A depressed and destitute Nick Irons, a tennis pro banned from the tour for slugging a player during a TV match, agrees to coach a bookie's "head case" son, Joel, who wants to turn pro. The bookie wants his son to get out of tennis and contracts Nick to discourage him. Nick begins to do that but after an episode with his old flame, Jennifer, and after seeing the kid's determination he decides to teach him all the tricks, both physical and psychological, of the trade. The two battle the kids of a famous coach, unfair refs., injuries, travel all over the southern US, while Nick tries to woo his love back, finally to reach the big championship tennis match where all is resolved in dramatic fashion.
Crónica autobiográfica de un grupo de adolescentes, entre los que se encuentra el escritor Jim Carroll, a los que sus travesuras están a punto de llevarlos por oscuros caminos de la desesperación, ya que sus actividades fuera de clase amenazan con destruirlos. Esnifando productos de limpieza, riéndose con fotografías pornográficas, participando en pequeños hurtos, estos cinco amigos apenas mantienen la cabeza a flote al perder el control de sí mismos.
