Here are a few excerpts from the chapter Respect Yourself and Others. I'm disappointed by the lack of respect shown to superior women players and teams by some (male) announcers and regularly by boys waiting for girls' games to finish.
1. "Treat people the way you want to be treated." This applies to the many relationships in sport - among players, among players and coaches, between coach and assistant, and among everyone and the officials.
2. "Make eye contact - a sign of self-respect and respect for others." I had a young player a few years ago who was phenomenal at making eye contact during meetings and practice. I pointed that out to the group at the end-of-season gathering.
3. "Decide who you are going to be." We make choices about ourself in our habits, our study, our communication, how we treat others and in our self-talk. Be special.
4. "Actions show more respect than words." Are you the same person at home and at school as you are on the court? Advance yourself today to approach your goals tomorrow. Remodel yourself as a person and a player.
5. She showed players "how important body language was by putting a camera in the video booth to only watch the body language on the bench." More than eighty percent of communication is non-verbal. Show that you're engaged. We have "mirror neurons" that help us copy and edit actions that we see. Study why players and teams succeed or struggle and find ways to do more of what works and less of what doesn't.
