Rivals

The rivalry between Walthorne North and Walthorne South middle schools runs deep.  They always play the first and last game of every season against each other, and this year is no different.  Walthorne North wins the first game, but their star player leaves with an injury that could jeopardize the entire season.  Austin Chamber is team captain, and he's been working his entire life to try to live up to his father's legacy.  Even with all the extra coaching his parents' money can buy, he's still not the star of the team.  But he's not even really sure if he wants to be.  The pressure to win is overwhelming.  

Carter Haswell is team captain for Walthorne South and a naturally gifted player, but he already feels pressure from his parents to get a scholarship and play in the NBA.  He will be their ticket out of poverty, but sometimes the pressure is so intense it's hard to love the game.

Add to that the intense rivalry between the schools, and you have a situation primed to explode.  The kids at Walthorne North have more money, more privilege, and more access to private coaches and expensive shoes, and they take every opportunity to rub it in the Walthorne South kids' faces.  It's hard to end up on top when you don't have any of the advantages.  Sometimes it was easier when they were just little kids on the playground enjoying the game.

Tommy Greenwald's new book is in a similar format to Game Changer which transcripts, news articles, and text conversations sprinkled throughout.  This is an interesting look at youth sports and the challenges that get in the way.  There is the pressure from adults, the inequalities between girls' and boys' sports, and the disparities between kids of different socioeconomic classes.  This is a sports novel that will make you think.