July 02, 2022 | Tagged Coaching
Build Respect on the Basketball Court
Respect is a crucial component to healthy basketball teams and families. What exactly is respect? The definition literally means to regard or notice. Disrespect on the hand means to dismiss. Nothing can ruin your day quicker than feeling like your team or family dismisses your contribution. Respect and trust are very closely tied but not quite the same. Here is a good definition of the difference.
“To distinguish respect and trust in one sentence, trust is a judgment about whether your actions are intended to deceive or harm me, while respect is a judgment about whether your actions have value and are worth reflection.” Cronin, 2004 The Importance of Respect in Collaborative Work
A huge controversy on the internet is whether respect is earned or it should be given. There are good arguments on both sides. For example, high school programs are finding it hard to hire refs because there is a large shortage of people willing to subject themselves to the abuse the average high school ref receives from angry parents. Do those refs have to earn respect before they can run up and down the court without receiving abuse? Would an abusive parent ever give respect to a ref? On the other hand, should respect be given to people who haven’t earned it or worse don’t deserve it?
At NBC Basketball we believe that respect generates respect. We also believed respect should be an expected quality of a team, family, or school. When campers come to our gym, we expect respect for the coaches, for the team, for the facility, for the mission. Respect is an attribute of a great leader.
Self Check for Players
One of the most respected players today is NBA player Stephen Curry. He gathers the respect of the entire nation based on a few key qualities. Use these four as goals to earn respect on your basketball team.
1. His skills are at the highest level
2. He rarely loses control or resorts to blame
3. He elevates his teammates and helps them play better
4. He is worthy of imitation.
Take a look at your skills. If you want to be highly respected, it starts with your work ethic and your discipline to have reliable skills. People will respect that you are on the court if your skills are unrivaled.
Self Check for Coaches
Your team is a mirror of your leadership. If your team doesn’t respect each other, they do not respect you. Respect is contagious, it is a daily practice and leadership is the foundation for respect. Begin to build respect by being worthy of imitation and by your wisdom and insight. Players do not respect coaches who are mean-spirited or weak-willed.
Here is a simple self-check:
- Does my team listen when I speak?
- Do they follow through with what I am asking?
- Is there openness to what I am saying or defensiveness?
- Is there a spirit of goodwill and appreciation for each other?
- Is there team unity or division?
- Does my team operate as a team or do they do what is best for themselves?
- Is there self-responsibility/accountability or does the motivation for good behavior come from fear of punishment or consequences?
“When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others. One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners.”
About NBC Basketball
NBC stands for Nothing Beats Commitment. It is the daily discipline to live life with excellence that separates the good from the great. Do your habits move you to become the player and person you aspire to be? NBC Basketball is a program designed to challenge campers and coaches to be their best in basketball and in life. Developing the habits of gratitude, mental toughness, grit, tenacity, optimism, critical thinking as well as leadership, stewardship, wisdom and self-discipline. NBC Basketball focuses on developing each athlete mentally, physically and spiritually-- this is the complete athlete. Find out more about NBC Basketball at www.nbccamps.com/basketball