I found something.
Uh, it's not something that you want,
but it's a job, which is what you need.
Okay? A way back in.
Don't tell me it's Division II.
Three?
I... It's...
It's not college.
It's high school.
Private. Outside of San Diego.
- Sam. - I know, Marvyn.
You don't have to say it. I know.
I am the most winning active coach at the NC...
You are not active.
All right? I'm sorry, but you're not active.
You need a second chance.
This is the only one I could get.
Sam, I can't coach a bunch of rich
private school boys in California...
Girls.
It's a... Yeah, it's a girls' school.
Uh...
It's certainly, uh... a step down.
But it's one that offers a way back up.
And if you make this work, we will get you back to college.
I promise.
Excuse me.
Spirit of full disclosure, this was not my idea.
- Whose was it? - Larry Gruzinsky.
We run on money. Mr. Gruzinsky's got it.
He's our top patron by many multiples.
He conditioned his last bequest on us
forming a top basketball program
one, that could serve as a Division I feeder,
where he desperately wants to feed his daughter.
And personally, I think it's all a big mistake,
but I'm prepared to make the best of it.
You need to make the best of it, Mr. Korn.
Coaches here are not just coaches. They're teachers.
They're expected to be role models.
Why'd the last coach get fired?
Code of conduct violation.
- Which is what exactly? - Not your concern.
Do good and you will do well here.
My marching orders are gonna echo one you,
no doubt, got from your agent.
Do not screw this up.
Nice shot!
Well, it's the first day, you know?
Once you get out on the court...
They don't even want me here, Sam.
Nobody wants you, Marvyn.
You're toxic at the moment.
Our goal is to get to the next moment, and we will.
I'll call you back.
Holly Barrett, Assistant Coach.
Marvyn Korn.
It's a great honor, Coach. I'm a big fan. You have no idea.
No need for that.
Oh, no, I don't feel the need.
We don't kiss the ring around here, if you hadn't noticed.
Oh.
So, any advice for me?
On coaching basketball?
On coaching girls.
Uh, well, I'm tempted to say just treat 'em like the boys.
- But? - You didn't treat the boys so well.
Uh-huh.
Do you have any advice that might actually be helpful?
Sure. These girls are gonna lead the world someday.
Some of them are a little anxious to get started.
They can be a bit much.
My advice would be not to take 'em on if you can avoid it.
And don't pretend. They'll see right through it.
Other than that...
let's go coach some basketball.
Hey! Olive.
Look, we don't love whistles. They can be triggering.
Okay then.
Fall in.
Come in.
Come on.
Hi, my name is Marvyn Korn, and I will be your new coach.
I've been instructed to be direct with you, so...
I am mostly a nice person. Sometimes I am not.
Expect to be yelled at. Don't take it personally.
If I call you stupid, I give you permission to ignore it.
But if I tell you why you're stupid,
then I want you to pay close attention.
- Is he for real? - Shh!
I shushed her.
You're currently one and three. That is a very poor start.
It's my job as coach to help you improve,
and I'm gonna do just that.
We play Laguna Niguel on Friday.
We will beat Laguna Niguel on Friday.
For today, after seeing you,
we'll start with conditioning.
A couple of you need to shed a few pounds. You need to lose five.
You don't get to say that.
I just did.
You know, you're all used to being coddled.
Well, now you'll get unused to it.
I'm sorry, is that a nervous tic?
Because if you're laughing at me, that would not be good.
I have PBA. Pseudobulbar affect.
I had a brain injury when I was little.
Oh. I... I apologize.
A pseudobulbary what?
- Affect. - But we don't believe in labels.
Labeling and whistles.
You.
I'm sorry, are you chewing gum?
Don't be sorry. Not your fault.
- What's your name? - Louise.
Louise Gruzinsky.
Okay, team, while Louise Gruzinsky and I take a moment,
let's start with balance.
I want you all to close your eyes, lift your left knee
and touch your nose with your right hand.
Left knee, up. Eyes, closed.
