How a Chat with Coach Ken Carter
Put Blake Watkins on the Offense in the Game of Life

The day of May 21, 2007, was very special to me because I knew that Coach Ken Carter was coming to speak to me and fellow seniors at South Pike High School.  As five of my friends and I walked into the auditorium, we laughed hysterically because everyone was so sure that movie star Samuel L. Jackson was coming too.

After a couple of minutes passed by, I spotted Coach Carter being escorted inside the auditorium by a couple of body guards.  I only knew what he looked like because of a scene at the end of the 2005 movie “Coach Carter.”  Everyone was excited that a celebrity was in their midst.  They were ecstatic as he walked down the aisle throwing DVDs, T-shirts, headbands, wristbands and skull caps with his name on them.  I didn’t attempt to catch anything because, as South Pike’s 2007 class president, I knew I would have an opportunity to talk to him one-on-one.

His attitude and charisma kept everyone focused on him and his message.  He told us that everything in life that is worth anything does not come easy.  He reminded me that I had my entire life ahead of me, and my life will only become what I make of it.  He then explained that if a person, especially a young person, has a dream, there is nothing that can stop him or her from achieving that dream except the person themselves. 

After his speech, a group of about 12 of us got to converse with him.  We asked questions about his career and what inspired him to write a movie about his life as a basketball coach.  Everyone knew that every year some team won a basketball championship for their school, but why make a movie?  He answered the question in a way that made us understand that winning the championship was like proving to his athletes that they could do whatever they set their minds to.  He shared with us stories about how his athletes all came from different living environments but came together as one to reach a common goal of winning a state championship game.

It was his response to a question I asked him that has managed to stick with me to this very day.  I said, “I like that hat you have on; can I have it?”  Before replying, he asked me my name.  I answered, “Blake Watkins.”  He then said, “Blake, no, you can’t have my hat.  See, if you would have asked if you could earn my hat, I would have given it to you.  Nothing in life is free.  If you want something, you must earn it.”  When I rephrased the question to his liking, he sincerely said, “It’s too late now.”  I then realized that a majority of the time in life, you don’t have a second chance.  If everyone had a second chance, a lot of people would take life for granted.  That conversation has remained with me because I really wanted that hat. 

When I graduated a couple of days later, I took Coach Ken Carter’s words with me. With God on my side, I have taken advantage of nearly every opportunity that has been in my reach.

I am currently a sophomore mathematics major at The University of Southern Mississippi, located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.  My college experience so far has been a positive one. While I have met many wonderful people, my roommate, Joshua Cathey, has been the most influential person in my life.  Similar to the philosophy of the movie, your goal is easier to reach if great influences are on your team.  As I move forward through college and the rest of my life, I will strive to leave every place better than I found it.  Hopefully, I can inspire someone to believe anything is possible, just as Coach Carter motivated me to believe.

The interview obtained by chinika.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Chinika, LLC.
 

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed