Coach &Ken& Carter delivered a motivational speech titled &Average is Just Not Good Enough. Period,& Monday in the University Union that was aimed to inspire young people to invest in their futures.

Carter spoke to approximately 300 students, athletes, faculty, and the community about living a successful life by preaching accountability, integrity, leadership and teamwork. His speech was part of a month-long celebration honoring the achievement of African Americans as part of Black History Month.

Carter benched an undefeated high school basketball team in 1999 after 15 of the 45 players failed to hold themselves accountable for a contract agreement of a minimum 2.3 grade-point-average. The state championship bound team was 13-0 when he locked the gym doors in Richmond not allowing the team to continue its winning streak.

&I was concerned for my safety,& Carter said. &Everyone thought we were going to win the state championship, but that wasn&t my goal. My goal was getting the students into college.&

The attention the athletes were receiving lead them to feel like rock-stars causing many students to blow off classes. The controversial call made by Carter to suspend the team&s activity ignited uproar in the community because the team had previously only won four games. However, Carter clearly believes that student athletes should prioritize their lives correctly concentrating on schoolwork before sports.

&They broke integrity for not keeping to the contract,& Carter said. &And they needed to be held accountable.&

The risky move made by Carter also grabbed the attention of Paramount Pictures who asked to use Carter&s life story for a motion picture. Carter was so shocked by Paramount showing interest that he actually hung up the phone when they called. Thinking it was one of his friends playing a prank, the infamous coach later realized it was no joke and the rest is history.

The movie, &Coach Carter,& grossed $26.3 million in the first week of release placing it on the top of the charts in the box office. The movie stars actor Samuel L. Jackson as the coach who encouraged the athletes to stop failing and start performing, both in and out of the classroom. When asked about the actor&s performance in the movie, Carter said that he was glad to have such a prestigious actor play his part but claims to be better looking than Jackson.

At a school where students were 80 times more likely to go to jail than college, Carter faced a tough task of converting failing students into studious sportspersons. Carter used positive peer pressure and discipline to teach his players skills that he says will last a lifetime.

The movie had an impact on many viewers& lives showing them a style of teaching that is not always common. Leonard Valdez, director of the Multi-Cultural Center, was one of those viewers who was impacted.

&He really sent a message that affected all of us who work with youth,& Valdez said.

Carter said that 98.5 percent of the movie was consistent with the true story and that only specific names, families, and schools were altered in the film.

Jerome Jenkins, head coach of the men&s basketball team at Sac State, related to Carter&s experiences because he had benched four players in a past season due to insufficient grade point average.

&I could have made them eligible,& Jenkins said. &But I decided to sit them out. I think it really helped open a lot of eyes.&