What is the theme in Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser?

The primary theme of the novel is competition. Middletown High School, and even in the town of Middletown, places a great emphasis on the athletes in town. This is especially true of the football players and the wrestlers. The emphasis on athletes perpetuates the competition that causes the separation of the athletes from the other students in the school. While school is about education, the competitive theme in this novel makes the success of the athletics department in the school compete with the academic program.