"There's always one more thing you can do." - General Hal Moore
Every MVB team has heard the criticisms - "Too small, too young, too simple, too inexperienced."
During the 2012 season, a poster on the (Western Mass) Masslive sports forum wrote that Melrose played simple volleyball. They were right.
Success is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things through commitment, work, and belief leading to high performance.
US Women's National Team Coach Kara Lawson has a common sense coaching approach. It begins with personal responsibility and effort.
She coached the US Women to the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup championship. She got relentless criticism from people upset that "their" favorites weren't getting their minutes.
Whether it's the first drill or the last drill at practice, whether you're playing a last place team or the top-ranked one, own giving your best. Bring the best version of yourself at home, in class, and on the court.
"Write the book you want to read." - Austin Kleon in Steal Like an Artist
Every season a story unfolds - the evaluation phase, the major plot, and the ending, ideally with a lengthy playoff run.
"The Director is the keeper of the story." - Ron Howard
Coach Scott Celli organizes and edits big parts. A story has plot, characters, and dialogue. We're still in the evaluation phase, entering the second week of the season.
Amidst injuries, the lineup is anything but carved in stone. Nobody has played their way out of the lineup. Some players have helped themselves with aggressiveness, consistency, and production.
Advance the story.
A variety of authors emphasize plot structure. David Mamet explains that plot is the structure that reveals character.
He respects and revisits Greek tradition, especially Aristotle’s Poetics: a drama should have a single unified action, organized around what the protagonist wants. Mamet says the central question is, “What does the protagonist want?” Every year teams chase the brass ring.
Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code, emphasizes "the ticking clock." Raising the stakes heightens tension for the reader.
In the Bosch novels, Michael Connelly explains that murder investigations are living organisms, requiring continual progress. Volleyball seasons are similar; setbacks occur but progress must occur.
"The players are the product."
Within the team stories, players write individual stories - excellence, uniqueness, probability.
Three of King’s strongest points in On Writing about dialogue are these:
I’m in love with this sentence:
— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) September 12, 2026
“If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of snow.”
View on Threads
Coach Kara Lawson has a clear perspective on how "the game" should be played.
She's taking abuse as coach of the USWNT into the FIBA World Cup finals.
She played for Pat Summitt.
She was a WNBA All-Star.
She was a WNBA Champion.
She was a Boston Celtics assistant.
She knows the game and people.
In team sport, where connection and collaboration are vital, sarcasm should be used gently if at all.
The author points out that even young children recognize sarcasm, for example, "Yeah, right."
We use it to poke fun at ourselves. We slip and nearly fall, noting "Just call me, Grace."
We use it to recognize our "limitations..." as in "Keen sense of the obvious."
Coach Ellis Lane used it for humor or as a commentary on practice. "You know what I like about you guys?" We'd answer, "Nothing."
Sarcasm, used indelicately, can inflict pain. The serve that lands at the base of the back wall can't get, "That's my All-American" or the net violation shouldn't earn, "We're thinking about electrifying that net."
Sarcasm can strengthen connection when trust is already strong. It is a poor tool for creating trust.
Correction should reduce ambiguity, not increase it. Sarcasm is indirect. Good coaching inhabits clarity: “Get your toss farther in front.” “Stay off the net.” “Read before you move.” The athlete should leave the exchange knowing what to do next.
Humor belongs in sport. So does teasing. But the best teams understand the difference between laughing with someone and making someone the joke.
Understanding when sarcasm can lighten the mood (self-deprecating) or hurt (withering criticism) will help our communication. Good teammates don’t just know what to say. They know how it will land.
Be that "guy" who practices hard every day, the standard setter.
"Leaders show up every day." To make a difference, set the example, set the tone. There is no entitlement.
A player was selfish. The coach decided on a teachable moment. During a basketball scrimmage, he set the player up to inbound the ball. Then he told his teammates to leave the floor.
He told the player, "Now play." The message was clear, "You cannot play without your teammates."
The Teddy Atlas firefighting video teaches that it takes commitment, focus, and effort to "put out the fire." That means everyone. If you're the fifteenth person on the team, the team needs you to be the best version of yourself every day at practice or encouraging teammates during the game.
Be that 'guy' who sacrifices and serves the team. The most important place to show up is on the scoreboard, not in the scorebook.
Brett Ledbetter does amazing work discussing the humanity of sport. Don't confuse insight with 'softness'.
"What are the top three things that could get in the way with you maximizing your ability?"
"What is the biggest personal struggle that you're dealing with?"
We don't know what we don't know.
