Movie Session: Coach Carter

Before Watching Activities

A.

Fill in the blanks in the text using these words

because play basketball became not teach starts had gym

played school are is victory better they did winning - but
have win father failing
Coach Carter is the new (1) __________ coach at Richmond High School.
When he comes to the (2) __________ he can see that they are fighting
more off the court than on the court. The team (3) __________ having an
awful season and he wants them to become a (4) __________ team, but he
also wants something more. He wants to (5) __________ them how to
respect themselves and each other.
The team (6) __________ winning games, but then he finds out that they
are (7) __________ following his contract; their grades are not getting (8)
__________, they are (9) __________ at school and one of the reasons is
that they (10) __________ actually not attending their classes. He locks
the (11) __________ and the team is not allowed to practise or (12)
__________ games.
Some of the players are also struggling outside the school. They (13)
__________ friends who have a bad influence on them, and one of them is
also going to be a (14) __________.
The movie did not have a storybook ending; they (15) __________ not win
the final game. But they (16) __________ like champions (17) __________
they never gave up, and they held their heads high, even though they
did not (18) __________ the game they achieved something that goes way
beyond the headlines of tomorrows sports section. They achieved
something that people use their whole life to find. They achieved the
(19) __________ within themselves. They (20) __________ gentlemen.
Coach Carters plan failed. He (21) __________ a plan when he came to
Richmond High School. He came to coach basketball players (22)
__________ they became students. He came to teach boys but (23)
__________ became men.
B. Are these statements True or False? Correct the wrong information.
1. Coach Carter only wants the team to win.
2. Coach Carter locks the gym because they havent won games.
3. The students are getting bad grades because they are not going to

school.
4. They lost the final game because they gave up.
5. Coach Carters plan failed because they didnt win the final game.

Movie Session: Coach Carter

C. Write a definition of these values

Liberty

Equality

Justice

..
Respect

..
Responsibility

Movie Session: Coach Carter

While watching activities

A. Pay attention to these key words from the movie and write
about them
-

Dress code

Sign contracts

Attending school

..
Their grades at school

Sir

Push-ups and suicides

Movie Session: Coach Carter

Ill do push-ups for him. We are a team one person struggles, we all
struggle, right?

Boys become men

..
What is your deepest fear?

Movie Session: Coach Carter

B. Guided Discussion: Take notes to discuss after watching the

movie
1. What does Coach Carter do the first day that sets the stage for the
season?
2. What is Coach Carters intent? Did he accomplish what he set out
to do?
3. What message did the principal, school board, teachers and
parents send to the player and community with regard to Coach
Carters enforcing the consequences of the contract? How
important is the message that a leader sends to peers, superiors
and subordinates?
4. Coach Carters leadership style requires that the players show
each other respect. Identify at least two ways Coach Carter
required his players to show respect.
5. Discuss Timos speech adapted from Marianne Williamsons A
Return to Love
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 wont feel insecure around you. We were all meant to
shine, as children do. Its not just in some of us, its in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other
people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our
own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
6. Principal Garrison and Coach Carter have a discussion regarding
what each believes is the others leadership role. What does each
believe is the others role?
7. What are some examples in the movie focusing on values such as
liberty, equality, justice, responsibility and respect?
8. How does Coach Carter show motivation and stimulation?
9. What did you learn from this movie?
10.Do you consider Ken Carter a good teacher? Why?/Why not?

Movie Session: Coach Carter

After watching activities

Coach Carter Assignment
A. Questions to answer:
Answers should be in complete sentences, with correct grammar, spelling
and punctuation.
1) How did Coach Carter and his team learn to respect each other as the
season progressed?
2) Do you feel the contract Coach Carter made his players sign in order to
play on the basketball team was fair?
3) Why was the contract important to the development of the story line of
this movie?
4) How did Coach Carter save the life of at least one of his players?
5) Did helping his team achieve academic success ultimately mean more
than winning basketball games?
6) Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. How does this
quote apply to this movie? Explain.
7) What was the main theme (message) of this movie? Explain.
8) There were examples of many different types of conflict in the movie.
Choose one and explain it.
9) If you were telling a friend about this movie, what would you say? How
would you explain the movie? Pretend that you have to fill a peer in on
what the movie was about because he/she missed it. Write a paragraph to
explain what happens in this movie. This is a resume, not a play-by-play
account. Be careful not to miss important points, though!
10) Youve been asked by the local newspaper to make a review of this
movie. What would you write? Be sure to express your opinion and back it
up with facts!

Movie Session: Coach Carter

B. Lessons from the movie

You must choose five of the following fifteen lessons from the movie to
explain with your own words.
Answers should be in complete sentences, with correct grammar, spelling
and punctuation.
1. To win out there, you must win in here (self)
2. Boundaries once created will be tested
3. Hold in the face of no agreement, resistance, judgement....commit to
the goal & push through your own resistance... to stop listening to
your doubts and fears
4. Backing your team members, when they step into the breach
5. Who are the people on your bus? Ensuring that all the members on
the bus are heading in the same direction loyalty to the vision
6. Smile when you get your punishment, its an opportunity to grow
7. With everything there is responsibility and consequences
8. Failure as a team, not just an individual. You cannot actually win by
yourself when youre playing a team sport.
9. Expecting too little, being a demand for greatness, in the face of
mediocrity
10.Taking responsibility for the results everyones accountable
(including the leader)
11.Only promise what you can deliver
12.Know what motivates your team, use this to assist them to achieve
their goals
13.Back your leader when they falter, we all falter at some stage & need
someone to back us
14.Sometimes it is hard to do the right thing but it is the only thing that
creates enduring self-respect and the only thing that demonstrates
ones true worth!
15.Just because you think you deserve something doesnt mean lifes
going to give it to you. Sometimes you have to take it!

