#2 Who is the first game against? How is he treated by the crowd at the first game? How does the team (and coach) react/ support him? How does this impact him? (Siyeon)

Arnold’s first basketball game was against the high school in the rez, Wellpinit High School, where Arnold attended before transferring to Reardan.  When Arnold’s basketball team arrived at Wellpinit, Indian kids pelted the bus with snowballs.    The rez basketball fans then chanted “Ar-nold sucks! Ar-lold sucks! Ar-nold sucks!” (Alexie 143)  Arnold probably would have turned around if he did not see his family waiting at the front door.  He understands that his parents had been “pitched just as much crap” as he was and that they were “ready to catch more crap” and “ready to walk through the crap” (Alexi 143) with him.  He was met with “a fricking awesome display of contempt” (Alexi 144) when he entered the gym.  Coach supports and encourages Arnold by saying “if you care about something enough, it’s going to make you cry.  But you have to use it.  Use your tears.  Use your pain.  Use your fear.  Get mad, Arnold, get mad.” (Alexie 144).  Arnold ends up with a cut on his forehead during the game because someone threw a quarter at him.  He gets three stitches and goes back to play the second half but his used-to-be-best-friend Rowdy smashes his elbow into Arnold, knocking him unconscious.  Arnold is sent to the hospital and coach visits him.  Arnold and coach have a meaningful discussion about the game and life in general.  Arnold shows his competitive athletic side by saying “I wanted to play.  I wanted to win.” (Alexie 148)  Coach says that he has never met anyone as committed as  Arnold and tells him the perfect quote: “the quality of a man’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor.” (Alexie 148)  They spend the night telling each other many personal stories and grew closer to each other.