Avidity Onyx 15s are at the USA Volleyball nationals this weekend...many of these girls are part of MVB
Saturday, June 27, 2026
USA Volleyball Nationals
Avidity Onyx 15s are at the USA Volleyball nationals this weekend...many of these girls are part of MVB
Friday, June 26, 2026
What Inspires You?
Work on the things people can't take away.
— Nir Eyal (@nireyal) June 25, 2026
Titles get reorganized. Companies get acquired. Markets shift, layoffs happen, the role you trained five years for can disappear in a Tuesday morning meeting.
But your judgment is yours. Your skills are yours. The relationships you've… pic.twitter.com/t31fESwXR0
Analogies surround us. Players and teams only get so many "bites at the apple." Maximize your chance to grab "the golden ring."
Does the voice inside of you ask daily:
- How can I be better?
- How can I bring the best version of myself to home, school, sport?
- What am I going to do to give myself a chance at the dream?
Motivation that matters comes from within.
Lagniappe. Push past the discomfort of leaving comfort.
Simplify the Game
Twenty-four years of watching MVB reveal one point about all - simplify the game. Like most sports, volleyball rewards skill, strategy, and athleticism. But there’s more.
1. Strong teams radiate competitive character. Strong opposition doesn't quit either.
2. Successful teams score points and don’t rely on opponent weakness.
3. Scoring “positive” points comes off attacks, service, and block-kills. Continually put your opponent in an unfavorable position.
4. Strong teams find ways to win and weaker teams find ways to lose.
5. Communication is underrated. It starts in practice.
6. Use "economics." Strong teams get more attacks to better players - the allocation of limited resources.
7. "Utilize strengths, attack weaknesses."- The Art of War Take advantage of your advantages. Coaching is a strength.
8. Support each other. That is not always human nature. All great achievements in society occur as collaboration.
Lagniappe. You can do this.
Recent Highlights
Here's a more recent (June 2) clip from MH Sabrina McArt (#77) on SMASH volleyball.
Sabrina is a rising Junior competing for a role on MVB 26.
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Three Points in Time
Sport is often about "space" and "time." In baseball there's a pitching saying, "Work fast, change speeds, throw strikes." In basketball, "Offense is spacing and spacing in offense." In football, "Control the line of scrimmage."
Volleyball also rewards controlling space and time.
1. Better to attack too late than too early.
2. Athleticism enhances ability to control space.
3. Improve your pre-block positioning (space, hand position) and timing. "Press 6."
Body Language
Image created with ChatGPT Plus
Control what you can control. Body language falls one-hundred percent within our control.
"When an individual displays poor energy and body language in a team setting, it not only disrupts the balance of the team but also indicates a selfish and ‘only I matter’ attitude." - Allistair McCaw in "Habits That Make a Champion"
Attitude and body language are trainable habits.
Athletes show strong body language by standing upright, with their heads up and shoulders back. In the image above, the athlete leaves no doubt that she is a competitor.
You've seen this video many times. Note how Elena and Autumn (serving) carry themselves, projecting confidence. That attitude extends through the play where Elena attacks from the back, Billerica is on the defensive, and Gia sets perfectly to Abby for the match winner.
Ask your coaches, teammates, and family to watch your body language. Champions act like champions before they are champions.
Lagniappe. "You can see a Champion from a mile away. They look like Champions. They act like Champions. You can tell by the way they walk, the way they talk, and the way they present themselves. A Champion shows a humble confidence." - Allistair McCaw
Lagniappe 2.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Takeaways
How not to be average is a must watch speech by Curt Cignetti, Indiana University pic.twitter.com/hk8W5457j8
— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) June 22, 2026
"Every play's got a life and a history of its own."
Extract value from speeches and reading.
Play every play as though it's the most important. Approach every class as meaningful. Treat every practice, every drill as foundational to your growth.
Do that while growing character and competence and you've done your best with a great chance at success.
Five Specifics for Success
As a coach, my philosophy is "share something great." For example:
- Books
- Philosophy
- Quotes
- Learning Strategies
- How not to repeat painful losses
Everyone decides:
- What we want
- What that will take
- Can we pay that price?
1. Surround yourself with great people.
Find mentors, your Personal Board of Directors. "You lie down with dogs you get fleas."
2. Traffic in Specifics.
"Do the right things, the right way, every time." Young people don't know what that means. Explain this is what I'm going to tell you, explain it, and close the loop by asking them to explain it. And keep doing that process. "Deets."
