Respect is earned not given. It doesn’t matter if you are the coach or a star player on the team, you must work to earn the respect of your teammates and those around you. The harder you work as an individual regardless of your roll the more those around you will see it and appreciate the effort. But to blindly demand respect without providing any reason why will only push those around you away.

We respond to the words of others when their actions mimic them. If an individual says that they want to get better, and they go out and work every day to get better everyone will see and appreciate it. If you act without saying anything others will notice even more the work you are putting in. This is how you gain others respect. Once you have gained their respect you will inevitably also gain their trust. This is how a team will grow and work towards accomplishing their goals.

A coach gains the respect of their players by showing how their systems and strategy will help the team. Whether that through video sessions, practice sessions or in games and records, a coaches methods will start to show. It is up to the players to help realize that and the more trust and respect they have for their coach the better the end results will be. But no player is going to jump behind a coach that doesn’t show them that they are their for them.

Once you have proven your value to those around you they will be more likely to listen to you and follow you.