional leagues. You're not just
(14:39):
some kid. You're a prodigy, a prodigy that people want
to see play. People will pay good money for a
ticket to watch a kid make grown up soccer players
look like fools. The league has agreed to make an
exception just for you. So what do you say? What
was there to say? Boss had been dreaming about becoming
a professional soccer player. He was in cloud soccer. Some
(15:02):
people grow up and become teachers, others become doctors. Boss
decided those people were weird. Getting paid to play soccer
made way more since. He did have one question, though,
do pro soccer players still go out for ice cream
after every game? Of all the questions the coach had
been prepared to answer, this had not been one of them.
(15:23):
Ice cream after parties. Uh no, I don't believe they
do anything of that sort. But we'll be paying you
so much money you can just buy the entire ice
cream truck. So Boss agreed to play professional soccer, because
that's just what prodigies do. But he only agreed under
one condition. If he played, he'd get to pick the
(15:44):
game ball. Well would you look at that, folks, For
the first time in history, we have a kid making
his way onto the field here at a sold out
Stubbley Stadium. The crowd is so noisy, I can hardly
hear myself, think Boss, imagine, and he probably looked a
little funny standing next to men who were twice his size.
Not only was there a significant height difference, but no
(16:07):
one had thought to order him a jersey in a
kid size. Guys, I think my shirt might be a
little too big. Kind of feels like I'm wearing a dress.
But as nervous as Boss felt, he knew he had
a job to do and he was going to stop
at nothing to get it done. Not even a screaming
mother from the stands could distract him.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Now that's my boy, right there, my prodigy boy. That
right there is my professional prodigy boy.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
The game started out great, better than Boss had expected.
These grown ups were good, but he had the best
secret weapon around, an old brown leather ball. Look at that, folks,
Young Boss just made an incredible pass. How did he
know that other guy was about to be open? Boss
scored the only goal in the entire first half of
(16:58):
the game, But while he himself felt great and was
playing the best he'd ever played, things did not seem
to be going quite so well for the ball. Every
time someone made a pass or took a shot, Boss
would hear something like, oh ah, hey, watch now, whoa nelly?
(17:19):
That was a hard one. Is everything okay? Boss asked?
At the halftime break. Some of his teammates glanced over,
wondering whether the new kid was talking to a ball.
Oh boy, these prodigy kids sure are different, aren't they.
When I was a kid, we didn't take the game
so seriously. We were just in it for the ice cream.
Now you've got kids trying to become best friends with
(17:40):
the ball. It took the ball a while before it
could speak, and when it finally did, it sounded like
it had been through the ringer. Boss? Is that you? Boss?
Is the game over? Man. Boss explained that there was
still another forty five minutes to go. What's going on, ball?
He sounded awful. Boss. I'm not sure if you've noticed this,
(18:05):
but I'm kind of old. I'm also not sure if
you notice, but professional soccer players kicked really hard. Why
they got a kick so hard? Man? I missed the
way those pee wee kids kicked. Boss remembered what the
old man had told him when he had given Boss
the ball. The ball had long since played its last game.
Boss had promised to take care of it and be gentle,
(18:27):
and here he was bringing the ball to a professional game,
punishing it with the hardest kicking players the ball had
ever encountered. Oh, this is all my fault. I should
never have let you play. Boss hollered over to the
referee and told him to get another game ball ready
for the second half. What are you doing, Douglas, don't
(18:47):
pull me out of the game. I'm still good. My
stitching is starting to unravel, but I'm still good. I
may have been a little confused when he accidentally just
called you, Douglas, but I'm still good. Boss assured the
ball that everything was gonna be okay. He could handle
things on his own. Now. The ball had already taught
him so much. That was the ball's turned to rest
(19:09):
and his time to shine well. The second half the
game soon got underway, and shine that little prodigy did not.
No sunglasses required to watch that kid play. The ball
kept trying to yell instruction from the sideline, but it
was difficult for Boss to hear. Huh, what what did
you say? Kick it to whom? Oh? No, look at that, folks,
(19:35):
The young prodigy just passed to someone on the other team.
And why does it seem like he's talking to a
ball sitting next to a bench? Is that what happens
when kids have too many cookies. Boss's teammates were getting
frustrated too, kid, who are you trying to talk to?
Focus on the game. But Boss couldn't focus on the game,
(19:55):
not while his friend was hurt. He abruptly ran off
the field and over to the ball coach. Thanks for
putting me in, but I have to go. Maybe i'll
see you again in ten years when I'm ready, but
now is not the time for me. You might think
this league is the best one to play in, but
you'd be mistaken. The people watching from the stands were
confused as to why Boss was walking out of the
(20:17):
stadium before the game had even finished. He's still a prodigy,
that sweet little boy of mine, called out Boss's mother
from the stands. Pro soccer was probably too easy for him.
He's just getting bored out there. Okay, it may not
have been bored him, but Boss knew exactly where he
and his ball belonged. Well, my friend, let's say we
(20:39):
get you home so I can fix your stitching. Then
we can go somewhere where both of us can have
a little fun, a little place I like to call
the park. Nothing better than soccer with friends. And this
time you don't have to say anything at all. The
old tired soccer ball was more than okay with that,
just as long as Boss remembered to bring it along
for ice cream after the game. The end. That's the story,
(21:08):
And here is your question of the week. What's a
sport or activity you wouldn't mind having a little bit
of extra help with Anyway, that's all for today's episode.
We'll catch you on the next one.
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