42 pages • 1 hour read
W.C. MackAthlete Vs. Mathlete
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaChapters 15-21Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 15 Summary: “Owen: Intentional Foul”
At the next game, Owen starts the game on the bench, fuming at how popular Russell has become with the team and audience. When Owen gets put in the game, he plays like he did with the high school kids, aggressively taking shots and refusing to pass the ball even when it makes sense. When Owen grabs the ball away from Russell and misses a shot, Coach Baxter pulls him from the game, saying Owen’s behavior is the “worst show of sportsmanship [he has] ever seen” (140). It comes out that Coach Baxter never coached Michael Jordan, and the team feels betrayed that Owen was dishonest. After the game, Owen throws Russell’s Nikes in a dumpster. On the way home, Russell feels sick to his stomach, and Owen is angry because it feels like he’s losing the only thing that matters to him.
Chapter 16 Summary: “Russell: Boiling point”
Russell saw Owen take his Nikes, but he thinks Owen just hid them in his gym bag. Still, the situation leaves Russell sad because Owen’s selfishness is getting between them. When they get home, Russell confronts Owen about the shoes, and Owen admits he threw them in the dumpster. Russell calls Owen a jerk and then leaves “before [Russell] could do or say anything worse” (150).
Chapter 17 Summary: “Owen: Time-out”
Owen’s dad overheard the entire conversation, and he tells Owen about his college years playing basketball on a team of players who had also been the best at their high schools, including two who got drafted into the NBA but never became stars. This taught him that being good at something isn’t the only thing that matters and that being there for people is more important. Owen’s dad points out that Russell has always had Owen’s back, asking, “So why don’t you have his?” (154). Owen retrieves Russell’s Nikes from the dumpster, finding them under some plastic wrap and pretty much untouched by all the garbage gunk. He brings them home, receiving a lukewarm reaction from Russell, though his dad is proud of him for taking a good first step toward showing he cares.
Owen apologizes to the team and Coach Baxter for letting his ego get in the way. Russell skips the next few basketball practices, and whenever Owen tries to talk to him, Russell ignores him or hurries away. Russell doesn’t go to the next game, and the team loses, badly.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Russell: Perfect Symmetry”
Russell uses his free time from skipping practices to catch up on homework and get back involved with Masters of the Mind. His teammates reveal that Arthur doesn’t care about the competition or the club and is only there to make himself look more impressive to colleges. To get Arthur off the team, Russell decides he needs someone devious, and “luckily, [Russell’s] evil twin lived right down the hall” (171).
Chapter 19 Summary: “Owen: Squaring Up”
Owen tells Russell about the team’s terrible loss, admitting they need Russell because he has certain skills that complement the rest of the team. Owen asks Russell to come back to the team. Russell says he’ll think about it, which is fine with Owen because “[f]or the first time ever, [he] actually felt like [his] brother was [his] friend” (178). Together, they come up with a plan to get Arthur off the Masters of the Mind team: They’ll make him think his dream college won’t be impressed because all Arthur’s accomplishments are academic and he isn’t a well-rounded student.
Chapter 20 Summary: “Russell: Bonding Energy”
Russell decides to go back to the basketball team, and that decision makes everything else feel more manageable. The day of the Masters of the Mind competition, Owen insists on coming to watch, which makes Russell feel good. Russell and his teammates put their plan for Arthur into play, and Arthur is so distracted that he leaves in a huff. For the egg challenge, the group builds a parachute and puts the egg in a padded basket. When it’s time to drop the eggs, theirs lands without an issue, as does the one from the team they are tied with for first place. Both teams advance to regionals, and Russell is amazed that his parents and Owen rush to congratulate him, “hugging [him] and cheering like [they’d] won a championship basketball game” (195).
Chapter 21 Summary: “Owen: Nothing but Net”
Russell comes back to the basketball team in time for the next game, and Owen is glad to have him there. At the end of the game, their team is behind by one point. When Owen sees Russell is open, he doesn’t even think before passing the ball. Instead of taking the shot, Russell passes it back to Owen. Owen sinks the winning shot, but even so, the best feeling is that they “won the game together, as real teammates, for the first time ever” (197).
