Jack Bolton (Coach Bolton)

In the High School Musicals, Jack Bolton is known as Troy’s dad and the basketball coach at East High.  He is very hard on Troy and knows what he is capable of and what Troy needs to do to accomplish his goals.  However, Coach Bolton is faced with a challenge when his son decides that he likes to sing.  Jack sees this new hobby as a distraction for Troy and Troy’s hopes to get a basketball college scholarship.

In the first HSM, Troy misses a basketball practice to audition for the Winter Musical.  This is when Jack first hears about Troy’s new hobby.  He notices that Troy seems distracted and not fully concentration on basketball.  Coach Bolton also thinks that Gabriella is a hindrance of Troy accomplishing all he should be able to accomplish in that basketball season.  Coach Bolton tries persuade Troy to not be in the musical.

However, during their championship game Troy and Gabriella cause a diversion so they are able to go to their call backs for the musical.  Coach Bolton comes in to see them singing together.  He sees  his son so passionate and comfortable on stage.  He never expected to see this and has a new view on Gabriella and Troy’s singing.  Jack sees that Troy is happy with Gabriella and realizes that Troy is very talented in something other than basketball.

Coach Bolton now really likes Gabriella and is okay with Troy singing with her.  He now knows that it’s alright to have multiple focuses in life.  He doesn’t think his son should do only basketball.  He is more supportive of Troy and his hobbies.  He is still hard on Troy when it comes to basketball and wants to see him succeed, but he understands that his son doesn’t only play basketball: he is a singer and performer too.

Jack Bolton still wants to see Troy do really good things in basketball.  Most of all, he wants to see his son go to his alma mater to play basketball.  However, Troy chooses to go to a college where he can play basketball and perform.  This is hard for Coach Bolton to accept, but he is able to be happy for Troy and support him in his decision.