Just One Word

Define your destiny. Imagine that you can earn one word to describe your team play not just today, but for the rest of the season.

Restated, this word becomes your identity.

What do you choose?  

Updated Power Rankings - Melrose at #4

MIAA releases power rankings each Tuesday and Friday. Melrose drops to #4 as Barnstable has been on a "heater' lately. 

 

Showtime

"Every day is showtime."

Hosting Arlington Catholic at the Middle School Gym today offers opportunity to show "this is who we are" and "that is how we play."

Craft your identity and performance statement coming off a loss.

Adversity accompanies athletes in every sport. Injury, inconsistency, and defeat come with the territory.

The best teams recover the fundamentals, bring their "A" game more often, and play harder for longer even when they are not at their best.

A lot of volleyball remains to be played. 

 

Small Wins

"Little things make big things happen."

Celebrate small wins because they are the fuel for greater success.

Small wins often don't appear on the scoreboard.

• Recover from minor injury.
• Get through a tough practice.
• Have an awkward fall without injury.
• Finally feel comfortable with attack footwork.
• Feel a part of the team as a young player.
• Get a "shout out" from Coach or a teammate at practice
• Get an excellent grade on a paper or test.
• Have success with setter dumps or a back row attack.

Small wins are scaffolding to build upon.

Small wins show that more is possible.

Small wins promote love of the game.

All players want to be seen, heard, and respected. Small wins are part of the process.

I coached Sadie's older sister who always gave her best, even when things didn't go her way. She was an elite student who always kept an eye on the academic ball. That earned her the "respect card." 

Don't overlook small wins.

Lagniappe. Play freely and fearlessly. 

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Think Like a Coach

Self-assess by thinking like a coach. Coaches ask how a player fits, how she makes the team better, and where is her floor and ceiling? 

Coaches value the players who can think and act like a coach on the court. 

Better players can analyze the game in real time and identify what personnel and strategy changes may make a difference. 

Where Is Our “Center of Gravity?” 

Sometimes a team has dominant player that opponents have to account for at all times. It isn't always an attacker. Marlborough had dominant liberos who controlled two key playoff games and Central Catholic had a setter who created scores for others and herself in Sectional Finals. 

Who Owns Player Development? 

With limited out-of-season player contact with coaches, players must assume responsibility for their skill, strategy, and physical development. Have a written plan that is monitored and adjusted.

What Are Our Priorities? 

At the time of writing, it's still over two months until tryouts. Player development and team integration are emphasis. Regardless of who did what for MVB 25, opportunity abounds. Tryouts, scrimmages and the Play Day are open competitions for minutes and roles. 

What Does My Team Need Now?

A lot depends on the current situation, stage of team development, health and depth of the club. Depth provides "antifragility" because player availability is never guaranteed.

Lagniappe. Read and react to defend. 

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You Are the Standard

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization. 

*Post constructed with AI assistance and then edited extensively.

Prompt: Create a post using my basketball and volleyball posts, in my voice, about "becoming the standard." That means regarding leadership, communication, adding value, and living with empathy.

Teams talk about standards. 

Work hard. Be a good teammate. Compete. Communicate. Lead. “What does your standard look like?”

Can people see the standard when they watch you?

Leadership isn't a title gifted by a coach, captain's vote, or seniority. Leadership appears as behavior repeated often enough that other people begin to trust it.

You arrive early. You know the job. You communicate. You compete whether you're starting, sitting, winning, losing, tired, or frustrated. 

Eventually people notice. You don't talk about the standard. You become it.

Leadership

Leadership begins with responsibility. Great leaders don't ask, “What's in it for me?” They ask, “What does the team need from me?” and "What does the game need from me?"

Sometimes that's twenty points or fifteen kills. Sometimes it's defending the opponent's best player, taking a charge, or chasing a ball into the bleachers.

And sometimes leadership means accepting fewer minutes with full-throated support of the teammate who replaced you. "Attitude reflects leadership."

Feelings are real. So are responsibilities. Leaders learn the difference. Nobody needs perfection. Everyone needs reliability. Coaches need guys they trust. 

Communication

Teams cannot achieve without communication. Basketball and volleyball are invasion games played at speed. Information expires. Rapidly. 

“Help!”

“Short!”

"Mine!"

Calling the play three seconds late announces the rain after everyone is soaked. Communicate early, loud, and often. And communication extends beyond the court.

Listen. Ask questions. Tell teammates what they need to know...in a way that demands their attention. And realize that sarcasm, criticism, and humor echo. The question isn't merely what you intended. The question is how you made the other person feel. 

Great communication creates shared understanding.

Add Value

Every player should ask: "How do I make this team better?"

Stars add obvious value. The offensive engine scores. The setter directs the attack. The libero reshapes impending disaster into a playable ball. Anna did that late in the Newburyport game playing a ball that ricocheted off the ceiling. 

