Once upon a time, there was a girl named Maria. She has always wanted to be on the girl's basketball team at her school. 

It was finally try-out day and Maria was so excited. After she woke up and got ready for school, she went downstairs to talk to her mom. 

"I'm so excited for tryouts," Maria stated, "but what if I don't make the team?" 

Her mom replied, "Don't worry, just go out there and have fun."

"Good morning Mom!"

"Good morning Maria!"

When Maria arrived at school she met up with her best friend Lizzy, who was also going out for the basketball team. 

The whole day in every class Maria just kept thinking about try-outs. Finally, the last bell rang and Lizzy came up to Maria in the hallway. 

"I'm so excited," Lizzy told Maria. 

Maria replied, "Are you not nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous?"

"That you won't make the team. I'm nervous for that."

"Im not."

Maria and Lizzy finally made it to the gym for tryouts. Some girls were warming up and looked really good. 

Maria felt uneasy at the sight of how good the girls were. She looked over at Lizzy, and she did not have a look of worry on her face.

"They look really good..."

"I'm not worried."

After tryouts, the coach announced the cuts...

Lizzy made the team! Maria did not. 

Lizzy and Maria were supposed to walk to Lizzy's house after tryouts and hang out, but instead, Maria called her Mom to pick her up. Maria was devastated.

When Maria got in her mom's car, her mom asked "Are you alright?"

"I didn't make the team."

"I'm so sorry."

One night, a few weeks later Maria was getting ready for bed. 

She began to think of ways to play basketball still even though it wouldn't be on the school team. That's when Maria came up with an idea...

She could start a club basketball team!

I'll make my own team with  my friends!

The next day Maria went to school and talked to the principal. "Can I make my own basketball team?" Maria asks. 

The answer was yes! Maria was so excited. She ran to tell her friends.

"Can I make my own basketball team?"

"Yes, with an adult."

"Thank you so much!"

Three days later, Maria had her whole team together and even found a teacher to support it. 

With Maria's team all set in place, they needed to start practicing. 

The season started in a week.

"Thank you for joing my team! This is Coach Smith."

"Hi, I'm Coach Smith! Let's begin practicing."

Maria and her team won and lost games throughout the season, but they made it to the championship game!

Maria was so excited, except she had no idea who it was against. The section won't tell you that, only where it's located. 

She was so nervous that all she did when she went home from practice was sit down and think about the championship game, with her homework in front of her.

What if we lose?

What if I suck.

What if I mess up

Who is it against?

It was the day of the Championship game, and that's when Maria heard the girls on the basketball team she was cut from talking.

She was in shock when she learned she was playing against the team she was cut from. 

She believed she wasn't good enough to be on the team, there was no way she was good enough to beat them.