Practice, practice, practice.
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Words Are Actions - Inspired by J.L. Austin*
*Significant input from ChatGPT Plus
Concepts from J. L. Austin in How to Do Things with Words fit coaching because they affirm that language is action.
Words are descriptions, commands, promises, and more.
Examples:
"You bring a unique level of toughness to the court."
"Put your gear on and show them who you are."
"We and young and we are hungry."
British philosopher J. L. Austin argued that language does more than describe the world. Words do things. When someone says “I apologize,” “I promise,” or “I resign,” the act occurs through speech itself.
Language shapes confidence, effort, trust, and accountability. Words create environments.
1. Words Create Reality
Some statements make something happen (declarations).
“I name you captain.”
“You’re starting tonight.”
“Practice begins at 3:30.”
They decide. The same applies to athletes. “You are becoming a great passer.” Coaches reshape identity.
2. The Speaker Matters
Speech works when spoken by the right person in the right context.
A coach names the lineup. A referee declares a point. Authority matters.
In sports, the coach’s voice carries weight. A respected coach can change an athlete’s confidence instantly. That is why careless criticism travels far.
Leadership amplifies language.
3. Words Set Standards
Some statements function as promises.
“We dive for every ball.”
“We celebrate teammates.”
“We don't blame.”
These are not slogans. They set norms. Spoken repeatedly and enforced, they become culture.
Language shapes culture.
4. Feedback Is Intervention
Correction intervenes in performance.
“Get your onramp to attack.”
“Beat the ball to the spot.”
“Reset.”
Those words redirect attention and movement.
Top coaches use simple, specific language. Clarity works.
Confusing words create confusing play.
5. Repetition Builds Identity
Austin showed that speech acts rely on repetition and recognition.
Repeated statements shape identity.
“You are tough.”
“You are resilient.”
“You are a great teammate.”
Over time, athletes live up to the language they hear.
This relates to the Pygmalion effect in psychology: expectations influence performance.
Coaches teach more than skill as they author identity.
Coaching Lessons
Speech acts fill practice.
A whistle starts a drill. A correction changes scrimmage. Compliments build confidence.
Lagniappe. Snap to it.
Monday, March 16, 2026
Body Weight Exercises
Take advantage of what you carry around with you daily by doing "body weight exercises."
"High intensity circuit training" (HICT) seems to be an efficient means of exercise to help decrease body fat, improve insulin sensitivity, and improve V˙O2max and muscular fitness."
With a jump rope (for aerobic conditioning) and HICT you can accomplish a lot without expensive or unavailable equipment.
"Exercises are performed for 30 seconds, with 10 seconds of transition time between bouts. Total time for the entire circuit workout is approximately 7 minutes. The circuit can be repeated 2 to 3 times."
- Jumping jacks Total body
- Wall sit Lower body
- Push-up Upper body
- Abdominal crunch Core
- Step-up onto chair Total body
- Squat Lower body
- Triceps dip on chair Upper body
- Plank Core
- High knees/running in place Total body
- Lunge Lower body
- Push-up and rotation Upper body
- Side plank Core
Can't remember the list? Take a picture with your phone as a 'go by'.
Creating a Hit Show
A successful team is similar to a "hit" movie. Each template has 1) talented stars 2) skilled supporting cast 3) behind the scene contributions 4) inspiring director. All the components working in selfless harmony on set. #OscarNight
— Gordon Chiesa (@gchiesaohmy) March 15, 2026
Leverage the power of analogy. Coach Chiesa likens team sports to Hollywood productions. Let's examine the possibilities.
Talented Stars
Top players are "the straws that stir the drink." Tom Brady says that the hidden factor is 'consistency', the ability to show up and to perform at a high level, day after day when its hard. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra reminds us "there is always a pecking order." Being 'the star' means attention that cuts both ways, the highlights when winning and the critical spotlights when not.
“To be successful, you don’t have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren't: consistent, determined, and willing to work for it. No shortcuts.”
— Curious Minds (@CuriousMindsHub) March 7, 2026
— Tom Brady
Success favors consistency. pic.twitter.com/8H2yk2Brb7
Supporting Cast
Poet John Donne wrote, "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." Each part makes the whole.
Volleyball is not golf or tennis, one player against another. Team sport challenges people to collaborate and build a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Offseason training is an ecosystem that allows you to shape a shared vision, shared mission, and shared sacrifice in pursuit of greater goals. Be "force multipliers."
Be there not only with each other but for each other.
Show up daily with your best effort, even when you don't feel like it.
Behind the Scenes
Ordinary people can shape extraordinary accomplishments with a support system. Your family provides you with the picks and shovels to help you mine gold. Recognize their sacrifice and support that allows you to do what you love.
