Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories is a young adult fiction short story collection by Chris Crutcher. Most of the stories are related to Crutcher's early work and often come from his experience as a family counselor. This book also contains the short story "A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune" which first appeared in Connections, edited by Donald R. Gallo, published in 1989 by Delacorte Press. It was adapted into the film Angus. The novel has been met with challenges from school districts due to the book's inclusion of offensive language, homosexuality, and sexual content, and was the fourth most challenged book in 2006.
Short stories
"A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune" Angus Bethune (narrator) is an overweight student and football player at Lake Michigan High School who has constantly struggled with his self-image and family structure. As a result of his parents' divorce, he has four parents and has always been known as "the big kid" to both his family and his peers. The beginning of the story reveals to the reader that the Winter Ball at Lake Michigan High is tonight, and the girl of Angus' dreams, Melissa Lefevre, has been nominated Queen. Knowing this, Angus is forced to either show up and risk embarrassment or stay home and face humiliation. He decides to attend the Ball and describes his anxiety to the reader from the moment he walks in the door. In going to the dance, Angus discovers that Melissa herself has struggled with her body image and that she is in treatment for bulimia. He soon encounters Melissa and her boyfriend Rick Sanford, a teammate of Angus, who is described as a "real jerk". Through dubious means, Angus is nominated the King of the Winter Ball and is bullied by Rick after being given the news. He quickly puts Rick in his place and has a successful dance with Melissa. Body image and social perception are strong themes in this short, upbeat story where the guy does get the girl. The author, Crutcher, offers advice to the reader through Grandpa Bethune, a character with whom Angus often found solace: "Screw 'em. Anybody who doesn't like the way you look, screw 'em".
"The Pin" Johnny Rivers (narrator) is a wrestler at Coho High School in Coho, Montana. His father, Cecil B. Rivers, was also a champion wrestler at Coho and later at the University of Oklahoma. Johnny reveals to the reader that he and his father "don't always see eye to eye," also implying that he is often abused by his father, especially when Cecil feels like he has "lost control" Johnny discusses his less-than-ideal family life and how his father's decision to have children, among other things, has gradually caused a strain on their relationship. Johnny cites the constant pressure he finds himself in, as his mother is against Johnny pursuing wrestling, while Cecil constantly reminds Johnny of his legacy. Johnny and Cecil's relationship is truly one of love and hate; however, it comes to a head one day when Johnny challenges Cecil to a father/son wrestling match. Johnny wins and instantly regrets humiliating his father in front of a crowd. Cecil loses control and slaps Johnny to the ground in front of everyone, and then walks away. Later, Johnny finds his father weeping in his den, and realizes that Cecil's father was also a hard man and that Cecil has some regrets about the type of man he is to his wife and children. Later, during the Winter Sports Award Banquet, Cecil apologizes to Johnny. Johnny Rivers (narrator) and Petey Shropshrire (briefly mentioned) were originally featured as characters in Crutcher's YA novel The Crazy Horse Electric Game.