Athlete Vs. Mathlete

By alternating perspectives between Russell and Owen, W.C. Mack offers a glimpse into the lives of both the athlete and mathlete. This shows the similarities and differences in their lives, as well as how they deal with the stressors of the roles they’ve chosen and the situations they navigate. By showing Owen and Russell in their individual social situations (basketball and Masters of the Mind), it becomes clear that, while the two activities are very different, the hardships they trigger are the same. Both Owen and Russell worry about filling out their team and doing well in upcoming competitions, both as an individual and as a member of the team. The differences in their tasks (the egg challenge versus playing a game of basketball) are simply a backdrop for the struggles the boys face and their journey to find who they are. One of the book’s major themes, It’s Okay To Be Who You Are, reveals how Russell and Owen define themselves based on what they do and how their identities change as their roles within those activities evolve. By the end of the book, both boys understand that they are not defined by the things they do. Rather, their identities depend on how they view themselves and how they choose to interact with others.

Coach Baxter ordering Russell to try out for the basketball team is the novel’s inciting incident, and it jumpstarts the internal tension for Owen and Russell, as well as the external tension between the brothers and within each boy’s social group. This tension reveals Owen’s major character flaw of selfishness. Starting in Chapter 1, Owen is more concerned with how Russell’s basketball tryout will affect his own social standing, and he primarily volunteers to help Russell prepare in order to mitigate his own embarrassment. Owen falls into the traps perpetrated by The Effects of Peer Pressure. His inability to see past his own emotions to understand the stressors weighing on Russell show that Owen is at the beginning of his character arc and doesn’t yet realize that other people have struggles that are just as critical as his own. In Chapter 3, Owen not correcting his teammates about Michael Jordan attending their high school shows Owen’s desperation to be liked and at the center of things that are important to him. In later chapters, this grows into Owen’s need to prove himself, especially once Russell starts excelling at basketball.

The Nikes Russell gets in Chapter 6 represent a turning point for his character arc. Up until now, Russell has pushed aside basketball tryouts as something he’ll do because he’s been told to do it. He hasn’t let himself truly think about what the tryouts mean to him (a closer relationship with his family and feeling like a “normal” kid) or what it would mean if he actually made the team (proof that he has what it takes to be more than he thinks he can be). The Nikes are a physical manifestation of how Mindset Matters. Russell isn’t yet aware of it, but the Nikes feel magical because they offer something he hasn’t known he wanted. The Nikes also offer insight into Owen’s character. On the other hand, the shoes make Owen more jealous and selfish. Owen doesn’t yet realize that he doesn’t want Russell to try out for the basketball team, because he’s afraid of their worlds colliding. For Owen, basketball is the place he feels he belongs, and Russell’s presence threatens that feeling because Owen doesn’t want to share his biggest accomplishment with the twin brother he’s always had to share with.

These chapters shine a light on the stark differences between various school activities, as well as what is considered “cool” or not. In Chapter 4, Russell feels frustrated because his friends struggle to find one more person for Masters of the Mind while the basketball kids worry about who will make the team because there are more people trying out than are needed. The interest shown for each of these activities calls to The Effects of Peer Pressure and how much of the middle school experience is driven by realizing It’s Okay To Be Who You Are. Basketball is viewed as something “cool.” Thus, more kids are interested in trying out for the team because they believe it will somehow change who they are and elevate their social standing. By contrast, Masters of the Mind is viewed as “uncool” or geeky, which diminishes interest because kids believe the club will ruin their social standing. Russell similarly falls into this trap, which triggers his main internal conflict of feeling torn about who he is. Unlike his peers on the basketball team or in Masters of the Mind, Russell enjoys both activities, but peer pressure tells him he shouldn’t, which makes him question himself and who he is. By the end of the book, Russell finds a way to participate in both activities and makes friends in both places, showing that his identity is no longer tied to the activities he pursues.