LEADING QUOTES FROM THE FILM

LEADERSHIP QUOTES FROM THE FILM
Coach Ken Carter: "l came to coach basketball players, and you became students. l came to teach boys, and you became men"

Jason Lyle: "You said we're a team. One person struggles, we all struggle. One person triumphs, we all triumph."
Coach Ken Carter: "Play like winners, act like winners and you will be winners"

Plot Summary

Coach Carter, based on a true story, has Samuel L. Jackson playing the role of Ken Carter. Ken is offered a job to coach the basketball team at his former high school, Richmond High. He took up the position of basketball coach in order to try and improve the underprivileged neighbourhood of Richmond. However an even more important aim of his was to motivate and lead the student athletes on their basketball team.

He makes the athletes sign a contract stating that, they will only be allowed to participate in games if they attend all classes in school and maintain an average grade of C. It also states they must wear a suit and tie on game days and respect their teammates and coaches/teachers. Ken Carter uses a variety of different leadership styles, (which will be discussed in more depth later on), to lead and motivate the team in order to help them on their way to the state championships undefeated.

However Ken notices, from regular progress reports, that most of his athletes are underachieving academically, consequently breaching the contract they signed at the beginning of the season. At this point he decides to take immediate action. In order to gain the attention of his athletes and the local community, to ensure they realise the importance of their education alongside their sport, he locks the gym and cancels all of the games until his athletes show an improvement in their academic grades.

This act caused colossal uproar and outraged the athletes, school, and the majority of the local community. After much debate over whether to unlock the gym or support Coach Carters’ plan, the school board decide to re-open the gym and continue the basketball season. Carter refused to sustain the message that education wasn't of importance to athletes, all he wanted to do was lead them to success and to ensure that they refrained from lowering themselves to meet the social norm of many kids brought up in Richmond, which frequently resulted in them in jail or dead. He therefore decided to quit his job, although not long after reconsidered.

He realised the impact he had already had on the athletes of Richmond High and grasped the fact that he, in fact, did inspire and help change the lives of those involved. The athletes, however, took it upon themselves to refuse to play until their own grades improved, showing further the impact that Coach Carter had imposed on them. After the athletes had become successful students, only then did they go back to basketball and make their way to the state championships. They did not win the championships, however they did win the hearts of the Richmond community and 6 of the athletes went on to college of which 5 won scholarships. 

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