Movie Session: Coach Carter

Teachers Answesr Key

Before Watching Activities
A.

Fill in the blanks in the text using these words

because play basketball became not teach starts had gym

played school are is victory better they did winning - but
have win father failing
Coach Carter is the new (1) basketball coach at Richmond High School.
When he comes to the (2) school he can see that they are fighting more off
the court than on the court. The team (3) is having an awful season and he
wants them to become a (4)winning team, but he also wants something
more. He wants to (5) teach them how to respect themselves and each
other.
The team (6) starts winning games, but then he finds out that they are (7)
not following his contract; their grades are not getting (8) better, they are
(9) falling at school and one of the reasons is that they (10) are actually not
attending their classes. He locks the (11) gym and the team is not allowed
to practise or (12) play games.
Some of the players are also struggling outside the school. They (13) have
friends who have a bad influence on them, and one of them is also going to
be a (14) father.
The movie did not have a storybook ending; they (15) did not win the final
game. But they (16) played like champions (17) because they never gave
up, and they held their heads high, even though they did not (18) win the
game they achieved something that goes way beyond the headlines of
tomorrows sports section. They achieved something that people use their
whole life to find. They achieved the (19) victory within themselves. They
(20) became gentlemen.
Coach Carters plan failed. He (21) had a plan when he came to Richmond
High School. He came to coach basketball players (22) but they became
students. He came to teach boys but (23)they became men.
B.
Are these statements True or False? Correct the wrong
information.
1.

Coach Carter only wants the team to win. (F) He wants the team to win,
but he also wants to teach them how to respect themselves and each other

2.

Coach Carter locks the gym because they havent won games. (F) He
locks it because he finds out that theyre not following the contract, theyre
failing at school and they`re not attending their classes

Movie Session: Coach Carter

3.
The students are getting bad grades because they are not going to
school. (T)
4.

They lost the final game because they gave up. (F) They played like
champions because they never gave up

5.

Coach Carters plan failed because they didnt win the final game. (F)
It failed because he came to coach basketball players but they became
students, he came to teach boys but they became men

Movie Session: Coach Carter

While watching activities

A.

Pay attention to these key words from the movie and write about
them
Dress code:
They must wear suits and tie to show respect

Sign contracts
They can choose to sign a contract of behavior and academics and all are
held to it

Attending school
They must go to school, mustnt miss their classes

Their grades at school

They must get good grades, must pass their exams

Sir
Students must call Coach Carter Sir, they should show each other respect

Push-ups and suicides

Coach Carter makes the boys responsible for doing their push-ups and
suicides

Ill do push-ups for him. We are a team one person struggles, we

all struggle, right?
All other players help Cruz finish his task

Boys become men

They can make themselves a successful life, but they have to work at it.
They believe to realize that they truly believe in themselves

What is your deepest fear?

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not
our darkness that most frightens us

Movie Session: Coach Carter

B.

Guided Discussion: Take notes to discuss after watching the movie

1. What does Coach Carter do the first day that sets the stage for the season?
- Institutes a player/parent contract
- Allows the previous years top scorers to quit the team when they wont
take the contract
- Identifies his expectations for player conduct and performance- where to sit
in class, what to
wear on game day, what time to be at practice
2.

What is Coach Carters intent? Did he accomplish what he set out to do?
- To win both on and off the court
- Carter accomplished more than he intended. Youve achieved something
that some people spend their whole lives trying to find. What you achieved is
that ever-elusive victory within I had a plan. That plan failed. I came to
coach basketball players and you became students. I came to teach boys
and you became men. And for that I thank you.

3.

What message did the principal, school board, teachers and parents send to
the player and community with regard to Coach Carters enforcing the
consequences of the contract? How important is the message that a leader
sends to peers, superiors and subordinates?
- Winning was more important than education
- The players are above the law
- Basketball is all that the boys have
- Communication is one of the most important tools that a leader uses. The
message that is given and received is vital for successful leadership. Leaders
should ensure that the message sent is the one received feedback

4.

Coach Carters leadership style requires that the players show each other
respect. Identify at least two ways Coach Carter required his players to show
respect.
- Use the term sir
- refrain from using the term nigga

5.

Discuss Timos speech adapted from Marianne Williamsons A Return to Love

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 wont feel insecure around
you. We were all meant to shine, as children do. Its not just in some of us,

Movie Session: Coach Carter

its in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give
other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own
fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
6. Garrison and Coach Carter have a discussion regarding what each
believes is the others leadership role. What does each believe is the
others role?
- Principal Garrison believes that Coach Carters job is to win basketball
games
- Coach Carter believes that Principal Garrisons job is to educate kids
7.

What are some examples in the movie focusing on values such as liberty,
equality, justice, responsibility and respect?
Coach Carter demonstrates values such as liberty, equality and justice when
he allowed the players on his team the liberty to choose to play, to choose to
achieve, to choose to sign the contract of behavior. He showed respect
instilling equality among them. He demonstrates justice when he expects
and upholds the contract. All are held to it.
He shows values such as responsibility when he makes the boys responsible
for doing their push-ups and suicides and for arriving on time.
8. How does Coach Carter show motivation and stimulation?
He motivates his team by helping them to visualize and realize their
potential as athletes and their potential as students. He helps them to see
that they can make themselves a successful life if they go to college, but
they have to work at it.
When Coach Carter requires the signing of contracts regarding behavior and
academics, he is helping the team to set new standards and recreate their
image, he inspires

9.

What did you learn from this movie?

10.

Do you consider Ken Carter a good teacher? Why?/Why not?