42 pages ā€¢ 1 hour read

W.C. Mack

Athlete Vs. Mathlete

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2013

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Generate discussion
questions about this title!

Try our Discussion Questions Tool

Important Quotes

Quotation Mark Icon

ā€œā€˜Youā€™re the tallest kid at this school, and youā€™d be perfect at center.ā€™

Center? Paul played center!

ā€˜But Iā€™m on the honor roll,ā€™ Russell said.

ā€˜And athletes canā€™t be good students?ā€™ Coach asked.

ā€˜No.ā€™ā€


(Chapter 1, Page 7)

This excerpt comes directly after Coach Baxter tells Russell to try out for the basketball team, and it showcases Russell and Owenā€™s closed mindsets at the beginning of the book. When Coach Baxter tells Russell heā€™d be perfect for the center position, Owen silently objects because his friend Paul has always played center, and Owen doesnā€™t want to consider any other way the team could be organized. This moment is a catalyst for Owenā€™s mission to keep his world running smoothly and on the trajectory he wants, even if this mission is ultimately doomed. Russellā€™s response to Coach Baxterā€™s request shows the effect of stereotypes. Russell objects to trying out for the basketball team because he believes athletes are terrible students and that if he becomes an athlete, he will also have to become a terrible student. He also believes his good grades preclude him from getting involved in athletics because heā€™s too smart to stoop to playing sports. Both Russell and Owen have small-minded ideas here, showing how much growth both boys will undergo.