The Underdogs

Structurally, the first seven chapters of The Underdogs pull the reader into the plot and set up several character conflicts. Despite being just a few pages long, the first chapter delivers the narrative’s inciting incident in a visual and attention-getting style: Will appears to be just seconds from an exciting touchdown when he trips and falls. Lupica’s action-packed communication conveys the novel’s initial conflict (the struggling town’s inability to fund the youth football team) and performs a sleight of hand (Will is only fantasizing about a glorious win). Similar stylistic choices reoccur throughout the novel in physical play-by-play moments during later pickup games. The strategy of withholding information from the reader to build suspense is used again in Chapter 2 when Will acts on an unnamed “idea” to save his team; however, his letter to New Balance is not revealed until Chapter 7.

Lupica incorporates expository details gradually in a way that helps define internal and external character conflicts. For instance, the death of Will’s mother is mentioned in connection with his solo meals, as well as his inability to view home movies of her. The fact that Will goes home for lunch and dinner, where he makes his food independently, shows that he can remain externally mature despite being lonely. Internally, however, he is not ready to face early memories of his mother. The fact that he puts watching home movies off until “someday” suggests that he struggles to face emotional challenges. In doing so, the novel situates his character for growth and change as the story unfolds.

The novel’s exposition also provides insight into the impact that the shoe factory’s closure has had on the town. This broader issue is embodied in Joe Tyler’s everyday physical and financial struggles. Like Will, Joe faces complex internal and external conflicts. Externally, he represents a tough-it-out work ethic; his refusal to indulge complaints is made clear during his conversations with Will. However, his internal bitterness over the loss of the Forbes Flyers factory—not to mention his own football career—is palpable in statements like, “I won’t let you make the same mistake I did, putting all your eggs in one stupid basket” (13). These expository details also introduce the theme of The Impact of Economic Hardship on Youth.

In terms of writing style, the author’s use of figurative language, allusions, and football jargon work in complementary ways to establish an overtone of emotional challenge. Characters face daily trials, including Joe’s long hours and the economic struggles faced by the families of Will’s friends. As Will strives to save his team, Lupica uses figurative sports metaphors and similes to amplify the narrative’s competitive mood. An example of this occurs when Will describes his desire to save the team to his best friend, Tim, a blocking back who always manages to make a path in the opposing line for Will: “This time I’m the one trying to open the hole. One big enough for a whole team to run through” (20). This also characterizes Will more deeply as it shows how football gives him a lens for processing other aspects of his life.

A cultural allusion to Pop Warner likewise builds the novel’s mood of competition. Early in the novel, Lupica describes Will’s West River Youth Football League as “Forbes’s version of Pop Warner” (4). “Pop Warner” refers to an American non-profit organization named Pop Warner Little Scholars, which is a governing body for community youth football teams, cheerleading squads, and dance teams. The Underdogs reveals that Will’s team “quit Pop Warner” (16) in favor of forming a league with less stringent rules regarding the size and weight of players. This establishes the idea of the Bulldogs as more inclusive and foreshadows Hannah joining the team despite most football players being boys.

Mentions of “Pitt” (University of Pittsburgh), “Penn State” (Pennsylvania State University), and “Notre Dame” (University of Notre Dame) perform similar functions. The novel mentions each of these universities in reference to Joe’s crushed athletic dreams. All are major competitors in college football and have produced countless draft picks for professional teams. This indicates Joe’s significant skill level as a ball player, as well as the dedication and commitment he showed the game before his injury.

Will’s use of sports vocabulary shows that his love of football is ingrained in his thoughts, emotions, and communication patterns. When Will faces his biggest challenge—the impending cancellation of his football season—his only potential solution is a “Hail Mary pass” (14): football-speak for a play that would take a miracle to actually work. Hail Mary passes are considered last-ditch efforts and are made only when one is out of time or has no better options. “Hail Mary” is itself the opening phrase of a Catholic prayer that addresses Mary, the mother of Jesus. This imagery foreshadows how the team’s future success will come after some serious trials.