Inspiration for the Winter Blockbuster “Coach Carter” Gives Keynote at Men’s Tip-Off Banquet
February 23, 2005
Cary, NC…Coach Ken Carter, the inspiration for the movie “Coach Carter” starring Samuel L. Jackson, will deliver the keynote address at the 2005 CIAA Men’s Basketball Tip-Off Banquet, Tuesday, March 1, 2005 at the Embassy Suites, Cary, North Carolina. The All-Conference Team, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year will be honored. Attendance is by invitation only.Coach Carter made news in 1999, when he locked out his undefeated varsity basketball team in order to push them to improve their grades. Carter not only closed the Richmond (CA) High School gym, but he banned all basketball-related activities and was prepared to cancel the entire season program, because 15 of the 45 players were not living up to the classroom achievements agreed upon in contracts that they signed earlier in the semester.
Now due to the blockbuster movie, Carter’s tactics of making a difference are nationally known. In addition to coaching, he is owner/operator of Prime Time Publications, Prime Time Sports, and is a promising author.
Mr. Carter attended George Fox University in Oregon and has to his credit
the following awards: Harvard Club's Distinguished Secondary Educator Award,
NAACP's Impact Citizen of the Year Award, California State Lottery/Governor
Gray Davis’ Heroes in Education Award, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown's
Leadership Award, California's Unsung Heroes Award, the A.N.G. California Boy's
Coach of the Year Award, and has been presented with a Proclamation from the
City of Richmond. He was recently honored by being named in CityFlight Newsmagazine's "Ten
Most Influential African Americans in the Bay Area" for 2000 in the sports
category.
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