Movie English 2nd assignment -Coach Carter-

1. Coach Carter is based on the true story of a Richmond High School basketball coach who tries to effect positive change in a group of student athletes who have given up hope on creating successful future.

Q: How dose Coach Carter accomplish positive change and how are his methods similar and/or different Erin Gruwell’s (Freedom Writers) methods? Give example and details from the movie.

A: Coach Carter accomplishes positive change by contracting with the students and forcing them to obey his rules. Also, he punishes the students when they complain to his order.

Erin’s location and Carter’s one are similar. Coach Carter went to a high school of low income area, and Erin Gruwell did, too. However, Erin’s school had race issue, and Carter’s school didn't have it at least on the surface. Also, in Erin’s school, the students stressed by the parents and the same race persons, and the problem is bigger than anything else, so they didn't study. In Carter’s school, the students didn't get motivate in studying, and the surroundings thought that they couldn't study well and could only play basketball.

Coach Carter wanted the students to study, or to enter a university, and to have hopes for their future. He ordered the students to get a 2.3 grade, to attend all classes, and to sit down in front of teachers in classes, in the contract. He told the parents of the students that they would get stipend money from SAT if they would get a 2.3 grade.  It showed us that he thought the students would enter a university. Also, he thought the surrounding of the students made them not study but play basketball. In these points, his methods are similar to Erin’s methods.

He forced the students to study by the contract. He punished the students disordering his rules strictly. He ordered 1000 push-up when the member of the team disordered or complained to his order. Also, he didn't stop the students leaving the team. When Cruz left the team, he said some words, and he didn't stop him. In these points, his methods are different from Erin’s methods.

2. At beginning of the basketball season Coach Carter gets his players to sign a contract.

Q: What were the main items of the contract? And why do you think Coach Carter had the players sign such a contract before they could play? Do you agree or disagree with this?

A: The main items of the contract are about studying. The students must attend to all classes. In the class, they must sit down at the front row of the classes. They must maintain a 2.3 glade average. The others are a dress code and coming 5 minutes before practices start. In the scenes of the lockout the gym, he told the citizens that to end the lockout meant not to have honor the rules. He wanted the students to learn having honor to rules and thought that it’s important for the students not only to play basketball in high school but also to have hopes for their future. The hopes would be made by studying, he thought. These are why Coach Carter had the players sign such a contract.

  To have honor rules is important, but contracting with the students went too far, so I disagree with the way he did. He could provide the rules without the contracts. In fact, the student studied after the lockout ended, and it’s because the students understood his thought, not because obeying the contract.

3. When Coach Carter found out that over half of his team was failing he suspended all practice sessions and forfeited the following games.

Q: Why do you think he did that? What does the expression, “student-athlete mean?” Do you agree or disagree with the meaning of this expression?

A: The team became stronger, and the students got carried away. However, the students didn't study enough, and the contract was failed. He wanted them to study and to maintain the grade to enter the university. He didn't think that was going to end well and thought something had to be done about that. These are why he did that.

  The expression, “student-athlete”, means the player is not athlete but student.  Students have to study. Studying is first and playing sports is next for the students. I agree with the meaning of this expression. Surrounding of the players shouldn't think they can only play basketball. They should study, too, and they can study as they can play basketball. In these days, it is said that the baseball players in high school play harder than pro-baseball players. It’s the same problem.

4. At various times throughout the movie, Coach Carter asks Cruz, “what is your deepest fear young man?”

Q: What do you think Coach Carter meant by that? How does Cruz answer Coach Carter and what do you think his answer means?

A: Cruz was unbalanced and he left the team when the things he disliked happened.  Also he became a drag dealer with his cousin. Coach Carter wanted Cruz to have something unshakable, such as thinking a thing happening is better than his deepest fear, or to make an effort to avoid the deepest one. Coach Carter wanted him to be disillusioned by that.

  He answered their deepest fear is not that they are inadequate and that they are powerful beyond measure. He told;

“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 shining so that other people won’t feel insecure around you….”

This answer is quoted from A Return To Love written by Marianne Williamson. I understand the passage as the message meaning when I fear something, I can grow up.  However, his answer meant another. The team or students were thought they couldn't study well and could only play basketball. Also, other students were similar, so, in that situation, if they had studied hard, they would have gone out of those students. It means they will be misfits in the situation. That is fear, but Coach Carter taught them to do their best and to have hope by doing hard, and, if they play hard and have hope, the surroundings will notice they can do too. These are the meaning of his answer.

5. At the end of the movie during the locker room scene Coach Carter tells his team that he failed to meet his objectives for the basketball season.

Q: What did he mean by that? Give specific example from movie.

A: He said “I came to coach basketball players, and you became students. I came to teach boys, and you became men.” and “You got inner victory.” His objectives are to coach basketball players and to teach boys, but they became students and men, so he failed to meet his objectives. Also, inner victory is not to give up and to go on playing.  It’s more precious than to win games. The team lost the game but got inner victory.

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