Make their job easier by being part of the team at home.
Do yourself a favor by taking care of your business at school. And help yourself by keeping a 'scrapbook' of both traditional and electronic media.
Inspiring Director
"The director is the keeper of the story." - Ron Howard Coach Scott Celli and his staff are your biggest advocates and supporters after your family. Understand that "mentoring is the only shortcut to success." Coaches have limited direct impact during the offseason. "Pick their brains" prospecting for tips that help you achieve the "asymptote of excellence."
Image created with ChatGPT Plus
"You own your paycheck." If you want a hit show, craft your blueprint.
Lagniappe. Volleyball education... MVB has always excelled at the net, even when they didn't have "elite size." AVCA Tip of the Week shares an action to improve around the net.
Sunday, March 15, 2026
Bent Knee Calf Raises
Via ChatGPT Plus, a helpful slant board exercise:
Bent-Knee Soleus Raises (Most Important)
Why it matters
During a vertical jump the knee is partially bent, which means the soleus muscle contributes enormous force production. Many athletes undertrain it.
How to do it
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Stand on the slant board facing uphill.
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Bend knees slightly (athletic stance).
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Raise heels slowly.
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Pause at the top.
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Lower under control.
Prescription
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3–4 sets
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8–12 reps
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Slow tempo (3 sec down)
Volleyball application
This builds the “spring” in the lower leg used during the final extension phase of the jump.
The Pygmalion Effect
We’re all works in progress. One of the quiet privileges of coaching is realizing that, sometimes, your influence can change the direction of a student’s life.
In 1913, George Bernard Shaw wrote Pygmalion, inspired by the old Greek myth of a sculptor whose statue comes to life. The musical and film My Fair Lady tells the same story in a different form as Professor Henry Higgins transforms a street merchant (Eliza Doolittle) into a lady. In their own way, coaches and teachers revisit that story every day.
Psychologists call it the Pygmalion effect - the idea that high expectations can lead people to perform better. In a famous classroom study, researchers Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson found that when teachers were led to believe certain students would excel, those students often did.
It’s the classic self-fulfilling prophecy. When mentors communicate belief, students often rise to meet it. And that belief can extend beyond performance to values - things like sportsmanship, effort, and character.
Of course, simple ideas aren’t always easy to execute. Growth requires clarity, specificity, and honest correction. And there’s an old reminder that still holds true: you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
As coaches, we’re always looking at the raw materials—size, athleticism, curiosity, work ethic—and imagining what a player might become. We project forward. We hope. And when that potential finally comes to life, it’s one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
I'm unsure who will be the next MVB version of Eliza Doolittle, but I know that she is out there.
Lagniappe. Our greatest challenges...
Your competition isn’t other people. pic.twitter.com/2ZCr4uU9by
— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) February 22, 2026
MVB on the Road in Philadelphia
One MVB Mom said, "There are only two seasons - volleyball season and offseason volleyball."
A number of MVB players are on the road in Philadelphia this weekend.
Click to enlarge photographs.
Walkup Music, Walkoff Music
All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization.
Baseball famously has walkup and walkoff music. Yankee closer Mariano Rivera had Metallica's "Enter Sandman" as he arrived to put the opposition to sleep.
Edwin Diaz, now on the Dodgers, was greeted by Timmy Trumpet.
The Red Sox play "Dirty Water" after victories.
Team Italy informs the latest iteration in the World Baseball Classic. After wins, Bocelli's "Time to Say Goodbye" fills the stadium.
Define your destiny with your work, the "price you gotta pay"...and sometimes your anthems.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Belief as a Tool
Four minute video shares the power of belief. From his article:
These three questions will help:
- Is this belief helping me see opportunities or blinding me to them?
- Is this belief giving me energy or draining it?
- Is this belief pushing me forward or holding me back?
Analogies or examples:
1) In Man's Search for Meaning, psychologist Viktor Frankl discussed his "experience" at Nazi death camps and his perceptions of what kept prisoners going.
2) Admiral James Stockdale, long held as a prisoner-of-war in Vietnam, survived a gauntlet of tortures and led his men to resist becoming political tools of their captors.
3) Joe Rantz was literally sent out of his home at age 15 during the depression, found hard, physical work to survive, and became an Olympic rowing champion at the University of Washington. His story is revealed in The Boys in the Boat, one of the best books I have ever read.
What is your MVB situation and beliefs?
1) Do you see opportunity ahead of you, regardless of your class, if you improve?
2) If you don't believe, can you reinvent your beliefs and work?
3) Are your current beliefs limiting or liberating?
