Hayley's Ribbon

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Written by Sarah Griffiths with Hayley Raso

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R s ’ y i b e l b y o a

Illustrated by Lisa Williams

Written by Sarah Griffiths with Hayley Raso Illustrated by Lisa Williams This project is supported by Football Australia Limited

Hayley lived by the sea, She would visit every day.

She loved to be outside, To laugh, have fun and play.

The fresh sea air and sunshine, Hayley felt upon her skin.

She took a deep breath, And let the goodness in.

The Gold Coast was her home, A beautiful place to be.

Mum, Dad, Jordan and Lachlan, She lived with her family.

Lately, Hayley had experienced, Some real ups and downs.

Her family had decided, To move to another town.

Hayley arrived home from school, She felt feelings of despair.

“What’s wrong?” Asked Hayley’s mum, “Life’s hard and isn’t fair.”

Hayley had moved to a new school, She really missed her friends.

“Don’t worry Hayley, darling, You can see them on weekends.”

“It’s not the same anymore, Nobody likes me here!”

And as Hayley said these words, She was overcome with fear.

Hayley’s mum held out her arms, “Think about what you say.

It really will have an effect, And completely change your day.”

“Saying no one likes me, Or this is just too hard.

You’re giving up so easily, Hayley put down your guard.”

“Instead of nobody likes me, Change to, ‘I’m the best that I can be.’

Say it out loud, It will change, who you begin to see.”

Hayley held her mum so tight, And she began to cry.

“Thank you, mum, for helping me, I know that I must try.”

Millie the cat, jumped onto her lap, Hayley stroked her little head.

She snuggled up next to her, As it was time to go to bed.

The next day at football, There were trials for the local team.

Hayley felt such shyness, The feelings were extreme!

Hayley was a natural footballer, Her ability was so strong.

Her determination was a strength, It was her focus that was wrong.

There were coaches and sportspeople, With clipboards in their hands.

Shouting to the children, Making such demands.

Football gave Hayley freedom, When she could relax and play.

She felt her shyness hold her back, And wished it would go away.

Hayley started to tremble, Her vision began to blur.

Her mouth went dry, her cheeks went red, As the coaches were watching her.

Hayley ran into her opponent, They both fell onto the floor.

Hayley looked down at her knee, It was grazed and very sore.

“I can’t do this!” She shouted.

Then heard her mother’s voice.

“Words have great power, It really is your choice.”

Hayley picked herself up, To focus was so hard.

The referee held up, The dreaded RED card!

Hayley had been sent off, Would she make the team?

She was about to find out, Football was her dream!

The coaches picked the final players, Hayley had been chosen!

Football brought her so much joy, But her shyness made her frozen.

Hayley walked along the beach that evening, A quiet walk with Nan. Spending time together, She was Hayley’s biggest fan!

“I am in the local football team, But I feel scared and very shy.”

As Hayley said these words, She began to cry.

They walked along with Chloe her dog, Nan stood right beside Hayley.

“My biggest wish for you, Is that you see what I can see.”

“Life is about what brings you joy, I have something just for you.

Wear this ribbon tomorrow, Just watch what it can do!”

Nan reached into her pocket, She pulled out a special ribbon.

“Wear this in your hair, It will release what has been hidden.”

“When you hold it in your hand, Just you wait and see.

Hayley this is a gift, That will make you feel so free.”

Hayley held the ribbon, It sparkled in her hand.

It blew around in the breeze, And she began to understand.

In the fading sunlight, Its colour changed from green to gold.

The power of the ribbon, Started to unfold.

The ribbon danced in the air, Then it began to glow.

Moving magically in Hayley’s hair, It tied itself into a bow.

Suddenly Hayley’s worries, Began to disappear.

She felt excitement in its place, Courage replaced fear.

Hayley realised, she was responsible, It was clear for her to see.

To step into her true self, To be the best that she could be!

Hayley felt such strength, It was moving from within.

She looked up at her Nan, And she began to grin.

“You have a responsibility, It is up to you.

Go out there and be the best, In everything you do.”

Hayley now was shining, Ignited was her gift.

Ready to share with others, She had the power to uplift.

The big day had arrived.

Hayley stood on the football field.

She tied the ribbon in her hair, She felt her shyness had been healed.

Hayley’s friend stood beside her, Kirra was her name.

The girls smiled, as the whistle blew, Life would never be the same.

Hayley’s ribbon shimmered with light, It had restored her self-esteem.

She saw the love within herself, And the others on her team.

It expanded all around her, Love was everywhere, Hayley was enlightened, Awakened and aware.

Mum, Dad and her brothers waved, And as Hayley caught their eye, She kicked the ball into the air, Right up into the sky.

The magic of the ribbon, Had connected the whole team.

Hayley scored the winning goal, The ribbon sparkled gold and gleamed.

When we find our joy, It is time to thrive.

By coming from this place, We will touch so many lives.

