Leo's Great Big Sport Search

Once upon a time, in a house with a very big backyard, lived a little boy named Leo. Leo had wiggly toes, jumpy knees, and a heart that loved to move. "I want to find my favorite sport!" Leo told his mom one sunny morning.

First, Leo tried soccer. He wore a bright green jersey and shiny black cleats. He ran across the grass, ready to kick the ball into the net. But then, a yellow butterfly fluttered past his nose. Leo forgot all about the ball and chased the butterfly through the daisies instead. "Soccer is fun," Leo giggled, "but I think my feet want to do something else."

Next, Leo tried basketball. He stood on the court with a big, bumpy orange ball. Boing, boing, boing! went the ball. Leo tried to throw it up into the hoop, but the hoop was very high, and Leo was still quite small. Instead of shooting, Leo started to bounce the ball in a rhythm, like a drum. Thump-thump, thump-thump! "Basketball is bouncy," Leo said with a smile, "but I think my hands want to do something else."

Then, Leo went to the pool for a swimming lesson. He wore blue goggles that made him look like a little frog. He splashed and he kicked, but he didn't like staying in the straight swimming lanes. He wanted to spin, twirl, and splash in big circles! "Swimming is cool," Leo whispered, "but I'm not sure this is my favorite yet."

Finally, Leo’s mom took him to a big, bright room filled with soft blue mats. It was a gymnastics class. Leo saw children rolling like logs, jumping like frogs, and balancing on low beams. He took a deep breath, tucked his chin, and tried a somersault. Tumble, tumble, wheee! Then he tried a big star jump, stretching his arms and legs out wide. Boing!

Leo’s face lit up with a giant, toothy smile. He could roll, he could jump, and he could move his whole body all at once. It felt just right. "This is it!" Leo cheered, doing another happy roll on the mat. "Gymnastics is my perfect sport!"

That night, Leo fell asleep with his wiggly toes tucked under his cozy blanket, dreaming of all the tumbles and jumps he would do tomorrow.