COACH CARTER

Film Analysis- Sport and Global Society

Film Analysis- Sport and Global Society

Introduction

The film “Coaching Carter” revolves around Ken carter, a basketball coach in a high school situated in an impoverished neighborhood in Richmond, California. However, the main motivation to take up the coaching job is not financial in nature; instead, Carter wishes to see his old school achieve the glory that it did in the years when he himself was a champion athlete there (Garner, 2005, p. 7). Looking at their dismal and disappointing performance, Carter soon learns that the current team of athletes at the school has poor skills as well as attitude and that they also lack proper training. Coach Carter's personality characterizes two words - discipline and determination (Grant, 2005, p. 26). He lives with his own set of principles and is strict in maintaining discipline among his team members. He is a man who wastes no time in excluding from his team, those members who are undeserving or who do not push hard enough to prove themselves (Waugh, 2005, p. 5).

Plot of Coach Carter

The story of the film revolves around how Coach Ken Carter teaches his players the true spirit of a sportsman and athlete. It also includes numerous accounts of the personal life of Ken Carter, the coach on whose life the film is based (Masin, 2005, p. 6). Ken Carter was among the few players who earned distinction for his sports prowess while playing in the Richmond High school team of basket ball and his feats were so legendary that he was treated as star in his school. This personal account of the high school life of Ken carter is covered in the film (Masin, 2005, p. 6). Several years later, Ken Carter establishes his own businesses and earns his livelihood by setting up a store that deals in sports goods. However, destiny brings him back to the gates of his old high school as he becomes the coach of the basketball team (Garner, 2005, p. 7). From here, Carter quickly sets out to work on achieving the task that has been assigned to him - bringing the school's basketball team back to its past glory (Hallett & Silver, 2005, p. 63).

The team is highly disorganized and disoriented and lacks the proper training, skills and discipline to win matches against tough opponents. More, importantly, the team is not working as one unit and lacks solidarity and determination (Hallett & Silver, 2005, p. 63). They have not fared well in the last couple of seasons and, as a result, have been burdened with one loss after the other in countless seasons. Coach carter therefore gets to work and promptly imposes a strict and rather unforgiving regime that is defined by a set of written contracts. These contracts include following a dress code, the inclusion of stipulations for respectful behavior, and ensuring acceptable grades in studies as the essential prerequisites for participation in the school basketball team (Hallett & Silver, 2005, ...