Coach Carter's Decision To Leave The Basketball Team

The movie begins with Coach Carter taking a part-time, low-paid job coaching the basketball team at his old high school, Richmond High. At first, the boys are undisciplined and disrespectful. They also lost almost all of their games the previous season.

Coach Carter presents the team with a contract with the following requirements: they have to maintain a 2.3 grade point average, they have to attend classes and sit in the front row, and they have to wear jackets and ties on game days. Those that did not agree to sign the contract were immediately asked to leave the gym.

After buying in to Coach Carter’s program, the team starts winning games. Yet, while team is experiencing success, some team members are dealing with serious personal issues.

After struggling to get teachers to cooperate in reporting student grades, Carter finds that most of the team is failing and skipping classes.

As a way of enforcing his contract, Carter locks the team out of the gym, calling off practice until students are able to improve their grades to his standards. Carter demands all team members to attain a 2.3 GPA before basketball practice or games will resume.

Administration, parents, and the community are outraged that Carter is refusing to allow the team to play after they have finally found success. His unwillingness to let go of his vision, leads to a school board meeting. Board members vote that Carter end the lockout and resume team meetings. Dismayed that his decision was overturned, Carter threatens to quit coaching. Carter is on the verge of quitting over this, but when he arrives at the gym to pack up his stuff, he finds the boys sitting at school desks in the gym, with their teachers tutoring them there. Heartened by this, Carter stays.

Meanwhile, Cruz is once again dealing drugs for his cousin. Unfortunately, one night, his cousin shot and killed. In his despair, Cruz turns to the Carter for guidance and returns to the basketball