Characters and Relationships
He’s the former professional basketball player who struggles with guilt about his son’s accident.
Who is Chris’s father (Jim Blair)?
What motivates Chris to join the wheelchair team?
He misses basketball and wants to prove his ability and independence.
What internal conflict does Chris face when his dad calls the coach?
He fears his dad doesn’t believe in him or will interfere.
“Congestion” in the game means this, not traffic.
What is overcrowding on the court?
This genre includes believable characters, setting, and events.
What is realistic fiction?
Chris’s father’s attitude toward basketball changes once he does this.
What is coaching the wheelchair basketball team?
What does the phrase “chewing up his words” reveal about Chris’s father?
He hesitates to speak his emotions.
What external conflict does Chris overcome by joining the team?
Answers will vary:
Adapting to wheelchair basketball and proving he can still compete.
“Baseline” in the story refers to
What is the boundary line at the end of the court?
What social issue is reflected in the story?
Inclusion and acceptance of athletes with disabilities.
At the beginning, Chris thinks his dad feels this way about his injury.
What is ashamed or guilty?
How does the story’s title connect to its theme?
Answers may vary:
It suggests that sometimes people need encouragement to pursue their goals.
What event marks the turning point in Chris’s relationship with his dad?
When his dad sits in a wheelchair and joins practice.
“Turnover” means
Losing the ball to the other team.
How does the story show that change can be positive?
Chris and his dad grow closer through new experiences.
Name one way Chris and his mom’s relationship differs from his relationship with his dad.
Answers will vary.
What is open communication / emotional support vs. distance and guilt?
What realistic fiction elements make the story believable?
Realistic setting, authentic dialogue, and relatable family struggles.
List the final order of events from practice to game
Father unhappy → attends practice → team practices backboards → loses first game → team votes to join league.
Which punctuation introduces a list: a colon or hyphen?
What is a colon?
Whose dream “needed a push”?
Both Chris’s and his father’s — to reconnect and play again.
How does helping coach the team help heal their relationship?
Answers will vary with same meaning:
It gives them a shared purpose and helps them reconnect through mutual respect. Creates a bond between them. Helps them get closer.
The dad saying “we” at halftime shows what change?
He’s emotionally invested and now supports Chris as part of the team.
What theme about perseverance and family emerges from the resolution?
Dreams can change shape, but determination and support help them come true.
Write a correctly hyphenated phrase describing the Hawks’ effort in the game?
What is “a hard-fought win"?
What does this story teach about guilt and forgiveness?
That acknowledging pain helps rebuild relationships.