Center Field

I'm not the biggest fan of baseball, but I enjoyed the underlying story in Robert Lipsyte's Center Field.  Mike had everything going for him, friends, sports, and the perfect girlfriend.  But all of that changes when Oscar shows up.  He gives Mike a run for his money and is a threat to his center field position.  One of the things I really enjoyed in Center Field was the fact that Mike had someone to look up to.  Mike always kept in mind the center fielder for the Yankees.  I feel as though it is so important for children, even high school children, to have a role model to look up to.  He also looks up to his coach, hoping he will get back on track after falling in with the wrong crowd and making some bad decisions.  However, the people he considers his role models are unfortunately just a facade.  Billy Bud and His couch let him down, because in reality, they are nothing special, and even a fraud.  Now being at the bottom of the totem pole, Mike learns how it feels to be one of the "pukes."  He had seen himself as above everyone else, but circumstances have opened his eyes and these life lessons teach him to be humble.  Mike learns to be his own athlete and not rely on Billy Bud, his coach, or his teammates.

Lesson Learned:
No matter how much better your life seems than someone else, you have to be humble because it can be taken away in a heartbeat.