Box Out

Liam Bergstrom is one lucky sophomore. The varsity coach is bringing him up from JV to rebound for the varsity. Another player's bad luck (an injury) has become good luck for Liam. When he starts practicing with the varsity, he gives it everything he has. He wants to make his mark on the team because of his ability, not just because of his height. The coach seems impressed, and Liam spends a fair amount of time off the bench and right in the middle of the action. Unfortunately, there is one thing about the varsity team that kind of surprises Liam, and to be honest, disappoints him. Before each game and at half-time, the team is required to pray. Coach asks a player to lead the team in prayer, and even though Liam is a practicing Catholic who believes in God and prayer, he feels uncomfortable. In addition to the game prayers, Liam discovers that the team members are expected to attend the HAF (Horizon Athletic Fellowship) meetings as well. When Liam begins to question the legality of praying at school, several of the players tell him it's just the cost of being part of the team. Liam doesn't like the fact that not everyone on the team may follow Christian beliefs, and he feels hypocritical when he just pretends to participate. When he finally decides to ask the coach about the situation, he gets an answer he later learns was a lie. Having his coach lie to him and then expect him to do something as personal as pray, makes Liam take the issue to the next level. Bringing the question of separation of church and state to the attention of people beyond the team stirs up things with his teammates and even the school principal. Liam finds out that asking questions and then standing up for what you believe in is not always the easiest road to take. Liam learns that sacrifices are hard and often costly. BOX OUT is an excellent book. It provides plenty of play-by-play basketball action, plenty of teenage anxiety involving school, parents, and romantic issues, as well as plenty of possible discussion topics for teens and adults. It is well worth reading. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

John Coy's BOX OUT, the perfect antidote for a sports-loving, reading-resistant middle schooler, will also find an audience among those who love to read and those of any age. In simple language, Coy tackles complex issues such as the separation of church and state. Liam Bergstrom, a 17-year-old hoops player who is delighted when he is promoted from JV to Varsity, is troubled immediately when he discovers the Varsity coach leads his team in Christian prayer before every game. Coach Kloss also has religious meetings at his house for the high school athletes. What makes the novel work is the inner conflict Liam goes through as he tries to sort out why this troubles him so. His mother is gung-ho against the coach, while his more conservative father (a teacher in the same school system) recommends caution. Meantime, Liam meets pressure from his friends and fellow athletes as well -- his friends oppose his making a stink and advise him to just go along with it so he can get his minutes on court. When he decides to report the practice to a national group and a letter is sent to the principal, all purgatory breaks loose. Both boys and girls should enjoy this ethical dilemma with a basketball backdrop, as it features not only the boys' team but the champion-caliber girls' team as well. By the end of the book, lines have been drawn and sides have been taken. Verbal harrassment escalates to physical violence and Liam learns that taking ethical stands can come at great cost. Readers will enjoy not only the plot, but the characterization as Liam stands on principle and suffers the consequences. Like Coy's earlier work, CRACKBACK, I recommend this book highly to middle readers.

Tough issues abound in teenage life, and this book is filled with insightful, challenging situations to which teenagers can relate. John Coy's research into the teenage experience regarding sports, coaches, relationships, and decisions is obvious in the characters and plot of the novel. Liam Bergstrom's life revolves around the basketball court, and he embraces the opportunity to play varsity ball after a teammate's injury. Coach Kloss tells him, "We're a tight team. If you ever have anything you need to talk about, come on down. My door is open." Liam is ecstatic! On his first big game day, he cannot believe he is wearing a Horizon High School varsity uniform. But when Coach comes into the locker room for the pre-game talk, Liam learns the one big difference between Varsity and JV: prayer. Though raised in the Catholic faith, Liam is not so sure the inclusion of prayer should be part of high school athletics. Something else troubles Liam about Coach's behavior. Supposedly a believer in team basketball, the man clearly has favorites and disapproves of the style and attitude of the only black player on the team, Darius. When Darius quits, Coach and the teammates act like he was never really a team player, yet others do not receive similar treatment. Darius, however, maintains that Coach does not really respect the game. When Coach and his teammates encourage (even expect?) him to attend weekly before-school Horizon Athletic Fellowship meetings, where prayer and expression of one's faith are foremost on the agenda, Liam becomes even more uncomfortable in his new role. The members wear HWJC bracelets (How Would Jesus Compete?), and some hypocritical players communicate a totally different opinion in front of other than they express to individuals. Coach, who was always willing to discuss any issues and concerns, assures Liam he has checked out the prayers, and all is legitimate. Frustrated, Liam eventually contacts an organization called Americans United for Separation of Church and State for guidance. The author builds upon the conflicts on the court and in school to guide Liam to a difficult decision, one which broadens his definition of basketball and enables him to discover the courage within him to do what is right, not always what is easy. Athletes will find the basketball details accurate and engaging. Non-athletes will understand the terminology and explanations based on the author's contextual information. All readers will be challenged to defend their positions on racism, prayer in schools, peer pressure, and team sports.