Coach Carter: A lesson in Autonomy

One of the best things a basketball coach ever did for me was lend me his copy of Coach Carter 14 years ago. For years it was my favourite film. It inspired me to fall more deeply in love with sports every time I watched it, and it always motivated me to train harder and play better. Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal of Coach Ken Carter is excellent, the film’s plot is engaging, and it has a lot to teach us about the power of choice. Before you read further though, I must warn you that this article contains spoilers for the film.

Angry Kids with Limited Options

At the start of the film, we’re introduced to the Richmond High School Basketball team. They play a home game which Ken Carter attends before he is made their coach. It’s clear from the beginning that the team isn’t very good as they are outplayed by their opposition throughout the game. The team becomes more and more frustrated until a fight ensues between the two teams. On the surface, the fight seems to happen as a result of poor discipline, but it’s perhaps more complex than that.

When viewed from a performance psychology perspective, an angry outburst is often the final phase in a four-step process. The process begins when a player feels feelings of limited control over the way they play (1). This then leads to feelings of frustration (2), which leads to feelings of anger (3), which if not controlled properly, can ultimately lead to an angry outburst (4).

The players look as though they have limited control over the game because of how disorganised they are on the court. This feeling could be amplified by the players’ low socio-economic status and the feelings of limited autonomy associated with it.

At this point in the film, the players anger seems to merely be a symptom of more pressing issues. The players live in a poor community in which there is limited potential for success. They are also at this point statistically unlikely to complete high school, and statistically likely to make poor decisions and end up in jail.

Carter’s Solution

Coach Carter’s goal from the beginning is to equip his players with the power to make choices. This is not obvious from their first interaction. When introduced to the team at his first practice, he presents himself as a strict authoritarian. He ironically provides the team with a new set of rigid rules and standards. This immediately causes some of the players to have angry outbursts and quit the team on the spot. At this point it seems obvious that he is not off to a good start in terms of getting them to have feelings of control and autonomy.

For those who remain though, they learn that as they work hard in the gym, they start to execute basketball skills better. They also improve their endurance which is an important factor in their first win in the film. By giving over control to their coach in training, they begin to realise that they have more autonomy in their games. By giving up the game altogether to improve their academic performance, they begin to realise that they have the potential to attend college. This serves as a tool Carter uses to prove to the players that they are not bound by their socio-economic status, and that given the correct discipline and support, they can go to college on basketball scholarships, achieve university degrees, and ultimately have the choice to take their lives in the direction they choose.

While Carter doesn’t win the state championship with Richmond, he arguably gives his players an even better gift, which is an internal locus of control and the confidence to have long-lasting autonomy in their lives. A lesson Coach Carter teaches us is an ironic one. It is that true freedom and fulfilment cannot be experienced without discipline and personal responsibility.

Advice to Coaches

For coaches who have players on their team who are prone to angry outbursts, it’s important that coaches help these players to identify parts of the game in which they do have control. Bringing back feelings of perceived control should lower the frequency of the outbursts. If the athlete is young, it’s important to also express your concern to the athlete’s parents if possible. They could provide you with insight into their behaviour, and you could work together toward a solution. If, however, there still isn’t much improvement in their behaviour over time, I’d recommend that they see a qualified councillor just in case there is a deep personal issue that the athlete is struggling to face.

As for Carter’s radical methods, although effective in the film, they are extremely risky. He doesn’t do himself any favours by imposing performance contracts on players without communicating to them or their parents his reasons for the contracts. Had he informed them of his plan to help his players attend college from the beginning, perhaps he would have avoided the initial backlash he received from them and the media. As a coach, it is important to recognise your relationship between an athlete, his/her parents, and yourself as an important three-way partnership in which you all communicate regularly and respectfully in order to reach shared goals.

Thanks for reading this article. If you have any comments or questions about it or suggestions for future articles, I’d love to hear from you.

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Dave Roebuck