Be like Hayley, follow your dreams, This inspires others to do the same.

Hayley found her answer, In the football game!

Time to Talk and Listen After reading ‘Hayley’s Ribbon,’ share your thoughts with your child about the story.

Ask your child about Hayley’s character; how would they describe her? What was your child’s favourite part and why?

Self-esteem – This is how we feel about ourselves and how we see ourselves in the world.

When we have high self-esteem, we have the ability to believe we can do something and make it happen. Self-esteem is essential for developing happiness, rich relationships and a fulfilled life.

Take time to ask your child about how their day went and share with your child how important it is to find the positives in each day. Even when things don’t go the way we want them to, talk about how we can learn from every experience.

Hayley was given a ribbon by her nan in the story. Do you have something that you can wear that will help you believe in yourself like Hayley? A badge, a wristband, or a ribbon.

Positive self-talk – It is important to create strong and positive beliefs about ourselves. By developing a positive mental attitude, this will help you to create resilience and self-assurance. With daily practice you will develop self-confidence and self-esteem and these affect every area of your life.

In the story Hayley’s mum used positive ‘I am’ statements to help Hayley gain a positive focus.

Talk with your child about some of the things we say that can become negative habits. “I can’t do that.” “I am no good at that.” Share how we can change our focus so that we have a positive perspective. Instead, we can say: “I am trying my best.”

Being active – To live a healthy and balanced life we need to take time to exercise doing activities that we enjoy.

Hayley loves football in the story and this makes her happy. Talk with your child about physical activities they enjoy. Take time to plan for a fun activity together this week. What will you choose?

Running, walking, swimming, skipping, cycling, or another activity?

Positive Relationships – Our relationships with family and friends are important to build our self-esteem. Appreciating the special people in our lives and building strong relationships from a young age is key to good emotional health and well-being.

In the story Hayley has a close bond with her mother and her nan. They support Hayley to see the good within herself and support her through challenging times. Talk to your child about the strong role models they have in their lives. What makes this person special? What does this person do that helps you? How do you feel when you spend time with this person?

About Hayley Raso Hayley grew up on the sunny Gold Coast in Australia with her Mum, Dad and two older brothers Jordan and Lachlan. Her love for football began at a young age kicking the ball around with her brothers.

Playing football for her local club team, Hayley honed her skills and went on to sign her first professional contract at just 17 years old and joined the Australian National team a year later. Her strong right foot has since been kicking goals all around Australia and the rest of the world!

Hayley was flying high until she accidentally flew into another player and broke her back. It was a long recovery and she even had to learn to walk again. She got so much support from her family, particularly her Mum who sat by her side and her brother Lachlan who had undergone open-heart surgery years earlier. He was stronger than ever and his strength made her determined to be strong despite the injury.

Hayley fully recovered and got back on the pitch chasing her football dream. Wherever she is in the world, whether wearing green and gold for the Australian Matildas or pale blue for Manchester City, she always has her family with her through the ribbons she wears in her hair. @HayleyRaso

About Sarah Griffiths

@hayleyraso

About Lisa Williams

Sarah is a children’s author and is deeply passionate about empowering children with selfesteem and confidence in their abilities. Through her stories, Sarah’s mission is to celebrate children’s uniqueness, uncover their dreams, their passions and embrace their strengths.

Lisa Williams decided to be an illustrator whilst she was still in primary school. She has been illustrating children’s books, magazines and educational material for nearly 25 years.

Sarah’s collaboration with Women’s Super League Star, Hayley, enables young children to learn about Hayley’s early sporting life and demonstrates how they too can overcome the challenges they are faced with. Sarah’s stories connect with children at an emotional level, building resilience and self-belief; leading them to see the positive aspects within themselves.

Lisa is a talented illustrator and works with a variety of authors. She has an array of styles to match the diversity of the authors she works with.

@SarahGriffithsAuthor @SarahGriffithsA

For more information: @lisawilliamsillustration

Hayley is an ambassador for HeartKids in Australia, the only dedicated charity organisation that supports the lifetime journey of the 65,000+ Australians affected by congenital heart disease (CHD).

This charity is very close to Hayley’s heart as her brother Lachlan suffers from CHD and so she will be contributing 50% of the sales of Hayley’s Ribbon to HeartKids, as they continue to help all those impacted by CHD.

Hayley's Ribbon

By Sarah Griffiths With Hayley Raso Illustrated by Lisa Williams ISBN: 978-1-9999758-6-9 First published in 2021 Copyright Sarah Griffiths © 2021 All rights reserved.

The rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted in accordance with Sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

No part of this book or its illustrations may be reproduced (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988.

An empowering story about the early life of Australian Women’s Football star, Hayley Raso.

At a young age Hayley faced some difficult challenges. The story shares how those closest to us can guide us to see the positives within ourselves.

Hayley’s determination, resilience and strength shine through the story. As Hayley follows her dreams, she invites a generation of children to do the same.