FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2005
Contact: Joshua Hollis
(662) 329-7119

Coach Ken Carter to speak at MUW
  
COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Coach Ken Carter, best known for locking out his undefeated California high school basketball team because of their grades, will speak at Mississippi University for Women on August 13 at 9 a.m. in Rent Auditorium, Whitfield Hall.
   
The story of the lockout and its consequences, which was followed by an intense media interest because of Carter’s willingness to put grades over games, was recently released as a major motion picture from Paramount Pictures and MTV Films starring Samuel L. Jackson.
   
Dr. Suzanne Bean, director of the Roger F. Wicker Center for Creative Learning, said, “I saw the `Today’ show interview with Coach Carter and felt that he has a powerful message about learning for all educators, parents and students.”
   
In an interview with Carter, who is originally from McComb and credits that location with his success, he said his speech would focus on “accountability, having integrity in your life [and] becoming a great follower before becoming a great leader…”
   
Carter believes the film, which he said was 98 percent truth with the exception of name and location changes, has a positive effect because it has given him a platform to share his story. “Education is just as important or more important than anything in our lives.” He said every parent wants his or her child to be educated, respectful and successful.
   
He added parents and children who watch the movie both will come away with something. “It’s phenomenal,” he said, noting emails received from around the world about the movie and how it has affected viewers’ lives.
   
Carter also offered his thoughts on some major issues facing basketball and sports in general. He didn’t feel there was a major problem revolving around high school basketball players who move straight to the NBA without a stopover in college. “There are very few to [actually] get drafted.” However, he noted some agents were misleading some of these athletes by making them believe they are the chosen one. He said it needs to work hand in hand where these high school athletes are required to take some college courses during the off season.
   
Regarding the Indiana Pacers/Detroit Pistons game in which a fight broke out among players and spectators and how that could be seen as a breakdown in player discipline, Carter said “We just need to make our professional athletes more accountable.”

He added National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern sent a very clear message that this type of behavior wouldn’t be tolerated.
   
Carter said the congressional hearings on steroid use in baseball were unnecessary. “I don’t feel that’s any place for Congress,” he said, adding that Congress had enough issues with which to be concerned.
   
Bean said, “We are so excited about him coming to Columbus and we hope we can get a huge crowd to hear him.”
   
If the attendees take anything away from his speech, Carter said it should be that “not all of us can become famous but all of us can become great because greatness is defined and always will be defined by the service we give to others.”