The only novel he actually read in high school was To Kill a Mockingbird. Finding out how far you can push yourself if you have the support of your friends-that's very important to me about sports. There is no act of heroism, which does not include standing up for oneself. That is usually the hardest thing to do because it is embarrassing for one thing. Another theme Crutcher rails against passionately is the damage we do as a society creating unreal expectations for ourselves and for perfect lives.
Life is fair, though.
He dared himself to write a book during that time and Running Loose is the result. Set in the small town of Trout, Idaho, the central character is high school senior Louie Banks. Louie has the perfect life. He is a starter on the football team, has great parents, good friends and a wonderful girlfriend, Becky. Problems begin for Louie when his bigoted coach orders someone to injure a talented African-American player on the rival team.