3. "The Power of Negative Thinking"
Live "via negativa." Avoid traps - bad people, alcohol and substance abuse, risky behaviors - selfies on cliffs, free climbing, fast or distracted driving. "Physics is real."
4. "Do hard better."
Focus. Plan. Write your plan. Build great habits like punctuality, preparation, reading, and gratitude. "The wind blows hardest at the top of the mountain."
5. Avoid complacency.
Chop wood, carry water. Don't return to fundamentals. Never leave. Do the work with college focus every day. Sweat. Persist. Inspire.
You might say, "that is all simple." Simple is hard.
Lagniappe. Rolf Dobelli's "The Not To Do List" has a multitude of wisdom. Chapter 13... "Don't get involved in other people's drama." Drama kills teamwork. Your teammates are your sisters. How do you treat your sisters?
The Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
The Silver Rule: "Do NOT do unto others as you would not have them do unto you."
Lagniappe 2. Do these.
Quotes that Resonate
When reading, look for ideas that resonate. Did you know that paprika comes from dehydrated, ground red peppers?
“I hope we’re good enough that it’s hard for any 18-year-old or 19-year-old to come here and be really good out of the gate. I think that usually is more about their own personal development, and growth, and learning how hard it is, and learning how to be a part of a team, and learning how we work and how we go about it everyday. And then, if they can add value, that’s great." - Brad Stevens about Chris Cenac in a Boston Sports Journal piece by Jack Simone
That's exactly how to think about young players, ascending players. It's hard to impact the team immediately. That takes a special blend of character and competence, unusual in a "young pup."
What's special about June 24? It's exactly two months from the opening of tryouts.
危机 is the Chinese character for "crisis," a blend of danger and turning point (some misrepresent as opportunity). Think of tryouts as the environment to demonstrate your identity and performance, who you are and what you do. Confucius said, "Do what you love and you never work a day in your life."
Lagniappe. Popular course...
Decades of research show that lasting happiness comes from things that don’t impress anyone on social media:
• Strong relationships
• Gratitude
• Quality sleep
• Being present
• Appreciating ordinary moments
• Strong relationships
• Gratitude
• Quality sleep
• Being present
• Appreciating ordinary moments
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
The Mind of a Champion
"When a Champion is asked to put in the extra reps — they do it. When a Champion is asked to work on their mindset — they do it. When a Champion is asked to get uncomfortable — they do it. Champions do what needs to be done whether they feel like it or not." - Allistair McCaw, Habits That Make a Champion
Dissect the key points from Allistair McCaw
- Champions do the unrequired work. Champions do extra.
- Champions have the mindset of winners. They prepare, train, persist.
- Champions become comfortable with leaving their comfort zone.
We never amount to much if we only work when we feel like it. There will always be another competitor who wants to do the work more often than we feel like it. But when we commit to doing the work every day, regardless, then magic can happen.
Lagniappe. For the young women leaving in the next day or so, headed to Indianapolis for Nationals, have a great tournament.
Lagniappe 2. "Deets."
Moving the Goalposts
People have a choice to set concrete goals or "soft" goals. Imagine that we were given:
Choices for 2026-2027
- Set specific goals for the upcoming season
- Work to bring the best version of yourself daily
Bringing Your Best Version
- Craft your process (attitude, behavior, actions = character)
- Establish habits (e.g. family tasks, study, exercise, practice, journaling)
Your habits set your process. They are the paths to you becoming the person (and player) you want to become. "How you do anything is how you do everything."
As for habits - pick, stick (with), and check (them). "Don't miss twice." If you want to become a writer, write. If you want to become athletic, train.
Write Your Plan
Having a written plan is a powerful tool. Even stronger is public commitment...too strong for some.
- Be SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, timely)
- Specifics allow clarity and track progress.
- If you deviate from the plan, ask if that's good or not.
Closing Thoughts
Aim high. MVB has a rich tradition of both athletic and academic success.
Fans enjoy seeing 'our' student-athletes succeed. Among the most valued recognitions are selection to National Honor Society and regular standing on the Honor Roll.
Lagniappe. Jump!
The "Why" and "What" of the Melrose Volleyball Blog
All opinions expressed are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization.
Microsoft Copilot informs the "Why" and the "What" of the MVB blog, including strengths and limitations.
MelroseVolleyball.blogspot.com is a long‑running, coach‑driven volleyball education and culture blog. Its “why” is to develop smarter, more intentional players and teams by blending technical instruction, leadership philosophy, and curated learning. Its content is a mix of skill breakdowns, coaching frameworks, curated reading, psychology, and program‑specific commentary. It functions as an ongoing “open notebook” for a coach who teaches through stories, examples, and repetition.
