Playing football with others can help children learn about respect. Through taking turns, listening to teammates and encouraging friends, they discover how respect helps everyone feel valued and included.
Real-life and on-screen football coach Charlotte Lynch, AKA Coach Georgie in Football Fantastics, explains how football can help children understand what respect looks like both on and off the pitch.
Watch our video below to discover how small acts of respect can make a big difference.
Learning respect through play
Being part of a team gives children lots of opportunities to practise respect every day.
They learn to listen to others, take turns and treat people kindly, even when they have different ideas, abilities or strengths.
Football also helps children understand that everyone has an important role to play and that every contribution matters.
Why respect matters
Respect helps children build positive friendships and feel part of a group.
On a football team, children quickly learn that everyone brings something different. Some enjoy leading, while others are great at supporting teammates, solving problems or encouraging others.
Recognising and valuing these differences helps children develop empathy, kindness and a sense of inclusion.
What can children learn through playing team games?
Through team play, children can learn to:
Listen to and value other people's ideas
Take turns fairly
Encourage and support others
Celebrate other people's successes
Include everyone in activities
Build confidence and positive friendships
Try this at home
You don't need a football pitch to help your child practise respect.
Try…
Taking turns choosing a game or activity
Building something together and listening to everyone's ideas
Playing listening games that encourage cooperation
As your child plays, you could ask…
"How did you show respect today?"
"What did someone else do that helped the team?"
"How can we make sure everyone feels included?"
These simple conversations can help children recognise respectful behaviour and understand how it helps everyone feel valued.
Watching CBeebies together
Watching Football Fantastics together is a great way to start conversations about respect.
As you watch, talk about how the players listen to each other, encourage their teammates and include everyone in the game.
By spotting respectful behaviour together, children can begin to understand how kindness, consideration and encouragement help friendships, teams and communities grow strong.
