1
Introduction
In Youth 220, we watched a movie called McFarland USA. While watching this movie,
we were instructed to analyze all of the ways that Coach White grew in his CQ score/ the ways
that he adapted in his move to McFarland and the culture that was present there. Coach White
and his family went from a white neighborhood in a quiet town where the stereotypical person
worked a nine to five office job to a Mexican town where the vast majority of people worked in
the fields picking crops.
Contents
Upon arrival to McFarland, Coach White and his family experienced a major cultural
shock when they went to a local diner and were completely unaware of the correct procedure to
order or to sit. Upon leaving the diner, the family sees a group of Mexicans driving towards the
diner and mistakes them for a local gang without attempting to learn any information to the
contrary. Skipping forward in the movie, Coach White has a tough time getting along with the
students and people that are present in McFarland and wants to start a cross country team with
the school. In order to get the boys that he wants to join the team, he interjects into their
disciplinary issues to keep them out of trouble and to get them to join his team. This just causes
more trouble for him since the students do not respect him at all. Unfortunately, at this time in
the movie, Coach White has little CQ Drive and even less CQ knowledge, both of which are very
important in what he is attempting to do.
Flash forward in the movie a bit, the team has lost their first race. After this defeat, Coach
White decides to have the team run hill drills on giant covered hills of shells discarded when
picking. During this time, the runners feel as though Coach White is being insensitive towards
them and their families. Due to the practice, Coach White forgets to pick up his daughters’
2
birthday cake and makes his family not like him and his actions. So, Coach White decides to take
a drive. On this drive he sees one of his runners on the top of an overpass bridge appearing ready
to jump. So Coach White drives to where the boy is and talks to him for a minute before pulling
him off the ledge and stopping a potential suicide while also bringing him closer to the boy and
his family.
Later on, Coach white finds out that a few of his runners are not going to be allowed to
run because their father wants them in the fields, not running for the school. Coach White
decides to take the initiative and goes over to the boys’ house to talk to their father. He is quickly
invited in and stays for dinner. In this scene, the viewer can see the difference between Coach
White and the family. The mother of the boys directly tells Coach White that eating as a family is
one of the most important things for them. This a is a direct contradiction to what we see Coach
White and him family doing in their own home. Coach White then goes to talk to the father of
the boys in an attempt to keep them on his team. The father tells him that they do not ask for
help, they just help.
So, the next day, the boys get up to go to work in the fields, only to find Coach White in
the pickup that takes them to the fields every day. The boys and Coach White get to the fields
and have a conversation about how to pick and how long the boys had been picking. The labor is
hard, and Coach White is not used to it. Halfway through the scene one of the boys’ notices
Coach Whites’ back hurting and goes over to help him to hurt less. The scene then switches over
to the workers eating and the boys offering Coach White food and talking to him about calling
him Coach. Throughout this scene, it is apparent that Coach White has a growing CQ drive and
is seeking to understand the culture around him better. There is also a growing respect among the
boys for Coach White because of the actions that he has taken.
3
Conclusion
Throughout the rest of the movie Chaoch White and his family become more integrated
into the community around them that they were becoming a true part of. By opening himself up
to new ideas and communications from the people, Coach White demonstrates a level of maturity
in his overall CQ drive and CQ knowledge that is always growing. Although this is a feel good
movie that is based off a true story, the viewer can gain a better knowledge of what the culture is
like and how to better adapt to new cultures that we are put into due to differet sircumstance.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
