"Get down here right this minute Roy!" screamed my mum. What a beautiful way to start a Saturday morning! I crawled out of bed lazily and started making my way downstairs. What could be the cause of her anger now? Had the report card arrived? I wondered. The moment I stepped into the living room, the answer was clear. My mum stood facing me, with a small, brown book in one hand and a half-torn …showed first 75 words of 2681 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2681 total…received a letter from the Sports Authorities. One of their people had seen me playing from sometime and wanted me to represent the country at the Under-17 level. What a fabulous birthday present. I could not have wished for a better one. As for my parents, they were happy for me. I had finally proven myself and am now accepted for who I really am - Roy, a below-average student who's in love with soccer.