WNBA.com: "Choose Respect" Player Essays and Poems

"Choose Respect" Player Essays and Poems

Posted Jun 18 2007 6:23PM

	Nakia Sanford, Washington Mystics My strength is invisible to the naked eye I am the legacy of nations Under supple skin I protect the history of ages My womb cradles the future of civilization I am the ying that invokes the envy of my yang My dominance makes me constant prey I do not build up massive structures Nor destroy the existing of my rivals to showcase my might My power is innate Passed down to me from sultry Cleopatra Is the ability to quietly topple nations. I can out wit any oppression with the same cunning As Harriet Tubman, go underground and not be found by my hunter The blood passed by Joan of Arc, allows me to lead against any challenge Organize the ranks in my home, office or on a global scale I do not need missile, gun , nor spear One focused look instills fear upon the sons I birthed Through my body passed the tribes that walked the earth. I am loved, revered, and feared. Respect me for the burdens I have carried Respect me for the labor I have done behind the scenes Respect me for my nurture and your birth Respect me and learn to value a woman's worth.

	Katie Smith, Detroit Shock -- A Haiku True champions know Before it can be given Respect must be earned

	Noelle Quinn, Minnesota Lynx Training camp per diem: $325 per week Issued Adidas Pro Models: $100 Dinner with the team after a two-a-day practice: $25 A veteran calling a rookie by her government name as opposed too merely "rook": RESPECT Respect is... Respect is like when a new pair of Jordans come out... You know everyone wants them, but are not necessarily willing to pay the price to get them. Respect is like passing the basketball... In order to receive it, you have to be willing to give it up. Respect is like a pregame ritual... You can't be without it, and when it's messed with it can affect your entire aura. Respect is like boxing out... It's emphasized so much, but still forgotten about in crucial situations. Respect is like receiving a starting position... It's difficult to get but when it happens you know you deserve it because you worked hard to earn it. Respect is like a bank shot... It may not be utilized by everyone, but once perfected, is extremely effective. Respect is like dribbling the ball up court... Under pressure, there's a possibility you can lose it, but if you remain composed and keep a tight handle on it, nobody can take it away. Respect is like basketball... It's more than just a simple act, it's an attitude, a way of living.

	Shay Murphy, Minnesota Lynx "When I think of the word "RESPECT" a few words come to mind. There are many people we are forced on especially to respect, due to class and racial differences. But there are few individuals that actually deserve your RESPECT. The people that I RESPECT are my Mother, Dr. Martin Luther King, Ghandi, My coaches. These people have earned my RESPECT because I agree and believe in what they stand for. I was once told that RESPECT should be earned and never given, especially to those in power." R= Ready at all times. E= Effected by no one S= Surrender to nothing P= Passion E= Efficient effort given always. C= Calm and collective in every situation. T= Tenacity SHAY MURPHY #14 Fight ON!

	Kim Smith, Sacramento Monarchs When you show respect to somebody I think you really take in what they have to say. If Yo pulls me aside and says "look you need to work on this" then I think you really pay attention. Because you know they have so much experience and you know that they've been there before and they're really trying to help you out. So to pay respect you just really take what they have to say.

	Chelsea Newton, Sacramento Monarchs Yolanda Griffith is a person in my life who I really respect. The best way of showing respect to a veteran is just to listen. Everything that they do, they say, you try to imitate and just listen to everything they say and respect them. That's all they ask for and it's pretty easy. She knows and I tell her everyday thank you for helping me out and I just want to do whatever I can do to help her.

	Jamie Carey, Connecticut Sun I respect my parents first and foremost, because of all that they sacrificed to have two children who have a life full of dreams ahead of them. I think one of the most selfless things you can do is to give so much to your kids because you pretty much give up everything to let your kids do what they want to do. Plus, more than that, I respect how hard they work and how they walk the walk, not just preach it to us. They actually do what they say."

	Kamesha Hairston, Connecticut Sun I respect Dawn Staley just because of the things she has faced in her life. Seeing her for four years at Temple, how she handles situations and how she deals with people, knowing when to turn it on and off, she's just a great person and a great role model.

	Cori Chambers, Connecticut Sun I just feel like respect is something that is really easy to give and get. If you give somebody respect, then you expect it back. I respect anyone who treats me the way they want to be treated. That's just how I grew up. The "Golden Rule." Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If somebody doesn't treat me the way I treat them, that kind of makes me lose respect for them.

	Brooke Wyckoff, Chicago Sky Respect is, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of being successful. If there is a lack of respect, the result is most often chaos. Although respect does not mandate that we "like" a person, when we are working within a group and towards a common purpose, we must have respect for our leaders, our peers, those we are in charge of and most importantly, ourselves. In basketball, if a coach does not have the respect of his or her players, there will be a lack of cohesivness, not everyone will be on the same page or working together towards the same goal, and the result will most likely be more losses than wins. If a player does not respect her teammates, the same can occur. And if a player does not respect herself, she cannot hope to reach her full potential and most importantly, cannot respect others in the way that she should. Good teammwork begins with respect, it is the foundation of success in so many things in life.

	Armintie Price, Chicago Sky A brilliant speaker once said, "In the end we are all separate: our stories, no matter how similar, come to a fork and diverge. We are drawn to each other by our similarities, but it is our differences, we must learn to respect." Every new person I meet, I make it a point to find a common ground on which we both stand. I find this to be an effortless task. The uncommon denominator, with those same people, often presents unwelcomed tension for most. but not me. Respect for each other comes after we learn to respect our self, and we embrace that which makes us different from the norm. Whether I am on the court, in the classroom, in church, in Oxford, Mississippi, or in Chicago, Illinois, I want others to know that I have great respect for my environment and the people that occupy it. My respect for the life that God has given me is the true source of my energy.