Gonzalo raced into the basketball club. Across the practice gym, his sister dribbled toward the hoop.
Swish! Her shot dropped through the hoop. Gonzalo grabbed a ball and stepped onto the court.
Gonzalo bounced the ball once. It bumped his shoe, rolled away, and knocked over the cones. Clatter!
“I’ll keep practicing,” Gonzalo whispered. Then he chased the runaway ball past the fallen cones.
Gonzalo tried again with the club players nearby. The ball went too far, then too short.
Boing! The ball bounced off the backboard and landed in Gonzalo’s arms. He held it close and tried once more.
Gonzalo dribbled past the cones and shot. His sister clapped from the sideline.
The ball circled the rim, popped up, and dropped through. Swish! Gonzalo threw both hands in the air.
At the next practice, Gonzalo bounced the ball beside his teammates. Sneakers squeaked, balls thumped, and the game began.
Gonzalo lined up for another shot. He watched the hoop, bounced once, and stepped forward.