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Crowds Turn Out To Hear Coach Carter at UW-RF

[photos]
By Molly Exner
UW-RF News Bureau

FEB. 11, 2005--Nearly 1,000 UW-River Falls' students, staff, area high-school students and guests from around the region crowded on the UW-River Falls campus to hear the legendary Coach Ken Carter share his "life lessons" Feb. 7.

Greeted with a standing ovation, Coach Carter was warmly received by a packed-to-capacity crowd to witness the celebrated coach in action. Overflow crowds were ushered to the UW-RF Agriculture Science building to view Coach Carter's speech on the UW-RF campus channel 23.

Carter's speech embraced his personal, homegrown fundamentals that he promises—once in practice—will ultimately result in "value and success." Carter emphasized the importance of "accountability, integrity, leadership and teamwork."
Carter's every breath willed out motivational affirmations to influence the future of those in attendance.

Carter praised River Falls as "one of the most polite towns in the country" and called residents "good, everyday, common folk."

Coach Carter is the renowned coach who had oversight of Richmond High School's basketball program in California from 1997 to 2002. In 1999, Carter found himself in the center of controversy when he benched his entire undefeated varsity basketball team (including his own son) to motivate and push his players to improve their grades.

Carter's accomplishments are beyond ordinary. In Richmond, 80 percent of students are more likely to end up in jail instead of college, and 50 percent of Richmond students never graduate. All of Carter's players, however, have not only graduated but have graduated with scholarships to attend college.

Carter's unconventional coaching strategies launched his career that ultimately ended up as a feature-length movie, "Coach Carter."

After the speech, Coach Carter shook hands and signed autographs, and also attended a special viewing of the movie—starring Samuel L. Jackson as the coach—at the Historic Falls Theatre in downtown River Falls.

Carter praised Jackson as a "true professional" and swears that "98.5 percent" of the movie is true. Carter says he was on the set nearly every day and pushed to have the original Richmond basketball players and their parents appear in the film, as well as his seven sisters, whom Carter credits with much of his own success. His game plays are named after each of their personalities, he says.

Carter ended the evening by giving out his e-mail address and inviting all audience members to send any concerns or questions his way. Carter vowed to reply to each and every request. Coming from a coach who doesn't appear to sway in his convictions, Carter may have a lot of e-mail to answer.

For more information on Coach Carter, visit his Web site at www.coachcarter.com.

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Last updated: Thursday, 17-Feb-2005 15:49:28 CST