Right index finger on the nose.
Do it. Do it.
Now are we gonna have a problem, Louise Gruzinsky?
I hope not, Coach Korn.
I know you have a way of doing things, but this is Westbrook.
Tell me.
No disrespect to the geniuses you coached at Wisconsin,
but we won't respond to "my way or the highway".
Treat us with respect, and we'll respond in kind.
This is very constructive criticism.
Right. Thank you. I appreciate that.
I hoped you would.
Especially since you're... kinda cute.
If I'm gonna grunt and sweat five days a week for some guy,
at least let him be good-looking.
Oh, please tell me you did not just say that.
I couldn't possibly have.
Okay, team. Eyes, open. Legs, down.
I want you to raise your right hand as high as you can.
Right hand, raise it.
Now knees bent. Good.
Now I'd like you all to wave goodbye to Louise Gruzinsky.
- She's suspended from the team. - What?
Now. Go.
Is he serious?
I told you one thing. Do not screw this up.
She disrespected me. In fact, they all did.
You had to anticipate that they would test you.
You had to anticipate that I'd make one an example.
So you made one out of the star player, the one whose...
- I don't care who her father is. - I do. I believe I made that clear.
I pick and choose my players.
Louise is suspended until further notice. My notice.
Look at me, Korn.
This is not a good start.
What you did was kinda badass, honestly.
Yeah, sure. Badass and colossally stupid.
My dad's gonna be so pissed.
Well, no point in delaying the inevitable.
Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
Korn's serious. Day one, and he already suspended our star player.
He's insane.
I figured it'd be rough, but this is next level.
- What is his deal? - He doesn't care about our feelings.
Well, maybe he's just trying to motivate us.
Oh, yeah! I was super motivated by his,
"I'm mostly a nice person,
and if I call you stupid, ignore it" speech.
No. No. No.
"But when I tell you why you're stupid, pay attention. Stupid".
Ooh, yes. I can't wait to hear why you think I'm an idiot.
Right? Like, sign me up.
I love it when old white dudes point out my flaws.
Right? And what was with that,
"Stand on one foot. Rub your belly and touch your toes".
- You okay? - Not really.
This guy at a girls' high school, Marvyn Korn,
is going from Wisconsin to some fancy girls' prep thing. No, no!
You know what this is, clearly part of some atonement tour.
Just two years ago, this guy was Coach of the Year.
Bucketful of National titles.
Sometimes I wish our heroes would just disappear quietly,
'cause this hurts all of us.
You're here late.
You embarrassed me... in front of the whole team.
- Well, that was not my intent. - Not your intent...
You're not a stupid person.
Okay, to criticize someone for her physicality...
- Conditioning. - My weight.
My weight.
You fat-shamed me in front of everyone.
You humiliated me in front of all my teammates.
Sit down, please.
First, I'm sorry.
I don't even see people like that.
Fat or skinny.
I don't even see 'em as people.
I see athletes.
That person's a point guard. That person's a center.
I've been watching game tapes, and what I see in you
is a very talented power forward,
who fatigues in the fourth quarter.
- And I just wanna fix that. - It's not fatigue.
Okay, I don't play because I love it.
I play because it looks good on college applications.
Lack of interest is unacceptable.
Well, then inspire me.
Okay, when they said you were coming, that meant something.
I was excited.
They all said that you were a "psycho".
They're wrong. You're just a bully.
What's going on?
Just a little one-on-one with one of my players.
About?
Between me and her.
Something I can do for you?
Yeah. Grab a beer.
- Let's have it. - Have what?
Clearly, you have something that you wanna say.
I mean, nobody just invites me out to beers. It doesn't happen.
You don't have friends?
Wait, seriously... You don't have friends?
My life is basketball.
Everyone in my life are basketball players.
A good coach can't be successful
if he becomes friends with his players.
- What about after work? - There is no after work.
Not if you wanna win.
There's diagramming plays, there's watching tapes,
the recruiting, but there's no after work.
I don't have to ask what happened to your marriage.
