Shaping the Narrative

Whether it's professional sports, high school, or youth, leaders must shape the narrative. If the leader says, "this is a rebuilding year in a tough league," then the bar may be lowered and performance can suffer. "Nobody expects anything from us." 

That is not how Coach Scott Celli operates. What tools do organizational leaders use? 

Defining Roles - if you're a primary middle hitter, your two principal demands are blocking and attacking. Neither are easy, requiring anticipation, mobility, reading plays, and executing. If you can do more (serve, set other attackers) then so much the better. 

Execution. Knowing your role is part of the task. That includes attention to the fine details of the position and the ability to execute both with skill and consistency. 

Leadership. The captains - Sabine, Emme, and Anna have leadership roles on and off the court. Communication, representing the program, mentoring young players are essential. Even with strong coaching, player-led teams have added strength.

Competition. Compete in the classroom, at practice, and during games. That doesn't mean undermining teammates. It means always doing your best in terms of preparation, performance, and recovery (rest, hydration, nutrition, and muscle care). Getting eight hours or more of sleep every night is competitive advantage. 

Focus. Focus covers a lot of territory. Listen, be coachable, get your repetitions. It also means block out the noise, including distractions. There's signal (what's real) and noise (stuff that's outside the lines).

Every team has many inputs to the narrative. 

• A player like Sabine Wenzel gets attention because of her ability to play at a high level with size, athleticism, and skill. 
• Whoever wins the setting job shapes another narrative. 
• A new back row defense complements the blocking power up front.
• Thriving in serve and serve-receive shapes another vital dimension.
• How will the youth movement contribute and challenge for court time? 

One immutable truth in sports is that "players make out the lineups." Patriots Coach Bill Parcells had a saying, "Coaches are the most selfish people in the world. We put the players on the field who make us look the best."

Lagniappe. Finding the heart of the court.