Vision, Motivation, Ethics and Leadership Effectiveness in Coach Carter

The main vision of coach was realistic and long-term action oriented, thinking, interpreting and decision taking by focusing on future consequences. His vision covered wide, broader aspects of life which included not only achievement of mission and goals, but also encouraging, improving personal life of players so that they can stand on their own feet in life. By building trust with them he was understanding personality by making commitments right form the first introduction. He believed in team work rather than in individual performance. His vision was challenging which did not accept other’s perceptions, and also changed their perception for the life of students.

In this story as a coach, cater focused on how team spirit can be built among players of team who were always fighting among themselves. They were very angry and indisciplined fellows. His main focus was on how to make them realize, what actually is required to win a game rather than just competing with one another and pointing mistakes. He wanted to bring all the players into one direction that they are team, if one suffers then whole team suffers, one is winner then whole team is winner. He changed their aspect of thinking that what winning actually means. His main goal to join schools was to change their lives. Before thirty years he had studied from Richmond School and saw most of his batchmates going to prison and some died. According to API, Academic Percentage Index Richmond was always at point one only.

Fifty percent of students were graduated among which most of were girls, coach wanted to change this system of education so that each and every student can go to college to be graduated. According to him it was more important for students to stand up to a level in life, where most people often struggled to reach rather than just depending on basketball game. On getting poor academic scores he cancelled practice classes, locked gym and when principle Garrison argued for his action then too he never took away his decision. He was bold, strong enough to stand alone without waiting for authority to support him.

According to his own perception he wanted to bring change which reflected positive for future. He boldly face press conference and said that basketball team was a team to support each other not only on floor but also off the floor. It is not only meant for playing game and winning but overall life development and achievement. After this, players argued with him that he was just saying all these things for publicity then he tried to change their perception by reflecting his own vision, what he actually visualised. He visualised system of school was designed for them to fail, fifty percent of students go to college, most of them around thirty three percent go to prison at the age of 18-24. He said them to think about their lives, their parents about what their actual motive was that they exist. If they were willing to change then next day they can join library for study classes.

Being a coach, Carter motivated his team by encouragement, he inspired them to do more and more practice. He tried to maintain discipline by making them to sign contract according to which arrival time for class was 2:55, players to supposed to wear jackets and ties, he made dress code, according to contract every student was supposed to attend classes and sit in the front row. Anyone late for practice would be given punishment of running and for showing attitude push ups were asked. They were supposed to get 2.3 grades according to contract. Though parents argued about this contract, but he remained firm and determined. He motivated them that only winning id not only sufficient and play hard, more important is to humiliate the opponents, act like champions in front of them and show some class to them. They should taunt them at each and every point of action. During practice sessions he taught them that he learnt about basketball team with the help of women. Taking example of Sister Diane, he taught them straight man to man pressure defence and elped them to correct postures for defence. Then for one childhood friend Delilah he taught them trap defence, for name of Linda he taught pick and roll defence. For every game he used these names to remind them of defence to be used. He taught them asence of team spirit, unity, cooperation and emotion for each other so that they can develop ability to compete opponents by collective team work. He also motivated them to win and achieve good results academically by building trust with them that he was always for their support. He locked gym and cancelled practice classes so that they can devote time for studies and their academic teachers were asked to assist them in studies.

Yes, it resulted in positive outcomes. Team spirit was developed among players as when Timo Cruz was not able to complete his punishment for being late, the whole team shared his punishment one by one by doing push ups and suicides. Their basketball team won by beating Kennedy team form lats four consecutive years. This team was also invited for Bayhill holiday Tournament and fortunately Richmond team won championship trophy. Soon after that acemedic reports were checked and eight students had incomplete performance while six of them failed. Then coach told them as they were not going according to contract, gym was locked. Though he faced critisizm form society and public for stopping basketball practice but he never refrained and finally students passed acedemacally. Then they got chance to play with San Francis college but this time they lost the game. Coach encouraged them that they have achieved something far beyond this championship which most of the people struggle to achieve. Coach came to train players but they became students, he came to teach boys now they had become man, as now they could stand on their own feet because they got admissions in college for graduation.

Coach Carter was a man who gave importance to discipline, moral values, respect, sympathy and trust according to his ethical nature. He taught his team players respect for one another and for teachers by using the word Sir. He said they will have respect respect form him if they will not abuse him. He strictly wanted them not to use word niggah which means disrespect and huimilation for their anscestors. For coming late in practice he kept punishment and if anyone argued, he was asked to do push ups. On one side he was very strict but on the other side when he came to know about Lyle whos father was in jail. He inspired him and had sympathy that his life was not over yet. When he suspended Battle for not attending academic classes, he felt sympathy for him when he came to know the actual cause, that he had lost his brother two years back. The he gave him chance to join the practice again. Moreover when Timo Cruz’s coision was shot dead he consoled him when Cruz was all alone. When parents argued with him for gym lockout he respectfully and patiently listened to them and tried to convey his motives for their children. Though he respected Principal Garrison but on arguementation for cancellation for practices, he insisted her to focus on education system of students which was responsible for their failure. At end he said he couldnot support decision of board that basketball was more important than academic results and graduation.

