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Respect

Teaching Idea: Respect

It’s amazing how one word can have such a profound effect on the way we relate to each other.  I started this conversation with my team by asking one of the boys to ask me a question, something simple. 

And when he asked me the question I looked away and then asked him to ask me again.  Again I was looking somewhere else.  After the 3rd time everyone was wondering where I was going with this.  Then I asked him to say it one more time.  This time I turned and looked him right in the eye and answered his question. 

Then I looked at each player and looked them in the eye one at a time.  After this was over I asked them whether they liked it better when I looked them in the eye or looked somewhere else.  They all replied they liked it better when I looked them in the eye.   I told them the simplest way to show respect:  look someone in the eye and be ready to listen.   Look at your coaches in the eye, look at your parents in the eye and then be ready to listen.  It will change the way people respond to you.

Whenever I start to struggle with attention from my players I don’t have to yell I simply say “Who can show me respect” and all of the boys (even the 1st graders – most of them :) ) will look me in the eye, stop moving around and stop talking.  It’s amazing what one word can convey to these young minds.