Episode: Respect

Respect and sportsmanship are often talked about in football, but are we really teaching them? In this episode, Coach Nick explores what respect truly means in a program and how coaches set the standard by how they treat all players—not just the stars. From modeling respectful communication to building moments for players to recognize each other, Nick emphasizes that respect is a habit, not a buzzword, and one that must be coached like any other skill.

Key Takeaways:

• Every program needs to define what respect looks like—don’t assume players know.
• Respect starts with how coaches treat their players, especially backups and developing athletes.
• Superstars notice how you treat non-stars, which shapes team culture.
• Create opportunities for players to show respect, such as thanking teammates for unselfish plays.
• Normalize sportsmanship: handshakes after games and practices, regardless of the result.
• Discipline does not equal fear—respect means dialogue, listening, and accountability.
• Respect is a habit, not something players can just “switch on” for game day.
• Coaches must consistently model and teach respect for it to stick.

If you want to get in touch, find me here:

Email: coachrockell@hotmail.com

Instagram: @coachrockell

X: @coachrockell

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/reakt-music/deep-stone

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