An important key in basketball and in life is to treat everyone around you with respect.
A good practice for basketball but also life in general is to be respectful of EVERYBODY - superiors, peers, and subordinates alike. It is true, not everyone deserves respect, but there is never an excuse to treat someone that way. Even if you do not respect somebody, you must act respectfully at all times.
In basketball, the ultimate example of respect happens in the player-coach relationship. Coaches have the difficult task of uniting individuals in a group, developing a strategy, and implementing that strategy through the actions of their team. This can cause friction between all involved and is not always smooth sailing.
Playing time and usage is important to players and are also some of the greatest tools at a coach’s disposal. They put who they want on the floor to give them the best chance at executing their strategies at all times. Even if you have a tenuous relationship with your coach, it is important that you understand that they are trying to complete a difficult job to the best of their abilities. Not agreeing with the methods is allowed, but respect is necessary at all times, or else it will cause fractures in the team as a whole.
Most importantly, your coach is human. They are prone to mistakes, lapses in judgment, real-life issues, and more that deserve the same consideration that you would hope for yourself. Respect that.
As a player, you must also respect your teammates. You have the same goals; win every game possible, limit mistakes, and yeah, show out a bit. Some may have more or less drive than you. Some may be turnover-prone. Some may just not like to pass you the ball. This is still someone in the trenches with you that you need on the same page as to accomplish the biggest goals.
Again, they are human. Acting disrespectfully will fracture the team dynamic, create rifts where there should be friendships, and make life more difficult than it has to be. You don’t even have to like all of them - just treat them with respect to make the best out of any situation.
“Sport is and should remain a great school of life that supports young people in their personal development. It teaches respect for others and also for oneself.”
Referees are different. No wait, that isn’t right because they are also human! Referees have an incredibly difficult job and would probably prefer if you didn’t foul or let the ball go out of bounds. They like basketball too and deserve to enjoy it in their own way without getting disrespected by a player (or coach) that thinks they are doing poorly at their job. They are real people with real issues that don’t deserve to be treated badly.
By now, you have seen the trend. Opponents must be treated with respect. They are a lot like you, only from different locations. The more people you treat with respect, the more likely you will gain respect in return.
Respect can be a difficult concept to grasp even though it seems simple. You do need to earn respect and not every individual does what is needed to have earned it. Strive to earn respect, and remember that treating others respectfully (whether earned or not) is one of the quickest ways to get there.
Generally, people around you will give you opportunities to earn respect and reward you with it. Still, there are those that will want to bring you down. Nothing will eat at them more than treating them respectfully when all they want is to ruffle your feathers. That is why treating others with respect is some of the best advice we can give.
You can’t go wrong with acting respectfully, so do so as much as possible! Even when you stumble, be apologetic, humble, and gracious to get back on the right track. Respect is important in life (and on the court), so make it a focus in 2020.
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