Nope. What happened to yours?
Come on, I'm all about preparation.
You don't think I checked out my assistant coach? What happened?
- None of your business. - It is my business.
Add to that, you opened the door because you asked about my marriage.
I failed.
She figured that she deserved more, that she could do better.
So she did. Your turn.
Same. He realized he could do better.
- Why? - None of your business.
If it speaks to your character, it is my business.
I cheated on him.
I had an affair.
Worst thing a spouse can do, I suppose. Short of neglect, maybe.
Meaning my betrayal was worse?
Meaning his was worse.
But yeah, yours too, I guess, if that's what you're guilty of.
Wow. This is a really nice "How do you do? Let's get a beer".
This isn't a "How do you do? Let's get a beer".
You have an agenda.
You clearly have an agenda, so get to it.
You are profoundly unlikable.
- You know that, right? - You're just scratching the surface.
If you have something to say to me, please say it.
'Cause I'd like to get back and work on the Laguna game.
Okay.
Okay, like I said before, these girls are future CEOs.
Some of them are smarter than you.
Some of them are even more powerful than you,
given their direct connection to capital.
- Ah, this is about Louise Gruzinsky? - Yes.
Underneath her arrogant and her cocky exterior,
- she is pretty fragile. - Uh-huh.
As the arrogant and cocky tend to be.
She was inappropriate.
- She's insecure. - I don't care.
- You have to care! - Why?
Because these are not college men.
These are high school girls.
Look, Louise does whatever she can to put others on tilt.
She's really good at it. Getting the upper hand.
She's not gonna get the upper hand with me.
- Look how scared of this you are. - This is another thing.
You don't know me, so don't pretend that you know me.
I don't wanna know you.
- I just want what's best for the team. - Yeah.
Is that a good answer?
Touchdown!
Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over.
- Hi. - Hey, Dad. It's Emma. Emma Korn.
Funny.
You said you'd call.
Yes, I did say that, uh...
It's... It's been a long day, baby. I...
And then, it's California time. I thought maybe you were in bed.
- How'd the first day go? - Oh, great. It was great.
You know, La Jolla is... It's really beautiful,
- and then you have the ocean and... - You hate it.
No, I don't. I don't hate it at all.
It's gonna be fantastic.
You're such a liar.
It's an adjustment, but it will be fine.
And you're being you?
I'm trying, baby.
People telling you not to be you?
A little bit, yeah.
And the girls?
They're great.
Okay.
Well, I believe everything you just told me.
I just wanted to check in.
Now, I'm gonna steal Mom's car and rob a convenience store
and then hit the hay.
Call you tomorrow?
Yeah, that sounds good.
And I believe everything you just told me too.
I love you, Dad.
I love you too, baby.
You can't be serious.
- He can't do this to us. - God, the sun's not even up.
Okay, it's us and the guys on the beaches with metal detectors.
- It's illegal. - It's not illegal.
Yeah, well, it's immoral. It's unconscionable.
It's reality. The new one.
You're nine minutes early. So I guess you're "lat".
Morning. Welcome to two-a-days.
If you don't know what those are, you're about to find out.
We're gonna be practicing twice a day from now until Laguna.
Let's start with karaoke step. Line up.
Come on.
Let's go. Smaller steps but faster. Eyes forward. Chests forward.
My ball.
Come on, hustle.
My ball!
All right. Hey, you, come here.
What's your name?
Carolyn Rose Adrienne Smith, but everybody calls me Mouse.
- You have four names plus a nickname? - Yes, sir.
Okay.
Carolyn Rose Adrienne Smith, AKA Mouse,
executes the karaoke step perfectly.
I want you to follow her or keep her pace.
You can count on me.
Let's go. Watch her. Watch her.
You're not listening. Watch her.
Ooh. Incoming.
You are Coach Korn.
- I am. - What a thrill.
I celebrated a birthday last week,
and you were my present to myself.
Don't worry. I won't ask you to wear a red bow.
Larry Gruzinsky. I'm a big fan.
