In the face of criticism from parents and school officials, Coach Carter took drastic action. He benched the entire varsity, JV, and freshman squads! He forfeited the next two games, and even made the school gym off limits for practice. Play did not resume until the students raised their grades with the help of tutors.

Richmond's varsity finished the season with a 19-5 record, and lost in the second round of the district playoffs. Carter's decision may have cost them the state championship.

The beauty of Coach Carter's decision is that all 15 athletes on that varsity team learned the importance of academics. In fact, all of them are now attending at least community college - and many are attending four-year colleges.

Carter said that, on the streets of every city in America, you see the broken dreams of former high school legends who got left behind by life. He was determined to give his boys the best opportunity to succeed, and that meant preparing them for college, not the NBA.

As a former coach, I've got to admire Coach Carter's ability to make the tough call. His players were in violation of their academic agreement, and he taught them a valuable lesson. But, it wasn't a popular decision. His decision highlights the fact that only a miniscule number of young athletes will ever make a living playing sports.

Guys, we need to emphasize academics over athletics. We need to encourage kids to keep sports in balance - sports are valuable, but shouldn't take a precendence over school.

Life isn't a game, guys. Let's encourage academic excellence from our kids, so they will be able to support themselves in life.

Copyright (c) 2000-2001 Promise Keepers. Reprinted with permission. "4th and Goal - Coaching for Life's Tough Calls" with Bill McCartney is a radio ministry of Promise Keepers.