One of the main themes in Kick by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman is that you shouldn't always fight back. Kevin, the main character is on a soccer team. His soccer team is very good and is trying to become the best team in the state. Kevin is an amazing soccer player with a hot head. Kevin learns this theme first hand. If someone does something mean to you or your friend(s), you should not always retaliate against them, because you might end up hurting yourself or your friends.
When Kevin is playing a soccer match against a team in the state cup he gets really mad. A kid on the opposing team is playing really dirty. The player is tripping, punching and kicking Kevin's teammates and the referee is not calling any fouls. Later in the game, Kevin gets fouled and is pushed to the muddy ground which puts him over the edge. He is so furious that he acts out with rage and punches the other kid right in front of the referee. Kevin gets ejected from the soccer game and suspended for the game after that. His team gets very afraid because without Kevin they might lose the tournament.
When Kevin fought back, all he did was hurt himself (got suspended) and his friends (might lose game without him). The intent of his actions were on the right track but the result did not help. He was sticking up for his teammates but he took it to far. On the other hand, if you are getting beat up and no one is coming to your assistance, you should fight back in self-defense. But if there is a teacher or referee, you should not retaliate against someone because you will get in trouble when they were the one that started it.
In conclusion, when fighting back against someone that attacks you, you might just hurt yourself or your friends. The way to deal with this problem is to beat them on the field and not with your fists.
Really insightful analysis of what Walter Dean Myers was trying to say.
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