Every year at the breakup dinner and season celebration, Coach Scott Celli reminds players that every position is available. Certainly with graduation, opportunities abound. I couldn't name the Opening Day starting lineup and I doubt that Coach Celli could either.
Some memorable players underwent positional changes. Here are a few:
Alyssa DiRaffaele moved from attacker to libero and helped get to the State Finals.
Gia Vlajkovic moved from setter to outside hitter and earned "Triple Crown" status (All-State, Globe and Herald All-Scholastic) and a pair of sectional titles.
As a senior, Sadie Jaggers moved outside from middle and likewise earned the "Triple Crown."
Exceptional players have exceptional beliefs and earn extraordinary trust.
Lagniappe. Enjoy the struggle.
Steve Nash shares the truth about the journey to greatness.
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) March 14, 2026
"You don't have to be the chosen one."
"The secret is to build the resolve and spirit to enjoy the plateaus - the times when it doesn't feel like you're improving and you question why you're doing this."
Most people… pic.twitter.com/hybx2MhCae
Friday, March 13, 2026
You Own Your Performance Psychology*
*Adapted from my basketball blog
Review the "Achievement Equation," which applies 'across the board' at home, in school/work, and in your extracurricular activities (e.g. sport).
ACHIEVEMENT = PERFORMANCE x TIME
To maximize achievement, invest time and raise your standard of performance. Ask "what do I need to do to raise that standard?"
1. Commitment
- Skill development has no substitute.
- Strategy is knowing what to do in any given situation.
- Physicality - sport rewards athleticism, strength, quickness, endurance
- Psychology of high performance is resilience/mental toughness.
When she was at American University, Cecilia Kay told me about a teammate who barely played. But the young woman attacked practice with the attitude of preparing as though she would be playing full time. She didn't allow a lack of minutes to compromise her effort. That is professionalism. You can be fifteen years old with a professional attitude. Is that your best effort doing homework?
2. Value #1
The best players make everyone around them better, whether they are the 'star' or the 'supporting cast'. The defense makes the setter better. The setter empowers attackers. "Don't cheat the drill." Being a competitor in practice translates to games. If you're not in the game, encourage your teammates.
Geno Auriemma and other top coaches film the bench. If you're not in the game, not supporting the team, and show bad body language, you won't get in the games.
3. Impact winning
Everyone has a chance to impact winning even when not playing. "Stay ready" (reserve) players prepare the starting group as competitors.
When a former President visited NASA decades ago, he spoke with a custodian. The President asked about his job. The worker answered, "I helped put a man on the moon."
4. Honor your work
Nobody can award themselves 'external' recognition. But you can award yourself integrity, courage when you're not at your best, and character. As Dr. Fergus Connolly shared recently, there's no medal awarded for doing your job. The "Fourth Agreement" is "Always do your best." Neither apologies nor regrets are needed when doing your best.
George Roberts was a carpenter with workers working some of his jobs. He told them to "sign your work," meaning to ensure that the quality was so high that you could take ownership.
5. "Look for the helpers." - Mister Rogers
"Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence." Get help from your family, coaches, and teammates. And give help to your teammates - whether instruction to younger ones or encouragement to all.
Be coachable. Don't hesitate to ask for help. It's honorable to do so. If you need letters of recommendation, ask.
Summary:
The Achievement Equation: Performance × Time
Achievement is the product of how well you perform and how much time you invest. To grow, continuously raise your performance standard and ask what that requires of you - at home, in school, and in sport.
The Four Pillars of Commitment are skill development, strategy (knowing what to do in any situation), physicality, and mental toughness. There are no shortcuts.
Make others better. The best contributors - regardless of role - elevate the people around them. Don't coast through practice. Compete in drills, because how you practice is how you play. If you're on the bench, your body language and encouragement matter; coaches notice, and it affects your playing time.
Impact winning from any position. You don't have to be in the game to contribute to the outcome. Reserve players who stay sharp push starters to be better. The NASA custodian who said "I helped put men on the moon" understood this perfectly.
Honor your work. External recognition isn't yours to grant yourself — but integrity and character are. Do your best every time, and neither apologies nor regrets are necessary. "Sign your work," as carpenter George Roberts told his crew: make it good enough to be proud of.
Seek and give help. Mentoring is the only genuine shortcut to excellence. Be coachable, ask for help without hesitation, and pay it forward to teammates. That exchange — receiving guidance and offering encouragement — is how teams and individuals grow together.
Lagniappe. Champions are champions before they have won.
"You have to practice and play and behave like a winner if you want to win games.
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) March 11, 2026
It is not just something that you can decide to be.
