COLEGIO UNIVERSITARIO DE LIMON

“COACH CARTER” VIDEO WORKSHEET

Reading & Composition II
Lic. Oscar Conejo Chacón

MARKS: 26 – 5%

Respond the following questions based on the movie: “Coach Carter”

Extend and support your answers.

1. What influences Coach Carter to coach the Richmond team? (2 marks)

He was impressed for the low discipline the boys had and he also was a student in Richmond
High School in his teens. Be part of Richmond Team, was a way to help his community and help
those stray boys in his own way. Besides that, it was a challenge; a challenge gave to him for an
old friend (the former coach in Richmond Team)

2. What leadership style does Coach Carter exhibit and why? (2 marks)

Well, I am a business mayor so I can compare his style with the concepts analyzed for
management leadership styles, so I can suggest that Coacher Carter style is autocratic, he always
show them that he is the head they need to follow, even when the interaction gets better along the
movie, at the beginning everything was about be disciplined (as in the army), and the boys had to
follow every rule (no space to argue). I think it figures that this was the only way to give the team
a sense of team work and that individuality is not allow in a team game. At the beginning of the
movie, we understand the disaster this team was, how the individuality became a problem for the
team, and the need of a strong leader.
3. How does Coach Carter instil respect and discipline into the team? Explain. (2 marks)

For one, he insist in called every boy “sir”, and he didn’t allow the use of the word “niggar”, as
he considered that is a word meant to offend themselves and the black American culture in
general. Also following the simples rules stipulated in the contract and with physical punishment
(as push ups and suicides), when someone dare to raise their voice or disrespect the Coach or the
other members of the team.

4. What are some reasons you think Coach Carter’s son wants to transfer to Richmond and play
on his dad’s team? At least 2 reasons and be specific. (2 marks each = 4 marks)

He was trained by Coach Carter since his first team, so he was used to his style, I can see that the
contract thing was regularly used with his previous teams, so I guess he was also raised by that
system. Besides I believe their teams were always winners so perhaps that make him want to be
sure to win the championship. But I think the most important was that he loved and respected his
father a lot. You can see him trying desperate to be under his wing, he wanted to be with his
father and make him participate of his winning in the gym.

5. Explain at least 4 personal issues the athletes have to deal with outside of basketball. You
don’t have to name specific athletes just the personal issues. (4 marks)

One of the boys (Kenyon) had a pregnant girlfriend, then teen fatherhood, that`s number one. The
Latin boy (Cruz) was starting to be a drug dealer, so drug traffic is number two (and also the
possibility of being killed). All the boys were at risk in ending in the county jail (after ending in a
gang or something like that), number three. And for the last, the possibility of failing school and
ending in a dead end job for the rest of their lives.
6. What are Carter’s contracts about? (1 mark) How useful are those contracts or not? (1 mark)
Be specific.

The contracts define the relationship between the players and the coach; basically they are simple
rules and a written commitment to honour, this in exchange of being part of the team. These
contracts became an important part in the movie, as they stipulated that the team had to keep an
average of 2.3 in their grades, attended every class, sit in the first row in every class, and with this
became real Students Athletes.
At the beginning this wasn`t really effective, because the team thought that the Coach wasn´t
serious about it (they only needed to be outstanding players and nothing more), but he clearly
wanted to achieve something else with this boys so eventually they really keep their word and
their contracts.

7. What happens at the board meeting with Coach Carter, the parents, teachers and the trustees?
(1 marks) What does Coach Carter decide to do? (1 mark) What do the basketball team
members decide to do? (2 marks)

When Coach Carter is aware of the bad grades of the team members, he decided to cancel all
games until the team reach the conditions demanded in the contracts. So, some parents and
teachers, against Coach Carter methods join the board meeting and demand the reopening of the
gym (as well as the participation of the team) and the suspension of Coach Carter. They argument
that basketball and the academics are different, so a simple Coach shouldn’t demand academic
excellence as well as good performance in the tournament.
Coach Carter is against this kind of message the parents tried to give to the students, because for
him, they have to be students first and athletes second, and also they have to honour simple laws,
for them to be able to do it in the real world. If parents win and they reopen the gym without the
grades improvement then he will quit his job.

“You really need to consider the message you're sending this boys by ending the
lockout. It's the same message that we as a culture send to our professional
 athletes; and that is that they are above the law. If these boys cannot honor the
simple rules of a basketball contract, how long do you think it will be before
they're out there breaking the law? I played ball here at Richmond High 30 years
ago. It was the same thing then; some of my teammates went to prison, some of
them even ended up dead. If you vote to end the lockout, you won't have to
terminate me; I'll quit.” Coach Carter.

The parents won the case, but the boys knew the real value of their Coach (and they understood
what he wanted to do with them) so they decide keep working with their Coach method and
instead of practicing they moved their desk to the gym and keep studying, until they reach the
grade required for their Coach.

8. What does Cruz say about his “deepest fear”. (2 mark) Why does this surprise his
teammates? (1 mark) Why does this not surprise Coach Carter? (1 mark)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about
shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to
shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our
own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates
others” Timo Cruz
Through the movie Coach Carter ask one time and another about Cruz deepest fear, but he was
always unable to answer his question. The moment he decides to answer was with his fear, he
does it with deep feelings and really a strong belief, he clearly answers without being asked for
his Coach. I guess this surprise his teammates.
Cruz just went (at this part of the story), through a dead – life situation (his cousin Renny was
shot to dead almost in front of him, he saved himself because right in that moment he went where
his ex teammates were talking), and he clearly saw how real life was and that it could be him, that
his relationship with the team save his life. Coach Carter knew all about it so perhaps because of
this he knew that his answer was truthfully and wasn´t all that surprise with his words.

9. How do you define Discipline and why is it important to be disciplined? (2 marks) Explain

I think discipline is about being capable to follow instructions to be in order and to react in a
certain way, systematically. I think discipline is important if you want to reach a goal or to be
part of a group that expects to reach something together. Perhaps too much of it can reduce your
own individuality but is difficult to try and construct something without discipline, without
guidance.
Colegio Universitario de
Limón
Diplomado en Inglés como Segunda Lengua

30-202 READING AND COMPOSITION II

Video Analysis
“Coach Carter”
Directed By Thomas Carter

Professor:

Date November 25th, 2010