Flying Lessons & Other Stories

At the start of Matt de la Peña’s story, the narrator’s sole focus is on improving his basketball skills, and he believes that is father is unsupportive. All his spare time is devoted to basketball, practicing at the outdoor courts near his house. This desire to improve leads the narrator to the city’s Muni Gym, where the best pickup ball is played. However, he can’t get there unless his father is willing to give him a ride into the city. On the first drive in, the boy relates, “During the entire thirty-minute drive south, your old man will say two sentences to you, max. Don’t take it personally” (5). This reminder makes it clear that he does indeed take it personally. The unspoken expectation is that his father will talk to him and show enthusiasm and support for the narrator’s quest to improve his game. In the moment, the boy is disappointed and feels unsupported.

However, after the narrator endures the trials and tribulations at Muni Gym and begins his first high school season, he proves to be a dynamic character who has learned more than just basketball. After one of his high school games, he has a revelation: “Your old man is always there.