You have to be that every single day in your approach and in your execution." pic.twitter.com/CXp0wjtkkM
Thursday, March 12, 2026
"A" Game
With enough talent, savvy, physicality, and resilience, your "A" Game can have a high ceiling. How can you bring that "best version" out as often as possible?
Manage Your Hardware
Your hardware includes both your body and your mind. Have a plan for maintenance and upgrades.
- Power, conditioning, and quickness. Build a workout schedule.
- Sleep. Demand eight hours or more nightly. Sleep helps both muscles and the nervous system.
- Nutrition and hydration. Dehydration first shows up as fatigue.
- Recovery. Post-exercise walking is an option as well as "thermal contrast" - alternating cold and warmer water in the shower.
Upgrade Your Software
- Study the game. Study both team and individual play.
- Play volleyball. Set specific goals for practice improvement. If you serve, work on serving to zones, seams, better pace or float, or adding topspin.
- Mindfulness upgrades both hardware and software. Investing seven to ten minutes daily on a mindfulness practice improves focus, memory, and sleep. It lessens anxiety, depression, and blood pressure.
Get a Coach
- Eventually, become your own coach. Self-assess, develop, and monitor an improvement program.
- "Pick your coaches' brains." Seek tips and recommendations. Show your coaches that you want to improve, to play, and to win.
- Use AI. If you don't you are falling behind.
Yes, I get it. TLDR (too long didn't read). Is being in the serve rotation for you?
Prompt to Claude.ai (Anthropic site): Help me develop a strategic plan to improve my volleyball serving. When I become more proficient as a server, I increase my chance at having a greater role and contributing to winning.
Response: First, Anthropic asked specifics:
Q: What is your current playing level? A: High School
Q: Which serve types do you want to focus on? (Select all that apply) A: All of the above
Q: What's your biggest current weakness when serving? A: Placement / targeting
Here's Claude's answer:
VOLLEYBALL SERVING
STRATEGIC IMPROVEMENT PLAN
High School Level • Float | Jump Float | Topspin/Jump Serve • Placement & Targeting Focus
Overview & Goal
This 12-week plan is designed specifically for a high school player who wants to become a consistent, strategic server across all three primary serve types. The core focus is placement and targeting — because a well-placed serve that disrupts the opponent's pass is more valuable than a powerful serve that lands out.
Improved serving creates a direct path to more court time and greater impact on match outcomes. Coaches at the high school level reward servers who are reliable, smart, and put the team in a good position to score.
Your Serving Profile
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Phase 1: Mechanics Foundation (Weeks 1–4)
Before targeting can improve, mechanics must be consistent and repeatable. Targeting problems at the high school level almost always trace back to mechanical inconsistency — an unreliable toss, inconsistent contact point, or variable approach. Fix these first.
Float Serve (Weeks 1–2 Priority)
The float serve is your highest-leverage weapon at the high school level. A well-executed float knuckles unpredictably and is harder to pass than a faster topspin serve.
- Hand position: Contact point: Strike the ball dead center with a firm, flat hand — fingers together and wrist locked.
- No follow-through: Stop your swing on contact. This is what creates the knuckling effect. A follow-through kills the float.
- Toss discipline: Toss low (2–3 feet), directly in front of your hitting shoulder, with zero spin on the ball.
- Footwork: Use the same footwork pattern every single rep — this becomes muscle memory under pressure.
Jump Float (Weeks 3–4)
The jump float adds height and a sharper downward angle while preserving the unpredictable float movement. It requires a consistent approach before adding power.
- Approach first: Master a 3-step approach (left-right-left for right-handers) before worrying about jump height.
- Toss height: Toss must travel slightly forward and high enough for a full arm swing — practice toss only until consistent.
- Same contact: Contact remains the same as the standing float: flat hand, no follow-through, center of the ball.
Topspin / Jump Serve (Weeks 3–4 Introduction)
The topspin jump serve is introduced later but only after the float is consistent. This serve trades knuckling movement for speed and angle — useful against strong passers.
- Toss: Higher toss (4–5 feet) in front and slightly to the hitting side.
- Contact: Contact slightly above center of the ball with a snapping wrist-through motion to generate topspin.
- Follow-through: Follow through fully toward your target — opposite of the float serve.
Phase 1 Daily Drill — The 50 Reps Rule
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Phase 2: Placement & Targeting (Weeks 5–8)
This phase directly addresses your biggest weakness. A serve landing in-bounds is not enough — every serve should have an intended destination before the toss. Serving with purpose separates good servers from impactful servers.
The Six Zones
Mentally divide the opponent's court into 6 zones matching standard rotation positions (Zones 1–6). Your goal in this phase is to be able to hit any zone on demand with at least 70% accuracy.