Chapters 15-21 Analysis
These final chapters resolve the tension between Owen and Russell, as both boys come to terms with the internal and external conflicts plaguing them. Russell’s blooming confidence becomes apparent in these chapters. Playing basketball has made him appreciate his skills and develop new talents, as well as help him to see that he can do whatever he puts his mind to. With this new information in mind, Russell leads the Masters of the Mind team to victory and rids them of Arthur for good. This resolves much of his internal tension about his identity. Russell realizes that Masters of the Mind and basketball are two different parts of who he is and that each offers valuable insight he can apply to the other areas of his life. Russell’s decision to return to the basketball team symbolizes his acceptance of Owen, flaws and all, and also represents the idea that quitting when things get difficult may be easy—but it doesn’t bring satisfaction. Russell feels most like himself when the different parts of who he is are thriving, seen by how he both helps the Masters of the Mind team win and how he works together with Owen to win the basketball game in the final chapter.
Owen also completes his character arc in these chapters, showing the importance of teamwork and of letting go of one’s need to be the best. Owen’s anger at Russell doing well at basketball stems from his jealousy and selfish desire to show off and be recognized for his skills. While these are natural things to feel, Owen takes them to an extreme when he throws Russell’s Nikes in the dumpster, showing how selfishness and jealousy can harm relationships with others, as well as one’s self-esteem. Owen later realizes that he’s not really frustrated with Russell. Rather, he is frustrated because he is losing his identity, which aligns with how It’s Okay To Be Who You Are. His more aggressive playing style is an attempt to take back his identity and make a name for himself, which backfires because his selfishness gets in the way. Retrieving the Nikes from the dumpster is Owen’s first step toward thinking of others and moving past his own insecurities. While it is a good start, Owen can only do so much to mend his relationship with Russell on his own. Only when Russell decides to listen to Owen do the brothers come to an understanding and begin thinking of each other as teammates, not adversaries. Understanding how the other feels helps both boys develop empathy and shift how they think, calling to how Mindset Matters.
The speech Owen’s dad gives in Chapter 17 calls to the idea that skill alone is not enough and that, no matter how hard one works, there will always be someone better. Owen believes that if he practices enough, is aggressive enough, and eliminates his competition, he will rise to a star position and never have to worry again. His dad’s story shows how untrue this is by revealing that amazing high school players never achieved the professional stardom Owen believes is so easy to attain. Though this speech is directed at Owen, the ideas also apply to Russell and the Masters of the Mind competition. During the competition in Chapter 20, Russell’s team is tied for first place all the way to the end. No matter how good their teamwork skills are or how hard they worked on their project, there are other teams who are just as good—maybe even better. Russell’s team doesn’t let this stop them, though, and as seen in the book’s final chapter, Owen similarly learns not to let someone else’s success make him feel bad about his own efforts. Together, Owen and Russell’s arcs in these final chapters show how The Effects of Peer Pressure apply to the world beyond school. Seeing others have success puts the boys under pressure and makes them try harder, only to find that they can only be “their” best, not necessarily “the” best.
Chapters 20 and 21 show Owen and Russell coming together as friends and teammates, and they further break down the invisible lines that separate out vastly different activities like Masters of the Mind and basketball. When Russell’s team ties to win the competition, Russell’s family rushes to hug him and cheer. Russell didn’t win outright, nor was the victory entirely his, but these things don’t matter. Similarly, the basketball victory in Chapter 21 is due to Owen’s winning basket, but the teamwork between Owen and Russell ultimately allows them to win the game. The crowd’s cheers are for the team’s victory, regardless of who scored the winning basket, showing how, when all is said and done, teamwork is the true winner. This also calls to the points the boys’ dad makes in Chapter 17 about support being what truly matters. Even if their teams hadn’t won the Masters of the Mind competition and basketball game, the brothers knew they could count on each other, which is its own type of victory.
