Hoosiers A former college basketball coach with a “past,” Norman Dale enters the small Indiana town of Hickory after spending ten years in the Navy. He’s been hired to coach basketball–to fill the hole left by the death of the town’s beloved coach. The team’s star player, Jimmy, has quit the sport out of grief, and the remaining seven players are poorly trained in the basics of basketball. Hickory lives and breathes basketball, and a losing record could end Coach Dale’s high school coaching career before it even begins. Coach Dale has his own way of coaching, a method that involves strict discipline, drilling in the very basics of the game, and exercises designed to build up the concept of team interaction. It’s a method that will bring about long-term results, but only after short-term losses. The townspeople of Hickory, irate when the coach benches a ball-hogging player mid-game (leaving only four men on the floor) vote to have him fired. But a reprieve comes when Jimmy announces he’ll play basketball again… but only for Coach Dale. With the talented Jimmy on board, and Coach Dale’s drills in basics and teamwork finally paying off, the Hickory Huskers start winning — all the way to the finals of the state championship, where they manage to defeat a much larger school from South Bend. An interesting facet to this movie is that it doesn’t really show Coach Dale making any mistakes with his players. Although in the distant past, he was fired from his college job for hitting a player, he appears to have learned his lesson. He doesn’t appear to want to win at all costs. He isn’t violent anymore. He treats his players with the right balance of strictness, patience, and caring. He gives Jimmy “space,” allowing the boy to work through his grief at his own pace, trusting that Jimmy’s support system will give the boy the attention he needs at home. It is not because Coach Dale attempted to lure Jimmy back to the team that Jimmy decides to play again, but because Jimmy respects that the coach left him alone to grieve and recover. However, had it not been for Jimmy’s decision, Coach Dale’s gruffness with the townsfolk, and his refusal to listen to their complaints, would have gotten him fired. Although his coaching methods did work out in the end, the residents of Hickory were not willing to wait. A bit more diplomacy with the powers that be, and Coach Dale might not have had to face possible dismissal.
Mentorship Points:
1. Without a doubt, basketball is God at Hickory High School. From the town meeting to the trail of headlights that follow behind the team bus to every away game, there is no question that the team and the coach are the focus of the entire community.
What is the role of athletics in your school? How can you use this to your advantage as a teacher? Reaction: ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
2. In teaching basketball, Norman Dale taught the fundamentals — physical conditioning, team play, moving without the ball, passing, defense, etc. Though not popular with the players, his fundamentals brought success.
What are the fundamentals of good teaching? What are the fundamentals of good learning? What are the fundamentals of the subject you teach? Reaction: ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
3. With tight funding, many schools rely on volunteers. Norman Dale was first faced with George as a volunteer coach whom he didn’t want. Later, he selected Shooter to be a volunteer. In both cases, his actions alienated the community. What is the role of volunteers in your school? How can they be used to assist your teaching? What is the role the community plays in your school? Does it help or hinder your efforts? What can you do to promote greater understanding between yourself, your school, and your community? Reaction: ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
4. In a scene at the Indiana State Championships, Coach Dale has the players measure the foul line distance and basket height. He wants them to understand that though the environment has changed, the basics of winning stay the same. How could this be applied to your teaching?
Reaction: ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
5. In his younger days, Norman Dale lost his college-coaching career by striking a student. Discuss those career-ending actions that apply today and must be avoided at all costs. What methods can you use to try and prevent a split second action that could cost you your job or even career?
Reaction: ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
6. “The sun don’t shine on the same dog’s ass everyday, but you ain’t seen a ray of light since you got here” refers to the less than warm welcome that Norman Dale received at Hickory from the staff. Sometimes you will come into a situation where people are predisposed to dislike you before even meeting you. Perhaps, like Norman, you will be replacing a muchloved icon. Perhaps people will distrust you merely because you are new. Perhaps you took a job that some thought should be given to someone else (a friend, relative). Discuss ways you can combat this cold-shouldered treatment. Reaction: ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
7. A coach’s methods may not be acceptable in one community, yet at another school, they are successful. If you are uncomfortable or searching, ask yourself how much the school and community play in your success/failure as a new teacher. You might want to change your location before giving up your career. Changing your career or even your location is a drastic step. Your mentor should be your guide into the community of the school and the greater community of the town/city where you are working. Reaction: ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
8. The attitude of one of the basketball players suffers because his father is the town drunk. Always try to be aware of what factors in the home can affect that student in the school. Reaction: ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Relevant Quotes:
1. “Gods come cheap — leather balls and an iron hoop.”
2. “I see everything I ever worked for gone.”
3. “To be a god for just a day.”
4. “It’s only a game.”