Players have issues at home. Jerry West held a shotgun to his abusive father and told him that he would use it.
Players have financial issues that impact housing and hunger, not just whether they can play club ball.
A parent had serious health issues and died during the season. The parent had written me requesting extra support for the player. The team imploded while supporting the player.
Players hide or understate injuries. "Checking in" regularly gives them a chance to share.
Never make assumptions. (from The Four Agreements)
How many coaches ask players what is going on in their lives (family, home, school, other relationships)? In A Sense of Where You Are, about Bill Bradley, the coach lists three big words on the chalk board:
In small letters, he writes "Basketball."
Student-athletes experience different pressures and priorities. Players quit or act out sometimes because they don't feel seen, heard, or respected.
Create Safe Spaces
The team (Oklahoma) thought she was selfish, taking "My Turn" or "Me, Too" shots. They confronted her about it and she broke down crying. She said that unless she scored, her father wouldn't talk to her. Supporting teammates isn't automatic, it's chosen.
Coaching can't 'fix' everyone or everything. But if we don't know or choose not to know, then issues will impact winning. That's the truth that Ledbetter wants us to understand.
Lagniappe. Apply "The Batman Effect."
When asked what characteristic ALL ELITE ATHLETES SHARE, Kobe said ‘storytelling’.
— Chris Steed (@csteed) September 2, 2026
“Tell yourself, don’t listen to yourself.”
World class athletes geniunely believe they have an alter ego when they need to go to another level. This is called the ‘Batman Effect’.
One of the… pic.twitter.com/W3okaXhppI
Lagniappe 2. Grow your craft.
I coached middle school girls' basketball for almost twenty years. The players hear what the players hear.
One year they gifted me a memory book full of their experiences and my alleged coaching quotes on 3" x 5" cards. Here's one:
The sample size is limited. MVB athletes appear among several categories in leaders in the Commonwealth.
Kills:
Assists:
Sadie Smith is #1.
Digs:
Light on your feet? Strong? Coordinated?
Have you done the three-touch challenge?
More of an offseason "experiment" and you should be fully warmed up before trying but not sweating and acting as a mop.
1) One player
2) Two player - first player generates the pass, second the set, and first player then hits.
Melrose has won (and lost) against better teams. No surprise there. A key element is the Don Meyer Truth, "it matters more about how you play than whom you play."
Almost without saying, you have to play well with:
Nobody 'stops' the best players. But they have to be contained. "Hands on" via double blocks, reading the tips, and "womanning up" against the power drives.
Blocking is urgency, 'pressing' the block, and stiffening the blocks, which was much better against Burlington.
Seize the Service Advantage
Remember the four S's - seams, sidelines, short, and soft (the weakest defender). Aggressive serving can force more "out of system" play, which takes opponents out of their preferred style.
Scoring Points
Anna Burns is like a second setter on the court. Yesterday, she had six assists against Burlington, using Melrose's "pin hitters" to advantage.
In the 'broken record' department, reminder that positive scores arise from service (aces), kills, and block-kills. Be hungry as the "new kids on the block."
Soft Touch
The MVB "back row girls" were solid against a lot of hard hitting yesterday. Taking the 'sting' out of smashes is an art and adding Alisa to the mix showed gains.
Conversion
The MVB schedule demands counterpunching. Strong offenses turn digs into offensive weapons, not just keeping your hands up. It's defense into offense ASAP.
Signature moments come from character and competence, leading to the ability to play harder for longer.
View on Threads
Failure inhabits every sport:
And sports track mistakes because, "Winners are trackers."
Everyone fails. Develop a reset tool. The separator is the ability to reset quickly and intentionally. Reset tools give athletes a way to interrupt a cycle of frustration, return to the present moment, and re‑engage with confidence.
Possible Reset Tools
Why It Works
A reset tool interrupts the emotional spiral that follows mistakes. It creates an emotional shift from reaction to intention, from past to present. It’s a skill and improves with practice.
"It's Academic" (Input from Chat GPT Plus)
There is enough literature to say that “reset tools” are real and trainable, even though academia usually uses other labels.
The strongest evidence clusters around five ideas: pre-/post-performance routines, cue words/self-talk, breathing/arousal regulation, attentional refocusing, and mindfulness/acceptance. A meta-analysis of 32 self-talk studies found a moderate positive effect on sport performance (effect size about 0.48), especially when self-talk was deliberately trained rather than improvised.
Plant the Tree
"The best time to plant a tree was yesterday. The next best time is today."
Lagniappe. Get back in the game.
