Maggie Magee loved playing sports but had not yet developed
athletic skills.
She had the desire and she had the will.

Sounds of chuckles were heard as Maggie got up to bat.
Maggie was already insecure without the added pressure
of being laughed at.

Disappointed in herself for she was the worst on the team,
Maggie was determined to one day be fit and be lean.

She couldn’t understand why some kids could be so mean.

After the game ended Maggie was quite sad.
It was one of the worst days that Maggie ever had.

Anxious and depressed and not thinking clearly,
Maggie was holding on to her dignity, but only just barely.

Searching the refrigerator in hopes she’d feel better,
munching on bread and cheeses, especially cheddar.

Maggie was not going to allow anything else to upset her.

A few weeks later, Maggie was asked to play in a practice
soccer game.
She said yes, although she was terrified of embarrassing herself
and being ashamed.

Maggie couldn’t run very fast, but wow, could she kick
that soccer ball.
When she tried running fast she would frequently trip and fall.

Maggie was often out of breath and found it difficult to breathe.
She was also having so much fun she didn’t want to leave.

Maggie was frequently teased and made of fun at school.
She was often called fatty and other names that were cruel.

Most of the time Maggie did not wish to respond or counter attack.
Sometimes as much as she tried, she just couldn’t hold back.

She told the bullies to stop picking on her, that if she told on them,
it wouldn’t be worth the trouble they’d get themselves into.

She said, “Is your life so boring that you have nothing better to do.
How would you like it if someone constantly picked on you?”

1. Start