Summer Ball

One motif in Summer Ball is the value of sportsmanship. Since the plot revolves around basketball, being a good person equates to being a good sport. The characters that follow this code triumph, while the players that do not falter. Although Danny acknowledges his win to Lamar, “[he] never showboated. His dad always said it wasn’t in their blood” (162). When he does provoke Lamar, he regrets making him mad. This demonstrates the importance of behaving professionally; it can actually prevent issues off the court and vice versa. Tess even states, “‘that’s not the way it is with you and sports’” (193), when Danny tells her some guys get away with bad behavior while they really excel at a sport. Danny learns early on that a true winner behaves with class.

Likewise, Danny’s father holds Danny to a higher standard when it comes to sportsmanship. When Danny fakes his injury, he shocks his father, who tells Danny, “‘Man, that’s never been you,’” making Danny feel worse (158). He then tells Danny he can come home or stay and prove everybody wrong. “‘Other than that,’” Danny’s father says, “‘I’ve got nothing right now’” (159).Here, his father gives Danny two mature choices, but shows disappointment because Danny picks the dishonest route. Also, when Danny says he cannot play for Coach Powers, Richie reminds him, “‘Guess what? You are playing for him,’” meaning Danny has to find a way to make it work, rather than quit or complain (60). Danny’s father, though hard on his son, does instill the importance of good sportsmanship.

Lamar Parrish acts in an unsportsmanlike manner. He bullies other players. He even goes as far as to hit Zach Fox. Lamar’s behavior shows readers the opposite of what to aim for, what happens when a player gets away with bad behavior. During a game, Danny watches as “Lamar calmly ran the clock down, drained another three, immediately ran to the other end of the court, holding the front of his jersey out, yelling ‘Uh huh…uh huh…uh huh,’” even though the game is still running (161). While Lamar rubs in his near-victory, Danny’s team devises a way to win the game. Lamar also plays dirty, knocking players down when referees are not paying attention. Similarly, Lamar gets out of trouble easily, even when he punches Zach and breaks Tess’s camera. Accustomed to avoiding the rules in life, Lamar develops some very poor traits.