Highlights:
Adriana with a career-high 25 kills, Amelie 11, Elise 9, and Sabrina 8
Gen with 20 service points and Melrose with 60/100 service points
Anna with 24 digs and Danni 14
Sadie with 42 assists and Anna with 6
Anna with 24 serve receives and Gen 17
A lot of players had career games statistically.
At thirteen, my mother, a problem drinker, offered me alcohol. Fortunately, I never got too interested.
Alcohol impairs alertness, judgment, sleep, athletic performance, recovery, and more.
If you say, "but there's nothing else to do," you're deceiving yourself. You either invest your time or you spend it. Don't cheat yourself, your teammates, or the team.
Here's the repost, "Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain."
An excerpt:
But why should student-athletes particularly care? A single night’s alcohol use impairs hydration (alcohol is a diuretic), muscle recovery, healing, and can cause memory deficits for three days. Alcohol damages sleep. It limits absorption of key vitamins. It decreases endurance.
Two games into the season aren't a lot of data points. Nonetheless, use what we have.
Three standards:
Focus, aggressiveness, and consistency push execution. F->A->C->E
Hit Dogs
Mo Vaughn (Red Sox) was the "Hit Dog." I'm a believer that it takes three consistent attackers to register a deep playoff run. Long time fans know that Melrose had three attackers with >= 200 kills in only one season. 2005. There are definite candidates for three hitters.
Block Heads
You can't have too much blocking. The blocking improved with some key block kills from Sabrina "Air" McArt and Amelie Johnson. The success of the season pivots on playing "with force" both at the net and on the service line.
Power Lefty
MVB has been looking for a power lefthander for a long time - the Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson, or Steve Carlton. Kayla Wyland was more of a finesse lefty. Amelie Johnson has a chance to fill that slot.
Service, Please
After two matches and seven sets, Sadie Smith has 68 assists, 9.7 per set. It won't get easier. Sadie has also built on 'attack mode' with a number of setter dumps and attacks on the second ball.
No Quiet, Please
Audible court conversations are key and this is vital, especially for defensive organization.
Defense Never Rests
The defense "stole" several points from the Devils last night. It's important to transition back to aggressive offense so that strong teams don't "hit back in the mouth."
A Work in Progress
MVB is. We all are. Think about the "Galton Board" and its distribution of possible outcomes when considering a season.
Welcome Back
MVB needs everyone to put out the fire. Ella is a big loss. We'll see about her prognosis. Meanwhile, some game reps for Alisa only help as she is one of the top passers on the team and the "pass, set, hit" mantra matters mightily. Coach Scott Celli is practicing load management with several players.
Patience and Not
Be patient for game reps and hungry for practice reps. "Repetitions make reputations." Challenge the starters to be better and work to earn more opportunities while doing so.
It's a long season and as you've seen so far, health and injury take their toll. Stay ready.
*Adapted from my basketball blog
Why does she add value? "She's a connector." Invest in yourself to influence subordinates, peers, and superiors. Master "Magic Words."
Don't "Reach out" to players; reach them.
Nouns versus verbs
Words matter. Which appeals to you?
Success versus failure
Avoid failure words. I taught players, "can't" and "try" are failure words. "Show me you can and you will."
Ask more and better questions
People feel engagement when we ask questions. Questions signal that we are listening and interested. Stanford researchers found that "the more questions asked, the better the first impression they had on dates."
Coach Chuck Daly said, "I'm a salesman." As coaches and teachers, we're selling our competence, character, and program. We're selling belief.
In our post-game analysis: remember the "Big Four,"
Make it emotional
Most coaches know the story of Rudy Ruettiger, an iconic figure who made it onto the football field at Notre Dame.
In "Teammates Matter," Alan Williams shares how when a new basketball coach came to Wake Forest, Williams had to try out again as a walk-on to earn a spot on the team. His teammates all came to the tryout to support his efforts. Being great teammates is a choice.
Be concrete
People respond to clarity and specificity. Expectations and role definition are essential. If we say, "our best defensive player" will start, then follow through on commitment. Players and assistants want and need to know where they stand. You never forget when a coach tells you, "You're going to start because you're in our best five" or "You're the starting pitcher in our season opener."
Lagniappe. Study five keys from Jonah Berger's Magic Words - AI (edited)
People respond strongly when actions connect to who they are, not just what they do.
Example:
“Please recycle” vs
“Please be a recycler.”
When behavior reinforces identity, people are more likely to follow through.
Principle:
Frame actions as identity choices, not just tasks.
Questions prompt people to mentally simulate behavior.
Example:
“Will you vote?”
“Do you plan to vote tomorrow?”