- Thank you. - Holly, could you give us a second, please?
From one father to another, I just wanna say thank you.
- Okay. - We all learn from our experiences,
and I think that Louise is gonna learn from this one.
You were right to suspend her. She disrespected you.
She's lucky to have you for a coach. I knew she would be.
- Thank you. I appreciate that. - Thing is...
she's really gonna need to dress against Laguna.
First, because she's gonna help us beat Laguna.
But second, Laguna has a player, Savannah Gibson.
All the college scouts, they follow her every game.
Every move. And they're gonna be at our game.
So this is an opportunity for Louise
to be seen by these scouts, to be noticed.
This is very important to her. To me.
She won't be dressing against Laguna.
- I'm asking you politely. - I'm declining politely.
You do realize I'm the reason you're here, right?
It's been brought to my attention a few times, yeah.
Pick it up.
You know, the thing about throwing chairs and intimidating referees...
It's not really about reversing the call. That never happens, does it?
It's about influencing the next call.
Who do you think does that around here?
I got an idea.
Why don't you run the world, and I'll take care of the basketball?
If you fail here, then what?
There he goes. So much damage in so little time.
- He's coach. He knows what he's doing. - Does he?
He kicks Louise off the team, calls you super fat.
He said five pounds.
He made light of your incurable brain thing.
Guys, that's mostly just an excuse to get extra time on tests.
My point is, if we all just quit, they'd fire him.
I'm not quitting.
I think he wants to be a good person.
Maybe he just doesn't know how.
Ew. Are you saying you stan Korn?
He is kinda cute.
- He's a thousand. - No one lives to a thousand.
Did you know he used to stick tampons
in boys' lockers if they played too girly?
I wouldn't mind winning more.
Doesn't it bother you that the volleyball and field hockey teams
have all these titles and trophies
while basketball's just a big joke?
Exactly what I'm saying.
We're not gonna win any trophies without Louise.
He doesn't want her.
You coulda killed me.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
Pull over.
- I'm late for something. - No, no, no. You're upset.
You're not fit to drive. Pull over.
Turn the car off.
All right, take a deep breath. Why are you crying?
I'm a teenager. It's the law.
Nice, snappy comeback.
Please tell me.
I don't have to tell you anything.
You're right. You don't.
I need to play in the game.
Against Laguna?
Look, all I care about is basketball, okay?
All I am is basketball.
No better than you that way.
- Sorry, I didn't mean that. - You did mean it, but it's fine.
So why this particular game? 'Cause the scouts will be there?
No. Maybe that's part of it, but...
Look, my dad can be an ass.
I get it, okay, as I'm sure you do.
But he sees me playing Division I either at Stanford or UCLA or...
And part of...
Part of a basketball pedigree,
part of what colleges look for is leadership, teammate-ship.
Getting suspended?
The scouts will be here tomorrow.
They'll be asking, "Why isn't she playing? What's going on?"
And then the whisper chain will go around.
Bad attitude.
And I'll be over.
So it is the scouts?
No.
Then what? What is it?
It's about making my father proud.
You can dress.
Really?
Dress. Not play. Dress.
The scouts will think you had a pulled hamstring or something.
Mind telling me what you were doing in that car?
Absolutely. I mind.
It's a private conversation. Oh, wait. Don't tell me. There's a rule.
- There is such a thing as optics. - At this place? I'm shocked.
Getting into a student's car is not a good idea, sir.
You brought me here to coach. Let me coach.
Own worst enemy.
So she's back? Louise?
I told her she can dress. She's not playing.
- Huh. Softening already. - Oh, please. I've been here two days.
I made two players cry. My two best players.
I didn't make you cry, did I?
Ha.
To take a charge, you wanna get there before the offense does.
All right, come on, Destiny. Let's show 'em. Come on. Plant your feet.
Good. Take a stance. Come on. You know how to do it. Ready?
Come on!
No, Destiny. Come on.
Hold your ground. Take the hit.
Cover here. Cover here.
