Event 2

The movie Coach Carter was a true story about a high school basketball coach who would not let his team play unless his student-athletes performed well in the classroom. A bunch of troubled teens, all the boys wanted to do was “play ball.” However, Coach Carter shut the gym down until all of them had a passing GPA. This motivated the guys to help one another out with classes so that they could get back on the court and do what they really loved to do- play basketball. The character of Coach Carter was played by Samuel L. Jackson, but according to the “real” coach Carter, who spoke at NSU on September 16, 2008, Carter is the “real” and “better-looking” Carter. Coach Carter spoke to student-athletes of Nova Southeastern University, and mentioned the importance of staying in the classroom and putting lots of effort into schoolwork. He did so in a very humorous, but effective way. It was an inspiration to hear the true story coming from a coach who made history. From Carter’s speech, I learned the true importance of focusing on schoolwork as well as on the particular sport one is involved with. Schooling will bring one so much further in life, and one cannot just focus on playing a sport because the body will get old and weaken, but the mind can only grow sharper with age and experience.