Remember the Titans is a classic football movie filled with many obstacles. These obstacles vary from racism to dealing with death. It’s based on a true story that took place in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971.
What makes this movie classic is how the players and coaches were able to overcome the issue of segregation and build relationships to form a championship team. Building relationshipsWhen the school board announced there will no longer be any form of segregation in schools, the black and white players on the football team had a hard time accepting each other. After the first fight broke out during training camp in practice, the coaches immediately handled the situation by making all players share a room with the opposite race. This was enforced for the players to not only to accept each other as teammates, but also to accept each other as a person.
With this method being executed, the players grew to love each other and raised the level of their game leading them to winning a state championship. VisualizationJulius was a star defensive end who used visualization before every game. He would envision himself making big game changing plays and executing what he was coached during practice. One game he was having relationship problems with his girlfriend and it caused him to have trouble focusing.
Hi didn’t do his pregame ritual of visualization and had his worst game of the season. In the following weeks game he went back to his pregame ritual and back to dominating on the field recording three sacks in the game. CuesPete was the team’s starting quarterback in the season opener. He was quickly benched after having trouble with ball security in the first game, which they lost due to turnovers. In the following week during practice coach Herman Boone provided Pete with a few cues on ball security. First, he told him to keep the ball close to his body so he will always have a feel for it.
Then Coach Boone said, “When running with the ball, keep it high and tight.” By keeping the ball high and tight it will make it difficult for defenders to strip the ball. The final cue was “always put two hands on the ball at contact.” It’s very unlikely to fumble when protecting the ball with both hands. Personal issuesJust before the state semi-finals, a member of the school board tells coach Yoast that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame after the Titans lose their game.
Coach Boone was threatened to be fired if the team lost a single game because he was an African American head coach in a white society. The game was being officiated in the opposing teams favor. Coach Yoast went up to an official and threatened to tell the press of the scam they were trying to run. After the Titans came out victorious, Yoast lost his spot in the Hall of Fame. Although that was his dream, he didn’t want to be inducted that way. He’d rather not be inducted than let his team down.
Feedback After the T.C. William Titans started the season off at 7-0 the entire city started giving them positive feedback. Many restaurants were promoting their success with posters in their windows saying “Titans 7-0 and counting, all players eat free.” Prior to their success people were un-accepting of the whole integration issue.
There was one instance where the owner of a restaurant kicked the players out because a group of both black and white players came in together and blacks weren’t allowed. Their success on the field helped them have positive results in their school and in their bi-racial community.
