Samir scores the most goals, while Hashim helps quieter players join in. Before choosing a captain, their football team agrees on what the role actually requires.
01Read the Arabic story
اِخْتِيَارُ قَائِدٍ لِلْفَرِيقِ بِعَدْلٍ
قَبْلَ بِدَايَةِ الْمَوْسِمِ، طَلَبَ الْمُدَرِّبُ مِنْ فَرِيقِ الْحَيِّ أَنْ يَخْتَارَ قَائِدًا جَدِيدًا. قَالَ بَعْضُ اللَّاعِبِينَ إِنَّ سَمِيرًا هُوَ الْأَفْضَلُ لِأَنَّهُ يُسَجِّلُ أَهْدَافًا كَثِيرَةً. وَاقْتَرَحَ آخَرُونَ هَاشِمًا، الَّذِي يُسَاعِدُ اللَّاعِبِينَ الْجُدُدَ. بَدَأَ النِّقَاشُ يَتَحَوَّلُ إِلَى جِدَالٍ، وَصَارَ كُلُّ لَاعِبٍ يَدْعَمُ صَدِيقَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَسْتَمِعَ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ.
أَوْقَفَ الْمُدَرِّبُ الْجِدَالَ وَسَأَلَ: «مَاذَا نَنْتَظِرُ مِنْ قَائِدِ الْفَرِيقِ؟» بَعْدَ تَفْكِيرٍ، اتَّفَقُوا عَلَى ثَلَاثِ صِفَاتٍ: الْحُضُورِ فِي الْمَوْعِدِ، وَالِاسْتِمَاعِ إِلَى الْجَمِيعِ، وَشَرْحِ الْخُطَّةِ بِوُضُوحٍ. كَتَبَ الْمُدَرِّبُ هَذِهِ الصِّفَاتِ عَلَى لَوْحَةٍ. ثُمَّ اقْتَرَحَ أَنْ يَقُودَ كُلُّ مُرَشَّحٍ تَدْرِيبًا وَاحِدًا، قَبْلَ التَّصْوِيتِ فِي نِهَايَةِ الْأُسْبُوعِ.
فِي تَدْرِيبِ سَمِيرٍ، وَصَلَ الْجَمِيعُ فِي الْوَقْتِ الْمُحَدَّدِ. شَرَحَ سَمِيرٌ الْخُطَّةَ بِحَمَاسٍ، لَكِنَّهُ كَانَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِسُرْعَةٍ. لَمْ يَفْهَمْ لَاعِبٌ جَدِيدٌ مَكَانَهُ، فَوَقَفَ بَعِيدًا عَنِ الْكُرَةِ. عِنْدَمَا لَاحَظَ سَمِيرٌ الْمُشْكِلَةَ، أَعَادَ الشَّرْحَ بِبُطْءٍ. تَحَسَّنَ اللَّعِبُ، وَاعْتَرَفَ سَمِيرٌ بَعْدَ التَّدْرِيبِ أَنَّهُ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى وَقْتٍ أَطْوَلَ لِسَمَاعِ الْأَسْئِلَةِ.
أَمَّا هَاشِمٌ فَسَأَلَ اللَّاعِبِينَ قَبْلَ تَدْرِيبِهِ عَنِ الْمَرَاكِزِ الَّتِي يُفَضِّلُونَهَا. وَعِنْدَمَا اخْتَلَفَ اثْنَانِ مِنْهُمْ، أَعْطَى كُلًّا مِنْهُمَا فُرْصَةً لِتَجْرِبَةِ الْمَرْكَزِ نَفْسِهِ. لَمْ يُسَجِّلْ هَاشِمٌ أَهْدَافًا كَثِيرَةً، وَلَكِنَّ اللَّاعِبَ الْجَدِيدَ طَلَبَ الْكُرَةَ وَشَارَكَ بِثِقَةٍ. وَفِي نِهَايَةِ التَّدْرِيبِ، سَأَلَ هَاشِمٌ الْفَرِيقَ عَمَّا يُمْكِنُ تَحْسِينُهُ فِي الْمَرَّةِ الْقَادِمَةِ.
يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، كَتَبَ كُلُّ لَاعِبٍ اِسْمَ مُرَشَّحٍ عَلَى وَرَقَةٍ دُونَ أَنْ يُرِيَهَا لِزَمِيلِهِ. فَازَ هَاشِمٌ بِأَغْلَبِيَّةِ الْأَصْوَاتِ، وَشَعَرَ سَمِيرٌ بِخَيْبَةِ أَمَلٍ. لَكِنَّهُ صَافَحَهُ وَقَالَ: «سَأُسَاعِدُكَ فِي تَدْرِيبِ الْمُهَاجِمِينَ». فِي الْمُبَارَاةِ التَّالِيَةِ، سَجَّلَ سَمِيرٌ هَدَفًا بَعْدَ تَمْرِيرَةٍ مِنَ اللَّاعِبِ الْجَدِيدِ، فَرَكَضَ نَحْوَهُ وَشَكَرَهُ. ابْتَسَمَ هَاشِمٌ وَدَعَا الْفَرِيقَ لِلْعَوْدَةِ إِلَى مَوَاقِعِهِ.
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Before the season began, the coach asked the neighbourhood team to choose a new captain. Some players said that Samir was the best choice because he scored many goals. Others suggested Hashim, who helped new players. The discussion began turning into an argument, and each player started supporting his friend without listening to anyone else.
The coach stopped the argument and asked, “What do we expect from the team captain?” After thinking, they agreed on three qualities: arriving on time, listening to everyone and explaining the plan clearly. The coach wrote these qualities on a board. Then he suggested that each candidate lead one training session before the vote at the end of the week.
At Samir’s session, everyone arrived at the appointed time. Samir explained the plan enthusiastically, but he was speaking quickly. A new player did not understand his position and stood far from the ball. When Samir noticed the problem, he explained again slowly. Play improved, and after training Samir admitted that he needed more time to listen to questions.
Hashim, meanwhile, asked the players before his session which positions they preferred. When two of them disagreed, he gave each a chance to try the same position. Hashim did not score many goals, but the new player asked for the ball and took part confidently. At the end of training, Hashim asked the team what could be improved next time.
On Friday, each player wrote a candidate’s name on a piece of paper without showing it to his teammate. Hashim won the majority of the votes, and Samir felt disappointed. But he shook Hashim’s hand and said, “I will help you train the forwards.” In the next match, Samir scored a goal after a pass from the new player, then ran towards him and thanked him. Hashim smiled and called the team back to their positions.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| قَائِدًا | a captain |
| يَدْعَمُ | supports |
| اتَّفَقُوا عَلَى | they agreed on |
| بِوُضُوحٍ | clearly |
| مُرَشَّحٍ | a candidate |
| التَّصْوِيتِ | voting |
| اعْتَرَفَ | admitted |
| بِثِقَةٍ | confidently |
| بِأَغْلَبِيَّةِ الْأَصْوَاتِ | with the majority of the votes |
| بِخَيْبَةِ أَمَلٍ | disappointed |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story for evidence. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- Compare scoring ability with the three responsibilities the players agree a captain should have.
- Use Samir’s words and actions after the vote to distinguish disappointment from refusing to cooperate.
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