Communicate, girls. Communicate.
Good! Good. Good. Way to finish.
Let's go!
Boom. Good. She takes it, and she goes down. You got it?
You gotta finish.
You gotta finish those. Mental toughness.
Move it. Move it. Move it.
That's it. Boom. Bam. You take it down. Good.
Yes!
All right, good.
- Now, that's how you take a charge. - You did it!
Good. Bring it in. Bring it in.
Some of you may actually have talent.
That's the nicest thing you've almost ever said to us.
You're welcome, Mouse.
I'm not saying we belong on the court with Laguna.
But you're not saying we don't.
The problem is Mouse doesn't shoot well.
She hustles, she gets back on D,
she can penetrate, but her outside shot is...
- Nope, Louise is your only pure shooter. - Louise isn't playing.
Okay, look, you already made your point.
- I've been over this too many times. That's it. - Fine.
This is what I get for giving an inch.
- You wanted to see us, Coach? - Yes. You'll be point guard tomorrow.
You'll be shooting guard tomorrow, filling in for Louise.
Okay, you already said that.
What I didn't say was that you two, more than anyone...
You'll be dictating our offense. Chemistry is everything here.
You have to be in sync with each other.
If you're not, we have zero chance.
- Yes, sir. We'll be ready. - Zero. You better be.
And get inside each other's head.
Spend time together, go on a long walk together, go to dinner together.
I don't want you leaving each other's sides until the game tomorrow.
Got it?
Is there a problem?
By "not leaving each other's side", you don't mean have a sleepover?
Of course he doesn't. Relax.
I am relaxed.
Do you two not like each other?
We like each other okay.
Then what's the problem?
The problem is Mouse thinks I like her too much.
- Shut up. - Whatever you thought I meant that night, I didn't.
I have a boyfriend, okay. We love each other.
- Please stop talking. - You're the one who made it weird.
- You're making it weird. - Okay, girls.
You do not need to go to dinner together.
Thank you.
What just happened?
Just crushes, romance.
Usual confusion for girls that age.
You okay?
I can't do this.
- Yes, you can. - No.
Look, the girls are exploring. They're experimenting.
This is the time we want them to do it because,
we can help them if they stumble or they fall.
I just can't do this.
- You're okay. - Stop saying that. I'm not okay.
- What else? - What do you mean, "What else"?
I mean what else?
If a girl giggles, that means she has a brain tumor?
If I blow a whistle, is that gonna trigger some past trauma?
If I make 'em do wind sprints,
am I gonna get accused of fat-shaming?
If I bench a girl, does that mean the gymnasium's gonna be at risk?
- What the hell else? - I know. You're not equipped.
Welcome to high school.
I had no idea what I was in for.
You know what you do know?
Basketball. Better than anybody else.
So, why don't we go with baby steps,
starting with Laguna Niguel. Hmm?
They're gonna be tough to beat.
Well, we're as ready as we can be.
We're as ready as we can be today.
All right, girls. Bring it in. Go. Let's go.
- Come on. - Come on! Hustle!
Where's my five? Where's my five?
- All right. - Nice girls.
Man-to-man to start.
Destiny, you have number 11. She's the one we have to watch.
You want me to take her out? 'Cause I can do that.
I want you to play hard, but I want you to play fair.
Rest of you, ball control like we talked about.
Use every bit of that 30 seconds
on every single possession. Got it?
- So, it's less of a slaughter. - Poor talk, Mouse.
All right, come here. Gather around.
You know, when I first started as a coach,
you know who I would channel?
John Wooden.
Anyone know any of his famous quotes?
- Olive? - "Whatever you do in life,
surround yourself with smart people who will argue with you".
That's a good one. I'm thinking of this other one.
And I'm paraphrasing here but,
"Success is a peace of mind.
Knowing that you made the effort to be your best".
Let's go win a basketball game.
- Sirens on three. One, two, three... - Sirens!
Yeah, you got this!
Let's go, Sirens!
- Go back! - Back.
Move your feet.
