Tryouts Kayla tried to ignore her sore throat and stuffy nose. She was trying out for the soccer team, and Coach Markham would pick only the twenty best players. Kayla sipped from her water bottle while she waited to do practice drills. She sneezed, and then Coach Markham signaled her to start. First, Kayla had to run across the field as fast as she could. She took off, but her stuffy nose made it hard to breathe. When she reached the end of the field, she felt dizzy and her head was swimming a little. She hoped the coach hadn't noticed. Next, she and another girl had to compete for control of the soccer ball. The other girl quickly stole the ball from Kayla. Kayla was surprised. She was usually good at this. For the first time, she worried that she might not make the team. Kayla struggled through the other drills, too. At the end of the tryout, she felt terrible and left as soon as she could. A few days later, Kayla had recovered from her cold. She was still worried about her performance at the tryout, but maybe it wasn't too late to do something about it. Kayla went to see Coach Markham. She explained that she hadn't done her best because of her cold. Coach Markham listened patiently and agreed to let Kayla join the team for the first practice. That was all Kayla wanted. She knew she would be a valuable member of the team. She just needed a chance to prove it. Which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story?

a. Sometimes it pays to ask someone for a second chance.
b. Nothing is easy when you are sick
c. Never give up
d. No one likes to hear excuses