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Chapter 7
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Outcasts United, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Refugees, Discrimination, and Resilience
Community and Teamwork vs. Division
Leadership and Respect
Discipline, Dedication, and Success
Summary
Analysis
In August 2006, tryouts start up again for the Fugees. When Bien visits the new field, he is surprised by its poor condition, thinking, “it’s like Africa.” Kids begin to prepare a few weeks in advance, jogging and getting in shape. Luma is coaching three different teams: the Under Thirteens, Under Fifteens, and Under Seventeens.
For Bien, who comes from Burundi, to comment that the field is like being in Africa, it suggests that the Fugees have not yet found a new, welcoming home. Instead, Clarkston has demoted them to a field in such bad shape that it looks like it belongs in a war-torn country.
Themes
There are veterans returning to each team, but Luma also needs some newcomers. Luma learns from experience that she needs about a third of her players to be “well-adjusted,” and another third of her players to be dependable, even if they have a few problems at school or with others. The last third would be kids with “real problems or unstable families.” These would require the most of her energy but are also the boys who need the Fugees the most.
In breaking down her philosophy on how to fill out her team, Luma again exhibits tremendous leadership. She understands that building her soccer team shouldn’t exclusively be based on who the most talented players are. Instead, she recognizes that the team gives them a supportive community and also the opportunity to dedicate themselves to improving in soccer and school. Though she knows that sometimes this means putting in extra effort on her part, she doesn’t shy away from a challenge.
Themes
Luma’s three teams have their own needs. The Under Seventeens are the most mature, and in previous seasons, most of the problem players had left. Luma expects this team to take care of itself. The Under Thirteens have mostly been playing with her for two years, or who had joined and made the team the center of their new lives in the United States. They are the most flexible and the most responsive to Luma’s discipline.
St. John and Luma both imply here that the more that the teams are able to respect her and heed her requirements for discipline and dedication, the less likely they are to have issues as a group and the more likely they are to succeed.
Themes
The Under Thirteens have star players like Josiah Saydee and Qendrim Bushi, but they are weak on defense and goalie. Luma had made this decision consciously: her goalies, Eldin and Mafoday, are both gentle and happy, and rarely play as aggressively as they need to in goal. But they do everything that Luma asks, and so she knows that this tradeoff is worth having a weak link in goal.
St. John elaborates on the ways in which Luma prioritizes dedication over talent. Having players who always show up on time and make the effort to attend tutoring sessions is more important to Luma than being the best soccer player. This is because she wants the boys to be successful outside of playing soccer, not only within the sport.
Themes
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The Under Fifteens are different: they are very talented but often disobey Luma. Earlier in the summer, Luma sent around word that she expected her players to cut their hair short. This did not go over well with one of the best players, Prince, who wears his hair in long braids. Prince has no intention of cutting his hair, expecting Luma to make an exception for him because he is talented, and if he quit, other players like Mandela and Fornatee might follow his lead.
St. John contrasts the Under Thirteens with the Under Fifteens and demonstrates the issues with talented but unruly players. A player like Prince, who plays well but is undisciplined, can start to sow seeds of discontent and disobedience among the team as a whole, creating even greater problems for Luma.
Themes
Tryouts begin on a hot August afternoon. Luma and Tracy take down the boys’ names and ages, then Luma divides them into two groups to watch them play a game. Luma realizes that the field is even worse than it looks: there are ruts, very little grass, and people walk right through the game.
The field continues to represent the Fugees’ lack of a supportive, stable environment, as they are forced to use a field that is unsuitable for soccer and that anyone can walk through, making it feel like they have no real claim over it.
Themes
After the game is over, Luma circles the boys up and tells Prince that if he does not cut his hair by the first day of practice, he is off the team. She goes through other rules: tutoring is mandatory for practice; if the boys miss practice, they can’t play in games; if they don’t follow the rules, they are off the team. She hands them papers to sign, which include rules like having good behavior; not doing drugs or drinking alcohol; not getting anyone pregnant; and promising to be on time, try hard, and ask for help. It ends with the words, “I want to be part of the Fugees!”
Luma’s contract and treatment of Prince illustrate her emphasis on discipline, dedication, and hard work. She also exhibits her leadership skills in not making an exception for Prince and standing her ground. But the fact that the list ends with “I want to be part of the Fugees!” demonstrates that the most important part of playing for the Fugees is in wanting to be a part of the team and its community. Following these rules is a necessity of being in that community.
Themes
