"I heard you!"  This is a typical response of people who truly believe that they have been listening. What they have not been taught is that hearing and listening are two different things. The fact is that you hear with your ears, but you listen with your eyes. Yes, that's correct; you listen with your eyes. What we are talking about is a term taught in critical thinking programs called "active listening". Athletes in particular and people in general don't always understand the importance of looking intently at the person giving instruction. How many times in a huddle do you notice a player or players looking somewhere other than the coach giving instructions? How about when the coach is introducing something new in practice and the players are either too tired or just bored and not actively listening?  Lastly, in the classroom, the amount of distraction is just unbelievable. Attentiveness is showing the worth of a person by giving undivided concentration. Not just hearing them, but actively listening to them. Chris Webber and the "Fab Five" may have won the elusive NCAA Basketball Championship had he been listening during a crucial timeout (that's kinda funny----timeout). The story goes like this......Webber and his Michigan basketball team had the ball and the opportunity to control the end of a very close championship tournament game. As Webber came streaking down the court with the ball, he was slightly cornered. No problem, there's a little time left, he called a timeout. Gee willikers @#!%&, Michigan had no timeouts left in the game. The penalty is not only a free throw for the opposing team, but they also get possession of the ball. The game for all intents and purposes was over and Michigan loses. It has been well documented that in the timeout preceding this "bonehead" play; the coaches instructed the team that all of their timeouts had been exhausted. It is certain that this information was heard by all the players, but not all of them were listening. By conveying worth and /or value to what someone is saying, you gain power from knowing all the essentials, plus it is a very easy way to show respect.

There is a definite feeling of affirmation when a person's words are acknowledged by the listener's eyes. How wonderful it would be if all listeners would give this small gift. The gift of undivided attention to a person makes them feel special. Very little effort is required of you to honor their words, should you agree with the words or not. It shouldn't be had to remember the feeling you had when someone gave you their concerted attention by "hanging on to your every word". It felt great! So please don't be so distracted as to not give that respect to the person trying to communicate to you. Don't just hear them, listen to them. Too many times we are only waiting for them to finish so that we can say what is on our mind. Heaven forbid if they were to disrespect you and your communication by looking around or just letting their mind wander to something else. Active listening is a very easy way to show and receive respect. This should be a basic characteristic of all team members in practice and games. Definitely in a one on one conversation the level of communication is not only the responsibility of the speaker, but just as important for the receiver to listen. Not just hear them, but listen with your eyes. The benefit for you of acquiring a greater amount of the information should be enough to encourage you to practice listening skills. Like most admirable traits, God made it so that a willingness to improve will enable you to acquire this positive skill. Hopefully recognizing the need to distinguish hearing from active listening will provide some initiative to obey the voice of those teaching by respective attentiveness. Don't regret the opportunities to obtain greater wisdom and understanding because you thought hearing was sufficient. God will speak to us in a variety of ways if we just concentrate, meditate and listen.