Rash by Peter Hautman

Rash by Pete Hautman
In the late 21st century, American society that has decided it would "rather be safe than free" and life is very restricted. Any physical activity is regulated – Bo runs track, but only with full body armor and a helmet. Emotional issues are also regulated – it is a crime to deliberately hurt someone’s feelings. Bo is pushed too far by a bullying classmate and lashes out. Of course, Bo is the one caught and he is sentenced to jail in the frozen tundra.
The prison warden likes Bo’s running skills and chooses him to be a member of the prison football team – a game played like Bo had never seen before. It is a brutal game with no protective equipment at all.
In the meantime, Bork (an avatar created by Bo in a class assignment) tracks him down and somehow is able to help.
Rash is reminiscent of Holes by Louis Sachar, but without the depth of character and plot development. There are many unanswered questions about plot and character development that leave the reader wondering about the reasoning behind certain happenings. You never quite understand how Bork is able to do what he does – and I think that could have made an interesting sidebar in the plot.