Ryan and his mom have moved to a new town, and Ryan is entering middle school. Adjusting to middle school life is like trying to adjust to a parallel dimension for him. He sees the school athletes getting noticed and he wants to be noticed too.

Meanwhile, his mom is recuperating from divorcing his dad. She begins to take a romantic interest in Randy. Ryan doesn't like the idea of another man pursuing his mom. Initially, he wants nothing to do with Randy and wishes he would leave his mom alone.

As time goes on, Ryan begins to realize that Randy may be the only one who can help him climb out of obscurity at his new school. A relationship that starts out with Randy acting as Ryan's football coach gradually transforms into a relationship with Randy acting more like a father.

Ryan and Randy learn together that learning to love new people can be scary. A bond that starts out as not much more than a mutual love of football becomes a bond filled with love and compassion. Ryan gradually begins to feel grateful to have a new dad who actually cares about him and his mom.