Valente, Fe Lourence D.

Arrupe Social Formation

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 1B 10:00 am – 12:00 nn

Reflecting Upon the Words of Coach Carter

God places people in our lives who will sow different thoughts of inspiration and
encouragement that will give us a new perspective in life. A kind of perspective that will
give us a passion to make a difference in the lives of other people by adding value to
them through teaching, sharing the love of God and motivating them to look beyond
their present capacity. In the film Coach Carter, this person is coach Carter. This film
had presented lessons in our lives that if taken seriously, it will lead one to the fulfillment
of their dreams.

In one scene, Coach Carter quotes, “Average is just not good enough." This
statement points out that one should not settle for the less, but one should strive for the
best. This idea is the same as the advocacy of St. Ignatius, that all of us should strive
for excellence or what we called “magis” in the field that we wanted to pursue.

I felt that this film had a true meaning not just for those who are student-athletes
but for everyone. Carter gives the student-athletes pieces of advice on being a better
student that led them to success. Even though he is a basketball coach, his focus is not
only on his players' success as a team, but as well as their successes as an individual.
Not only did he coach them in basketball, but he also coached them in life.

Success is a long road of journey and it has a series of process that one must
undergo. Quoted in the middle of the film, “Young men, the journey of a thousand miles
begin with the first step.” This explains that it is all in our hands, if we choose success or
destruction. We are the architect of our own future. It is up to us to make the move
because what we do now will affect our future.
 Coach carter teaches us the value of respect. In these days of immorality,
respect is rampant in the society. Today’s young adults embrace this status quo. Sons
and daughters communicate with their parents as if they are their classmates. This
deformity occasionally triggers miscommunication that leads to quarrel and even
killings. Lastly, Coach Carter showed how important discipline is. Without this, one
cannot improve his or her skills. Discipline can transform any individual into a better
person.

Although one has made many victories, one must know not lose sight of the main
challenge, which is life out there. There is no real metrics to know whether you pass or
fail in the test called life. There's no scoreboard neither to keep track of your
performance. In the end, it is you that decides whether you lived your life to the fullest
and did everything you can to live a life full of meaning and worth. Others may say that
a life lived to the fullest is a life with a family. Others will qualify it being a life dedicated
to a vocation. There is no singular definite answer to the question. For many months
staying in Ateneo, I am quite grateful for it has been my second home and provider of
education.