Athletic Shorts

Crutcher, C. (1991). Athletic shorts: six short stories. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Athletic Shorts is a book of short stories dealing with athletes and fitting in.  It is on ALA List of the 100 most challenged books because of homosexual characters and the use of racial slurs.

This book does not follow the traditional plot line because it is a collection of six short stories. 

"A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune"

Angus doesn't fit in because he's fat and he also has two sets of gay parents.  He is voted Winter Ball King a joke, but gets to dance with the girl of his dreams.  He learns that everyone has their problems and he gets to live in he finally gets to experience a perfect special moment.

"The Pin"

Johnny is a wrestler who lives under the strict rule of his father.  His father was a star wrestler in high school and college and he expects his son to live up to his expectations.  Johnny challenges his father to a wrestling match and wins.  His father becomes angry with him, but later apologizes for treating him the same way his own father had treated him.

"The Other Pin"

Petey gets volunteered by his best friend to wrestle Chris Byers.  Chris Byers has become a legend and he doesn't want to humiliate himself when he loses.  Halfway through the story, we learn that Petey's biggest fear of humiliation is due to the fact that Chris is a girl.  On his grandfather's advice, he meets Chris and learns that things are not easy for a girl wrestler either, and she doesn't want to do it anymore.  The two work out a plan to help them both.

"Goin' Fishin'"

Lionel Serbousek tries to cope with being on his own by swimming.  He must learn to forgive the boy who killed his entire family in a drunken boating accident. 

"Telephone Man"

Telephone Man is a racist because of what his dad has taught him about minorities.  He begins to question his beliefs when an African American boy saves him from getting beat up and calls Telephone Man a friend.

""In the Time I Get"

Louie learns to accept and become friends with the nephew of his boss, after learning that Darren is gay and has AIDS.  While he works to get over his prejudice, Louie loses his best friend, who cannot accept Darren.  Louie ultimately helps Darren cope with his fear of dying.

Chris Crutcher uses each story to create a moral lesson for the reader.  While I see why some people would take offense to parts of the book, I feel that as a whole, it does teach valuable lessons of acceptance.