Translate Talent into High Performance

Coaches help take players where they cannot go by themselves. Growth is the journey from good to great, and that pathway applies as much to volleyball as it does to business, school, or life.

Classics stay relevant because of enduring messages. In Jim Collins’ Good to Great, he outlines several themes that define exceptional organizations. They fit well into high-performance volleyball:

• Level 5 Leadership: team-first captains who elevate the whole group

• First Who, Then What: rotations and roles built around character, trust, and fit

• Confront the Brutal Facts: honest review, honest feedback

• Hedgehog Concept: clear identity: Who are we? What do we do best?

• Culture of Discipline: standards, habits, and accountability every day

These ideas show up in practice gyms, locker rooms, and huddles.

Leadership

The best teams don’t wait for leadership - they own it. Captains set tone and tempo, but great teams have multiple leaders who:

• raise standards

• reinforce culture

• connect teammates to ensure that everyone is on the same page

Character

Reputation is what people think you are. Character is who you actually are.

At MVB, you represent your family, your school, your teammates, and the players who came before you. Coaches see players with integrity, humility, and consistency - the ones who make the team better even when nobody is watching.

Character shows up everywhere: in your effort, in your communication, in your response to adversity.

The Brutal Reality

Coach Ellis Lane had a classic line for his players:

“You know what I like about you?" We answered, "Nothing.”
And then, “I’m pleased, but I’m not satisfied.”

It wasn’t cruelty - it was clarity.

Other teams keep improving. MVB has to as well. Great teams ask: Where do we need to improve?

• Skill

• Strategy

• Athleticism

• Resilience

Honest self-evaluation precedes real progress. Chase perfection and you might land on excellence.

Hedgehogs

Collins’ “Hedgehog Concept” asks three questions:

• What can we be great at?
• What are we passionate about?
• What drives our success?

In volleyball terms:

Who are we? What is our identity?

Are we great in serve-and-pass?
Are we resilient defensively?
Are we disciplined attackers?
Are we the loudest, most connected team in the gym?

Identity drives performance. And identity is a choice.

Discipline

Discipline defines destiny. “We make our habits, and our habits make us.” Exceptional teams aren’t great by accident. They excel because they:

• are on time

• practice hard

• communicate clearly

• take care of academics

• make good decisions outside the gym

The discipline you bring to home, school, and volleyball determines your ceiling.

Closing Thought

Good teams compete. Great teams commit. The difference is leadership, character, honesty, identity, and discipline - the timeless ingredients that move a program from good to great.

Lagniappe. Repost. Defensive 'gets'