"The Standard Is the Standard"

"The standard is the standard." What does that mean for MVB?

What the blog says about standards, excellence, and consistency

Here are some recurring themes on the blog that relate to the idea “the standard is the standard”:

1. Commit to Improvement
   In a post titled “Commit to Improvement,” excellence is depicted as not just a goal but a process. The habits of high-level players (and people outside volleyball) are studied and emulated. Small, daily practices, honest evaluation, and continual progress are recurring demands. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

2. Consistency
   Another post simply called “Consistency” highlights that volleyball is a game of momentum and that you must be able to maintain it when it’s in your favor and stop negative momentum when it isn’t. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com
   The implication is that standards aren’t episodic—they must be upheld in practice, in matches, in every aspect of behavior and performance.

3. “Weighing the Scales”
   This post discusses competing interests (e.g. youth vs experience, recent performance vs long-term trajectory) and suggests that sustainable improvement depends on process over simply chasing wins. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

4. Underdog mindset / self‐belief
   Posts about “Underdogs,” “Self‐Belief Transforms Good to Excellent,” etc., show that the blog values perseverance, character, mental toughness—not just raw skill. When you set a high standard, handling adversity becomes part of that standard. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

5. Details, small things, habits
   Posts repeatedly talk about the “boring stuff” — footwork, defense, serve-receive consistency, communication, anticipation, etc. The message is that the difference at higher levels isn’t flashy plays but doing the fundamentals at high levels over and over. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

6. Culture, identity, brand
   There is a sense that there’s a “Melrose way” of doing things: how to practice, how to compete, what values are honored. The blog talks about identity, protecting culture, building brand. Implicitly, that means there are standards—of behavior, of effort, of mindset—that define who they are. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

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What “the standard is the standard” might mean here

Given those themes, what could “the standard is the standard” mean, especially in the Melrose volleyball culture? Some interpretations:

• It’s non‐negotiable.
  Once a standard is set — for effort, for behavior, for execution — there shouldn’t be exceptions. Whether you’re a newer player, a veteran, or facing adversity, the standard holds. If you fall below it, you correct; you don’t lower the bar.

• It removes ambiguity.
  Having a standard means everyone knows what is expected. The phrase suggests consistency: not “the standard when convenient” but “always the standard.” No excuses for inconsistency.

• It ensures fairness/expectations across time.
  For standards to mean something, they must be applied equally: across all players, all matches, all practices. The “standard is the standard” means that past performance, opponent, conditions don’t justify dropping standards.

• It anchors the culture.
  It becomes a touchstone. When things get hard or when there’s a drop in performance or morale, referring back to “the standard” gives clarity and resilience: what do we expect from ourselves? What have we said we believe in?

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How the blog content shows this idea in action

While the phrase is not used verbatim, many parts of the blog reflect this principle in practice. Some examples:

• “The Boring Stuff” post – emphasizing fundamentals, small repetitive tasks. The standard here is not just flashy plays, but doing what must be done, even when it’s “boring.” melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

• “Consistency” post – showing that performance must be stable over time. Standards aren’t met just in wins, or just when the opponent is easy; they are met in all conditions. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

• “Weighing the Scales” – choosing long‐term standards over short‐term gains. Maybe standards sometimes cost you a win now if others cut corners, but over time the high standard yields durable excellence. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

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Potential Challenges & How “the standard is the standard” can be tricky

The idea of an unwavering standard is powerful, but it also comes with challenges. Some that are hinted at (or could be inferred) in the blog:

• Burnout
  Expecting high standards at all times can risk mental fatigue, emotional exhaustion. Needs balance. The blog sometimes gently acknowledges that adversity, failure, discomfort are parts of the process. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

• Flexibility vs rigidity
  There’s tension between holding to high standards and being adaptable (e.g. when an opponent is very strong, or when team circumstances change). A standard must be hard to satisfy, but still possible; sometimes context matters (injuries, etc.). The blog’s talk about evaluating honest performance, adjusting lineups, learning from matches suggests some flexibility. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

• Alignment & buy-in
  A standard only works if everyone agrees to it and believes in it: players, coaches, support staff. Otherwise it’s just slogans. The blog seems aimed at cultivating shared culture and identity, e.g., reminding players of heritage, brand, and what Melrose volleyball is about. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

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Summary: “The standard is the standard” in relation to Melrose Volleyball

Putting it all together:

• The phrase “the standard is the standard” expresses that excellence, behavior, effort, consistency, mindset are not relative or situational — they are fixed expectations.

• Melrose volleyball emphasizes these fixed expectations through recurring themes: fundamentals, consistency, identity, culture, and process over outcome.

• The blog content suggests that when the standard is maintained, even imperfect results are acceptable so long as the process was respected. When the standard is dropped, that’s when true losses occur, even if maybe the scoreboard doesn’t reflect it immediately.

• Ultimately, this phrase is a reminder: culture is built by what you do every time, not just what you do when it’s easy or when someone’s watching.