Research shows that asking questions increases follow-through because people feel internal pressure to remain consistent.
Principle:
Questions activate self-persuasion.
Even simple explanations increase compliance.
Classic example:
“May I cut in line?”
vs
“May I cut in line because I’m in a rush?”
Adding a reason—even a modest one—makes requests more persuasive.
Principle:
People comply more when actions are justified with reasons.
Language that highlights what people can do works better than language that stresses limitations.
Example:
“Don’t smoke” vs
“You can stay healthy by not smoking.”
This shifts attention from prohibition to positive agency.
Principle:
Highlight opportunity rather than constraint.
Language that signals progress motivates continued effort.
Example:
“You’ve completed 7 of 10 workouts.”
“You’re almost there.”
This principle taps into the psychological idea that visible progress increases persistence.
Principle:
People work harder when they can see themselves moving forward.
The core insight is simple but powerful:
Small changes in wording can change behavior.
For coaches, teachers, and leaders this shows up in:
motivating athletes
giving feedback
framing expectations
building identity within teams.
“First rule of coaching - do no harm.” - my friend Oscar https://t.co/9zNmMCMYpJ
— Brian McCormick, PhD (@brianmccormick) March 6, 2026
Lagniappe 3. "Life's a fight."
Ebullient - an SAT-type word (or at least Reader's Digest Word Power)
Ebullient originates from the Latin verb ebullire, meaning "to boil over" or "to bubble out," derived from the prefix ex- (out) and bullire (to bubble or boil).
Melrose put forth an ebullient response in the second game of the season at Burlington.
Synonyms: enthusiasm, high spirits, or infectious energy, joyful and more...
Melrose traveled to always competitive Burlington and notched its first ML12 win with a 25-21, 24-26, 25-22, 25-20 win. The win evens Melrose's record at 1-1 for the young season.
Over the past six seasons in the ML12, Burlington has finished 3-3-4-3-3-3, a perennial upper first division club. They don't beat themselves and force you to score on them.
It wasn't easy. Burlington has some strong servers and persistent defense and they are always especially tough at home.
Melrose won the first set behind the exceptional hitting of junior Elise Marchais, who probably had at least seven kills. It was a team confidence builder as Melrose earned points down the stretch.
Burlington responded in set two as Melrose wrestled with inconsistency primarily off serve receive. Melrose had their chances but Burlington fired home two late aces to secure the set.
In the third set Melrose blazed to 15-3 and 21-9 edges before a late Burlington service run narrowed the gap. Set three was the Adriana Set as Adriana Santoriello lit up the scoresheet. Sophomore Alisa Dautovic, a superior defender and passer, also returned to action after injury.
The fourth set was closer than advertised as Burlington held a 14-10 edge into a Melrose timeout. A confluence of forces - hitting by Adriana and sophomore Amelie Johnson, blocking by Sabrina McArt and stellar setting by Sadie Smith powered the offense.
The back line of Anna Burns, Gen Overlan, Danni DiGiorgio, Adriana/Alisa all played solid defense, especially in the decisive stanza.
Maggie Shoemaker saw fulltime action as a middle and solidly served as well.
With an early season "must win," Coach Scott Celli shortened the rotation a bit as Melrose "put out the fire."
Melrose Volleyball Notes:
Three Up
It might be unfair to limit it to three as it was a team victory.
1) Adriana Santoriello - had a career-best 26 kills, played all-around until she got a defensive break from Alisa, and was "feeling it" offensively, appropriately calling for the ball outside.
2) Amelie Johnson - the sophomore southpaw had her career game - attacking, blocking, and defending. I'd estimate her for at least 13 kills, a heavy load for a young player with limited varsity experience.
3) Elise Marchais/Sadie Smith - Elise carried the team in the opening frame and Sadie must have had over 40 assists with a yeoman performance. Hopefully, she got a post-game pumpkin cookie.
Today's win threw up a roadblock against a possible 0-2 start, beat a solid team, and boosts the team's confidence in their ability to close out sets.
Keep it simple and execute. Have fun.
All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization.
Always quickly read through the directions first.
Choose wisely. Most of you don't need to do anything different. You're already on a great path and can stay on it.
Words may surprise you. Make and initial list and revise it. Rework it, print and save, and follow.
Warren Buffett advises the 25-5 method. Make a list of priorities and then narrow down to what works for you.
Here's a takeoff.
Pat Summitt pass out sent to Sally Jenkins pic.twitter.com/tJkyMjKcPH
— Bob Starkey (@CoachBobStarkey) June 28, 2026
