A Football Duo

A Football Duo

Juvenile fiction
Normally, despite my great love for the UMaine Black Bears, I
avoid football fiction like the plague. Often the plots surrounding
the sport are as substantial as watered down KoolAid. Two volumes by
Tim Green, however, were exceptions to this bias of mind. They use
the sport to lure fans into considering some pretty relevant issues.
"Reality hit him, and he jumped up and tab for home.
Somehow, between ragged breaths, he told his mother what had
happened. They got back to his dad before the ambulance and Danny
stood useless, while his mom sat on the roadside with his father's
head in her lap. The paramedics arrived and tried to revive him."
All his life Danny, protagonist of The Big Game, has been told
that he's a chip off the old block. He's growing up in a Texas town
where football rules. His dad, Daniel, a Superbowl champion, is
royalty and he's the heir to the throne...
...until things go tragically wrong. Daniel, believing Danny
needs to get in shape for football season, takes him for an early
morning run. He collapses and dies. Not only is Danny grieving the
loss of his beloved father in a place with very rigid gendered
stereotypes for behavior, but he has two other issues to cope with.
He can't read. His dad has told him not to worry about school
and teachers. He's headed for the big leagues. He's gotten to middle
school basically illiterate because he's such a powerhouse player his
teachers look the other way to keep him in the game. Only now he has
a teacher from away who doesn't know how things work or want to
learn. If he doesn't do well enough academically, she'll flunk him,
making him ineligible for that all important big game.
Then there's his own injury. A stress fracture keeps him on
crutches for five weeks. In this time other players are making
themselves indispensable, working their way up. Even if he totally
recovers Danny may not make the big game starting line up.
What does a teen do when the structure around which he plans to
build his world is being taken from him. Read the book and see.

"HOSPITAL ADMITTANCE REPORT
EDWARD YOUNG
13-YEAR-OLD MALE, HEAD TRAUMA
POSSIBLE INTERCRANIAL BLEED
NO EXTERNAL INJURIES
COMATOSE, NEEDS TOTAL RESPIRATORY CARE
CONDITION: CRITICAL"
Teddy (13) is in a coma. It's the result of a hard hit during a
scrimmage on the last day of pre season training camp. His anxious
family keeps vigil, desperate for him to recover. His fellow players
and town rally around him, especially the jv captain and head coach.
But is there more to the story? Early on there are hints of a
last day of camp tradition where seniors coach incoming freshmen and
prizes are awarded for the hardest hits. Was hazing involved? Were
some community members concerned not only with Teddy's health, but
with making sure certain facts never came to light?
Game changer is a riveting narrative focussed on a very timely
topic.

On a perrrsonal note, last night I got the most beautiful surprise!
Amber and Brian came over. Amber gave me the most beautiful card.
She'd made it herself. It has pictures of Joey at various stages of
his life with me and the kids, his pawprint, and his name in silver.
She's making them for family members and Joey's vets. She gave me the
first one. That is the most precious gift anyone could give me.
Great big shout outs go out to Amber and Brian and to the best little
cat in the world who lives on in the hearts of all who love him.
jules hathaway



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