Come on. Square up! Square up!
No!
Switch the handoff. Switch!
Collapse to the lane!
- Stay positive, girls! Stay positive! - Destiny!
Get... Get a body up on her.
Yes, yes, yes!
Oh, come on! That was a charge!
How do you not call that a charge?
Come on, think, girls. Focus!
What?
You know, it doesn't upset me that we stink.
Actually, it does.
But what gets me are the mental mistakes,
because that means lack of focus,
- which means lack of commitment... - Marvyn. Marvyn!
All right. Eyes up, girls.
Eyes up at me, please.
You know that John Wooden quote about best effort and so forth?
The truth is, I clung on to that long before I became a coach.
I wasn't much of a player.
My father...
called me an embarrassment.
An embarrassment.
Those words drove me more than any other words, to not be that.
But the irony of those words, is that they made me lose myself.
I'd throw tantrums, chairs...
But at the end of the day, after every game,
I could look in the mirror, and I could say to myself that I...
I did everything I could to try to win, that I tried my best.
And that's all I'm asking of you.
Try your best.
Life is bigger than basketball. I may not be, but life...
And the thing about life...
And this is what they don't tell you in high school,
is that it's cruel.
And that it's difficult.
And you don't have a fighting chance...
unless you fight.
And I know what you're all thinking.
The big college coach, NCAA championships.
"'Try your best'? That's all he's got?"
Now you know.
That's all I got.
That's all I've ever had.
What do you got?
Yeah! Yes, yes, yes, yes!
Run it back!
Yeah! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Run it back! Run it back!
Move! Let's go! Give it to Olive!
Yes! Yes, yes, yes.
Yes.
We can roll.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Get there, Olive. Yes!
Yes!
Yes! Yeah! Yes.
Push it up. Push it up.
Time.
Bring it in. Good, good, good, better.
Good intensity. All right. Listen.
Destiny, next time 11 goes to our hoop,
foul her, and let her know she was fouled.
- Kill her. - No, don't kill her.
Let her know, if she's going to the basket, there's a price to pay.
Hard but not completely fair.
Not too violent. Come on.
- Sirens on three. One, two three. Sirens! - Sirens!
Good, good, good, good.
We got a game. We got a game.
- All right. - Go Sirens!
Back. Get back, get back, get back.
Yes!
Pick an end. Go for the three!
Time. Come on. Bring it in. Bring it in.
Good, good, good.
We have two possessions at most. We need a three and a stop.
- Anyone here hit a three? - Louise.
Anyone else?
I can heave it like a medicine ball.
- Sometimes it goes in... - Coach.
You told them to do everything that they could to try to win.
- They have done that. Now it's your turn. - Yeah.
I told you, I'm not discussing this.
You're all about setting an example. Set one.
You think?
Louise, I know you're not warm.
Just give me the ball.
Set an elevator screen for Louise to get her open.
If she makes it in, get the hell back on defense and get a stop.
We have no time-outs left, so get the ball up there fast.
Know your clock.
- Sirens on three. One, two, three. Sirens! - Sirens!
Come on, come on, come on. We got this. We got this! We can win.
She's going in.
Well, it's about time.
Yeah!
Shoot it!
Come on, come on, come on.
This close. This close.
Heads up. Next time we play Laguna, I expect to beat Laguna.
This outcome was unacceptable.
But we're just getting started.
- What? - I don't know.
Back to me, please.
That loss...
was better than any win we have ever had.
Go tell the players.
I'm telling the coach.
Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over.
It's me, Emma. Emma Korn.
Funny. Hey, it's almost one o'clock there.
Did you win?
We did not. We came close.
Throw any chairs?
I did not.
Kill anybody?
They all lived.
You were you?
Most of the time I was, yeah.
- Dad? - I'm here.
I kinda have this feeling that this thing could be good for you.
Me too.
Okay, I'm off to bed.
Good night, honey. Thank you for calling.
Night.
Good night.
- Synced and corrected by Firefly - - www.addic7ed.com -