Movie: Coach Carter Review in Relationship to Group Dynamics

Movie: Coach Carter Review in Relationship to Group Dynamics

Sports Administration

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Movie: Coach Carter Review in Relationship to Group Dynamics

Sports Administration

The concept of a team involves defining a group, in which a number of people work together to achieve a common purpose. (Levi, 2010) The members involved work together by ensuring that each of them participates in the task given. They operate interdependently, where they assist one another in areas of weakness. For example, if a member is given a task that he is unable to handle, other members chip in their ideas that would help him accomplish it. In the movie, Coach Carter, the coach had a purpose in mind to accomplish before forming a basketball team. He had observed the poor education system at Richmond High, which had many issues including violence, disorderliness and academic failure and felt the need to make a change.

He also noted that all team players had a passion for basketball and decided to make it the team’s goal to learn the value of discipline, confidence and hard work for them to become successful players. Students from Richmond High came from humble backgrounds on the streets, where there were issues of drugs, poverty, insecurity and crime. Their passion for basketball arose from the hope of being associated with achieving greater things and becoming better than the streets, they came from. After Carter observed and learned all this information about the team, he decided to make it his priority to encourage and instill those positive values in the team players.

He carried on with his plan of recruiting young talented players who made a major decision to stay away from negative influences such as drugs and crime. For example, some of the players gave up doing illegal activities like drug dealings or friendships that would encourage the same. When they started playing as a team, they also learned how to tolerate one another during the game. For example, whenever two members would go into a fight, other members helped to stop them from getting into trouble. They also formed a bond as they would hang out together most of the times especially those who lived in the same neighborhood. They also cared for one another through their hardships that occurred in the ghetto involving insecurity around their homes such as theft and murder.

Within a team, operations of the members’ activities are directed by following certain rules and regulations set by their representative. (Levi, 2010). They guide and direct the activities of the group associates to follow the direction towards achieving the goal. In the movie, Carter came up with strategies that would instill the value of discipline in the team players. He taught them on how to claim and expect respect from others until it was exploited. For example, he would enforce the use of courteous words such as sir when referring to other people instead of using vulgar language. He accomplished this by ensuring that before a player enters the team, he signs a contract that requires him to follow rules and standards of the game.

The coach was positive that this strategy would help his team to learn the importance of applying self-discipline and honesty in life. The players would also be more aware of their purpose in the team because the contract would give them guidelines that would help them be more focused. Carter been optimistic for his team, encouraged them to be confident, responsible and determined and hence created an atmosphere for the players that was heading for greatness. He trained the team players to conduct themselves as if they were ready for success by instructing them to dress and organize themselves in a certain way.

He also used tough strategies to ensure they learned important skills in doing what was required. For example, he would punish the team as a whole if one of the members caused trouble. Another good example was when a player pleaded with the coach to take him back after being thrown out for going against many rules. Carter accepted the plea, but only if the player would meet a requirement that was unattainable. He would also discourage the player by instructing him to leave since he could not accomplish the task.

Although such a strategy would not be encouraged in a team, it worked for the coach, as he was able to accomplish his goal of turning them into disciplined successful players. In a team, the leader is expected to take risks that seek to achieve the main purpose(Levi, 2010). As shown in the movie, Carter took a risk by closing down the school gym used for basketball practices. His team players were not taking the academic rules seriously and so he decided to take action until they realized themselves and make a change in their academic field. This strategy caused a lot of trouble for the coach since the school board threatened to fire him if he did not open the gym.

He was willing to loose his job because he strongly believed in the mission he had when he was forming the team. He believed that if he stepped down and gave up, he would be informing his students that leisure activities are more important than academic education. At the end, the players changed their perspectives on academics and decided to support the Coach’s mission of changing their negative attitude towards academics. As a result, the team from Richmond kept winning many contests until they received an invite to contend for the state championship.

They played with the top national players from the team known as St. Francis and lost to the game. Although the team did not make it to the finals, they won because during that process of training and playing in other championships, they were able to learn from experience the importance of values they failed to give attention in the past. For example, the team members from Richmond were now able to love and have respect for each other and showed an improvement in their academic progress.

 

 

Reference

Levi, D. (2010). Group dynamics for teams. Los Angeles, California: SAGE.