Zone 4 (Left Front) | Zone 3 (Middle Front) | Zone 2 (Right Front) |
Zone 5 (Left Back) ⭐ | Zone 6 (Middle Back) | Zone 1 (Right Back) ⭐ |
⭐ = High-priority zones. Zones 1 and 5 are your primary targeting goals — see High-Value Targets below.
High-Value Targeting Zones
- Zone 1 (Back Right Corner): Forces the setter to chase and pass before setting — this disrupts their entire offensive system.
- Zone 5 (Back Left Corner): Exploits weak passers, creates sharp cross-court angles. Often exposes the left-side defender.
- Seam Serves (Zone Boundaries): The seam between two players causes communication breakdowns — aim at the gap between Zones 1/6 or 5/6.
- At the Setter: When the setter is in the back row, serving at them forces them to pass instead of set, removing their most important role.
- Short (Zones 2/4): A short serve to Zones 2 or 4 pulls a back-row passer forward and creates chaos in serve-receive coverage.
Phase 2 Targeting Drills
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Phase 3: Tactical Intelligence & Pressure (Weeks 9–12)
Mechanics and targeting are tools. Tactical intelligence is what makes you a weapon. This phase is about reading the opponent and making decisions that put your team in a position to win the rally before the serve even crosses the net.
The Pre-Serve Checklist
Before every serve in practice AND in matches, run this 5-second mental checklist:
- Identify the weakest passer on the floor right now based on what you've seen in the match.
- Find the setter — can you serve directly at them or make them scramble?
- Look for seams — are two players positioned with a gap between them?
- Check the rotation — is the opponent's best hitter in the front row? If so, disrupt the pass to limit their offense.
- Commit to a target before you toss — never serve without a plan.
Serve-to-Win Tactical Rules
- Neutralize the offense: Serving away from the opponent's best outside hitter when they're in back row forces their weakest attacker to run the offense.
- Attack the rotation: Identify when the strongest passer rotates to Zone 5 (left back) and serve there aggressively.
- Ace-hunting is secondary: An ace is a bonus — your primary goal is to force a bad pass and let your blockers and defenders win the point.
- Self-scouting: After each serve, note: Did it land where I intended? Did it create a good situation for my team? This builds tactical memory.
Pressure Training Drills
- Consequence Drill: Miss a serve = 5 pushups or your partner earns a point. Low stakes, but simulates consequence.
- Streak Serving: Try to serve 10 in a row to a target zone. Reset on each error. Builds mental resilience and focus.
- Post-Match Serve Log: After every match or scrimmage, log: serves attempted, errors, aces, target hit rate. Patterns will guide your next training week.
The Mental Edge
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12-Week Training Schedule
Phase | Focus | Key Activities |
Week 1–2 | Float Serve Mechanics | 50 reps/day — track in/out/net. Focus on flat contact and zero swing follow-through. |
Week 3–4 | Jump Float Mechanics | Add 3-step approach with consistent toss. 40 reps/day. Mix with float reps. |
Week 5–6 | Topspin / Jump Serve | Introduce wrist snap and toss height. 30 reps/day on jump serve + 20 float. |
Week 7–8 | Zone Targeting | Cone drills: 10 reps per zone (1, 5, seams). Track hit rate per zone. |
Week 9–10 | Tactical Reads | Pre-serve checklist in every rep. Serve to weak passer, setter, or seams. |
Week 11–12 | Pressure & Competition | Consequence drills. Streak serving (10 in a row). Post-match logs. |
Weekly Practice Structure
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
Mechanics 50 serves | Zone Targeting cone drills | Mechanics 50 serves | Zone Targeting cone drills | Tactical reps scrimmage | Pressure drills | Rest + Video review |
Progress Tracking
Use this log after every practice session to track growth over time. Consistent tracking reveals what's working and guides adjustments.
Date | Serve Type | Total Reps | Errors | Zone Hit % | Notes |
A Final Note
Serving improvement is one of the fastest ways to increase your value to a high school volleyball team because it is 100% trainable with solo or partner practice. You do not need a full team. You do not need a coach watching every rep. What you need is consistent, intentional repetition with clear goals
Build Winning Habits
"Winners are trackers." Do the work. Track progress. Adjust. Repeat.
"Champions Do Extra"
Commit to priorities - family, school, other. This is not an 'afterthought'. How you do anything is how you do everything.
Work out with a partner. Two people get better. You develop teamwork and close personal relationships.
Seek balance. "All work and no play makes 'Susie' a dull person." Work-life balance starts young. Take care of your physical and mental health.
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