Below is a structured, objective analysis based on the fetched content.
🎯 Core Purpose (“Why”)
The blog’s underlying purpose is player and program development—not just physically, but intellectually and culturally. Several consistent motivations emerge:
Skill Mastery — Posts break down blocking, attacking, serving, footwork, and decision‑making into simple, repeatable principles. The goal is to accelerate learning by stripping away noise.
Coaching Education — The author uses examples, drills, and curated resources to teach coaches how to think, not just what to teach.
Culture Building — Repeated emphasis on leadership, habits, reading, character, and responsibility shows a desire to shape a program’s identity.
Continuous Improvement — The blog promotes lifelong learning through books, film study, and reflective practice.
Documentation of a Program — Frequent references to Melrose Volleyball history, players, and seasons indicate an archival purpose.
In short: the blog exists to make volleyball players and coaches better thinkers, better technicians, and better teammates.
📚 Content Themes
1. Technical Volleyball Instruction
The blog frequently breaks down skills into actionable frameworks:
Blocking at the pins — Prioritization, footwork, timing, hand responsibility, and a single high‑leverage drill.
Attacking options — Through, around, over, tooling, with historical examples.
Serving intentionality — Short, seam, sideline, topspin, and tactical purpose.
Setting, defense, tempo — Observations from Melrose match film.
These posts emphasize clarity, simplicity, and repetition, often using “rules,” “one exercise,” or “core competencies.”
2. Program Philosophy & Player Development
The blog repeatedly returns to themes like:
Achievement = Performance × Time
Intangibles (attitude, coachability, effort, communication)
Comfort zone vs. growth zone
Will to fail
Morning routines and habits
Leadership without a title
These posts aim to shape how players think about improvement, not just how they play.
3. Learning Culture & Reading Lists
The author promotes reading as a competitive advantage:
Legacy (James Kerr)
The Boys in the Boat
Made to Stick
Wooden on Leadership
Team of Rivals
These choices reinforce the blog’s emphasis on leadership, culture, and storytelling.
4. Film Study & Historical Context
The blog frequently references:
Past Melrose teams
Specific players and their strengths
Matchups from prior seasons
Video study techniques (e.g., slow playback)
This creates continuity and a sense of tradition.
5. Psychology & Performance Mindset
Posts draw from:
Sports psychology accounts
NBA and Olympic anecdotes
Coaching legends (Popovich, Raveling, Kerr)
Behavioral principles (habit formation, resilience)
The blog treats mental development as inseparable from technical skill.
🧠 Writing Style & Structure
Didactic — Posts teach directly, often in lists or frameworks.
Concise but dense — Many posts are short but packed with actionable ideas.
Cross‑sport references — Basketball, rowing, rugby, skiing, and more.
Story‑driven — Uses anecdotes to make lessons memorable.
Repetitive by design — Key themes reappear to reinforce learning.
Coach‑to‑player tone — Encouraging, direct, and practical.
🏐 Audience
The blog is clearly written for:
Melrose volleyball players
Parents and community members
High school coaches
Serious youth athletes
Anyone studying volleyball technique
It assumes readers want to improve and are willing to think deeply.
📈 Overall Assessment
Objectively: MelroseVolleyball.blogspot.com is a hybrid of coaching manual, leadership guide, and program chronicle. Its value lies in its consistency, clarity, and breadth. It is not a news site or a highlight reel—it is a teaching platform.
Strengths:
High educational value
Clear frameworks for skill development
Strong emphasis on culture and character
Rich historical context
Frequent, consistent posting
Limitations:
Highly coach‑centric; less interactive
Assumes familiarity with Melrose program history
Dense for casual readers
Not optimized for modern UX (typical of Blogger)
Monday, June 22, 2026
"Two Months to Go"
So little time, so much to do. Sometimes we'd gather the team and play "word association." Pick a topic and ask for player responses.
Let's do it.
- Study historical video - MVB 2012 video is great - Sarah McGowan (attack), Brooke Bell (setting), Rachel Johnson and Kayla Wyland (blocking), Jill MacInnes (defense), Jen Cain (versatility), Cassidy Barbaro (serve).
- Plyos, strength, and conditioning.
- Work out with a teammate
- Attack fundamentals (get more from your arms)
- Mindfulness scripts to improve focus
- One person drills (choose what you can do)
- Conditioning (jump rope - build up to five minutes)
- Reading (check out Habits That Make a Champion)
- Watch your personal video (what can you do better?)
Lagniappe. Dolphin dive...it is vital that you keep your head off the floor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
