As adolescents mature, they begin to grow in their efficacy to understand who they are and who they would like to become. Within this life phase, adolescents also begin to have a greater sense of what is important to them. Many times the adolescent may envision a future that looks different than how their parents imagined and is in contrast to their desires for their child. When adolescents are met with parents who dismiss their feelings, do not support their decisions, and attempt to coerce them into submission, a dynamic of parental control can be at work.

Warrior Pride, a film based upon the real life of basketball coach Dylan Baxter, referred to as “Coach,” performed by Rockey Black, depicts Coach’s commitment not only in his role as a coach but as a mentor to the adolescents he trained. Specifically, Coach was dedicated to developing the players of the Michigan Warriors AAU basketball team into honorable men, ones who would be team players, humble, honest, and brave. His players coped with a myriad of stressors, including exposure to parental control that created challenges for the young men to feel understood, heard, and respected in their relationships with their parents.

Coach’s basketball team existed on a strained financial budget that did not afford many luxuries. Yet, through faith, the support of loved ones, stamina, and fortitude, Coach was able to have a meaningful impact on his community and the adolescents he served. Despite the positive work Coach offered to the team, there were times when building basketball skills and character was not enough to maintain the team’s morale. Enticed by available funding and hopes of becoming closer to having a basketball career, another local coach sought to seduce the parents of talented basketball........

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