In this story one of the delimmas faced by coach Carter was to support players so that they can focus on improvement in acedemic performance or to go with opinion of parents, society and public to carry on basketball practice. This situation aroused during gym lockout and cancellation of Fermont game which was famous game of the year. Coach faced critisizm form society as someone trashed his glass window pane arguing to abolish lockout. Moreover, one person started abusing him while he was travelling in car, at traffic signal. But he did not accepted decision to start practice. During board of meeting he lost vote and he said he would quit rather than going ahead with this kind of education system. One more situation faced by coach was when he suspened Battle and when he came to knew real cause he had sympathy for him. At this situation he was confused to punish him for misbehaviour or have sympathy. But anyhow he forgave him and allowed him to attend practice. This was the case of justice versus mercy dilemma.

These ethical delimmas were resolved by principle of ends based thinking, as what majority of parents demanded was focused upon. Coach decided to quit according to decision but players were so inspired by him, they had respect for him, were emotionally attached that they utilized their practice time for study in gym which was opened. Thus, with the help of good interaction, response and active participation of players coach was able to accomplish his main goal for which he took the job in this school.

These delimas would have been resolved in a better way with a support of board meeting. They sould have tried to understand motives and intentions of coach, instead of paying attention to comments given by parents. If education system of school is corrected by senior faculty then no parent can deny it. Special motivational proagraames could have been orgainsed for parents to get to know main perception of coach that how it’s going to effect future of their children. Then the state of arousal of press conference, media, news on television could not have aroused. Strictness should have been made for attendance of students and academic performance for players rather than only games. Inspirational classes should have been organised for students to understand that they are capable to stand on their own feet, this was the main reason for which they were coming to school. Students can’t depend on game of basketball for whole life.

Coach was successful to achieve goal for which he joined Richmond School. His behaviour, capabilities and strong determination led to positive results. He was a man with passion, enthusiasm. He had influential nature for players to convince them, to understand his goals and perception. He had ability to evaluate and analyse situation, interpret players with good interaction. He was supportive for them at each step. Coach was open to share his feelings, past experiences with players. While training, he told his players what ll he learnt about basketball, he learnt from women. So accordingly he taught them defence measures. He never hesitated to share his experience, during his school time thirty three percent of students went to prison and inspired his players to focus on graduation. As far as conscientiousness is concerned he was particular. He made contract comprising rules to attend classes and sit in front row. He also reminded Mrs. Garrison for academic reports pf players.

Thogh she was annoyed he was firm with his plans and schedule. This shows he was disciplined, firm determined for plans so as to prevent troubles in future. He never led failure to overcome victory. He was extravert and had good relation with previous coach, who was anxious to appoint him knowing that he had capabilities to handle situation. He took responsibility and commitment of four months training confidently without feeling reluctant. When we discuss about agreeable nature he was somewhat disagreeable. His disagreeable nature only brought change in education system of Richmond School, holding record of past years for only one score academically. Thiugh parents, Mrs. Garrison argued for measures taken by him like gym lockouts, practice cancellation he never gave up and at end positive results appeared. Because of this behaviour most of players got admission in college, some got scholarships for graduation. Thus, this behaviour led to optimistic results. When taking about neuroticism, he was not at all affected rather was strong, bold, remained optimistic in stressful situations. He never gor depressed on decision made by board and confidently decided to quit instead of supporting the decision that games were more important than graduation.

Coach was intelligent personality, his perception for system of education of school was different form others. He had good analytical intelligence as he could analyse and evaluate where problem actually existed. Students were not responsible, it was faculty who designed education system giving more priority and importance to games for players rhater than their studies and graduation. He tried to change visualisation power and direction in which players were going into, motivating them that it was not their fault but a system was responsible for their failure. He had ability to interpret situation and focus on future consequences. He also had practical intelligence as he had experience and knowledge form his past student life when more importance was given to games rather than studies which ended up the life of students in prison or death. He motivated and inspired his players how to win game and only winning is not important, more important is to huimilate oppenents, he taught them defence acts and included discipline in their life by making them to sign contract. As far as his creative intelligence is concerned he taught them good skills and inculcated openions which changed their vision for life. Now Timo Cruz was able to know his deepest fear which was light, not darkness that frightened them. Fear was that they think, they are more powerful beyond measure. When they will shine within then automatically they can spread liberty and shine among people.