G. Thomas Baer

Basketball Small Fry – Synopsis
The setting of the story takes place in a small Indiana town. The main character, Mike Daniels, wants more than anything to make the freshman basketball team. Although he has some excellent basketball skills that were gained on a grass and dirt court during elementary school, one fact works against him—he is only four feet eleven inches tall. A broken wrist during tryouts relegates him to serve as team manager during his freshman year. As a sophomore, he earns a spot on the team but his troubles are far from being over. Another member of the team, John Reardon, who is over six feet tall, becomes his antagonist. John is always making fun of Mike’s height and continually hogging the ball during games. When Mike becomes starting point-guard, he decides to take matters into his own hands by keeping the ball away from John. His actions and John’s selfishness result in both boys being benched by the coach. Reconciliation must occur between the boys as well as between the boys and their coach before they have any hope of playing once again. If this happens, there is an outside chance that they might get an opportunity to play in the championship game.