A Great Teammate (Reposted)

Everyone can't be the star, but everyone can be a great teammate. Alan Williams addresses this in his book Teammates Matter. Williams was a walk-on for Wake Forest basketball and played 59 minutes in four years, earning respect as a player and great teammate. 

Melrose volleyball earned its reputation as a "legacy program," one of the most consistent teams in Massachusetts. The Lady Raiders won the State Championship in 2012 and earned eight Division 2 North sectional championships. They reached the state finals four times. The team earned the MIAA Coaches’ Sportsmanship Award in 2004.

Making a competitive team is hard. Local girls learn volleyball skills earlier each year, and scrap for the chance to enter the program. The competition doesn’t end with team selection. Girls sacrifice free time and are held accountable to a different standard of behavior than some peers. 

Coaches Celli and Schmitt set expectations and review school rules. Participation fees make their job more difficult, as fees help to defray expenses, but don't assure playing time.

The coaches explain how to contribute through practice, positive attitude, and  improving both themselves and teammates. Many reserve players would have big roles on other Middlesex League teams. The coaches inform the players that they earn playing time according to their progress. The rotation is dynamic according to performance. Not everyone plays as much as they would like. The shared goal is having a championship team, playing at its full potential. Understandably, players and parents can find this difficult.

“The race doesn’t always go to the swiftest or the battle to the strongest, but it pays to bet that way.”

Although many players have earned recognition locally and some statewide, few accomplished more than a girl who played more than a decade ago - being a great teammate. She wasn’t the star; she often played late in games after the outcome had been decided. She worked hard to become her best. She knew she wouldn’t play during the big moments, watching younger, less experienced but talented teammates. 

She accepted this, valued being part of the team and contributed however she could. Her best friend, Marianne Foley, became an All-Scholastic, while she cheered and supported the team. Both shared the moment of becoming Melrose's first Division II North volleyball champions, a team that went 22-2 and came within a point of going to the state championship, losing to the ultimate champions, Marlboro. And everyone knew that Danielle Burke was a great teammate, a memorable part of Melrose volleyball history.