Contribution isn't limited to stars. Raise the practice tone. Become an elite communicator.

Maybe you're the first teammate off the bench to celebrate someone else's success. Maybe you notice someone sitting alone. Maybe you see parts of the scouting report that matter more. 

Maybe you're the player who hits the floor every time without hesitation (Dani). That inspires others to do the same. 

Talent has value. So do energy, preparation, toughness, encouragement, and reliability.

Empathy

Empathy gets less attention. Intangibles usually do. We can't fully know the baggage that teammates carry into the gym.

A teammate may struggle academically. Her parents may be divorcing. Sometimes a teammate doesn't get enough calories. Someone she loves may be sick. She may have lost confidence, sleep, a friendship, or something more important than basketball.

The distracted player may not need a lecture. She needs someone to care.

Empathy isn't lowering standards. It's understanding 'team' while maintaining standards.

Coaches sometimes confuse hardness with strength. Players sometimes confuse indifference with toughness. Neither is required. Demand excellence and treat people with dignity and respect.

The best leaders do.

Become That Guy

Culture is not what appears on the locker-room wall. Culture is what happens when coaches aren't around. Standards work that way.

Want a team that communicates? Communicate.

Want toughness? Compete.

Want unselfishness? Pass the ball.

Want accountability? Own your mistakes.

Want empathy? Pay attention to people. 

The strongest standard is not what you demand from somebody else. It's the consistent behavior which others choose to repeat. Standards can hurt. They leave floor burns and hoarseness and exhaustion. 

Standards define seasons. Don't point toward the standard. Become the standard.

 

Schedule Update for Duxbury (Varsity at 12:30)

The Duxbury matches (10/17 at Duxbury) have updated starts times:

JvA - 11:00 AM

JvB - 11:00 AM

Varsity - 12:30 PM  

A Story

Once in awhile a story leaves an impression. I hope this one will leave an impression with you.

It costs nothing to treat people right and they will remember.  

Be a "How Can I Help?" Teammate

Coach Tullo shares a post on creating culture. 

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Choose to lead

• Everyone can lead. 
• Stay positive. 
• Play with joy. 
• Encourage...what you do impacts everyone.
• Never be a distraction

Game Plan

I’m in love with this sentence: “One of the most underrated skills you can learn is the ability to ignore your mood and stick with the plan.”

— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) October 7, 2026

Your coaches put you in position to succeed with:

• Preparation
• Game planning
• Practice

Whether it's 3-0 or 0-3 in the first set, unless told otherwise - be on the same page and "stick with the plan." 

Focus

Be aggressive,

Be consistent

 

Imperfect Birds

"James and Elizabeth sat in a rasping wicker porch swing that the sellers had left behind in the trashed garden of the rickety and voracious house, overpriced until you factored in the sunset. The sky was soft pink; the night was cool. When the clouds crashed and stumbled forward one into another, James gathered up the tea tray and they went inside." - Anne Lamott in Imperfect Birds 

Seek proficiency in anything worth doing. 

Note the Lamott excerpt: 

1) Paint a picture - "trashed garden of the rickety and voracious house," the odd juxtaposition of voracious and house. 

2) Active verbs - "clouds crashed and stumbled forward" 

3) Use of semicolon as linkage - "The sky was soft pink; the night was cool." 

Your play paints pictures, too. One player floats high above the net, an ethereal albatross; another shows the grim determination of the Terminator patrolling the back row. 

In British slang, "bird" refers to a young woman. The term conveys no flattery. Lamott's classic "Bird by Bird," teaches writing, not ornithology. Her brother's tardy approach to a book report explains the title. Birds are literally birds.

The season perches on the precipice of the "stretch run" into the postseason. The coaches still unearth 'answers' as to whom will answer the bell during critical moments. No amount of polishing erases all imperfections. Never has; never will.

Control what you can control. Direct your thoughts to this moment.

Lagniappe. Add pieces to your personal puzzle. Fill your toolbox.

• Better writing or playing begins with intent.
• Gather tools as you find them. Dispose of outdated ones.
• Your palette allows you to paint with your distinctive style.
• Be the coaches' answer.
• Focus on the here and now.

Never be doubted. 

The Third Path

Sports constantly shares lessons with us. Exhilarating wins and discouraging defeats drive emotional responses. 

Path 1: Thrill of victory - excitement and confidence

Path 2: Agony of defeat - frustration and depression

Emotion indulges us. Allow that...overnight. 

Choose the third path, "chop wood, carry water." Joshua Medcalf's "Chop Wood, Carry Water" shares a powerful allegory of personal growth through a principled life. 

Excerpt:

"Everyone wants to be great, until it's time to do what greatness requires...your greatest challenge during your time here will be faithfully keeping your focus on the process, while surrendering the outcome." 

Nobody feels sorry for MVB. And even if they did, how does that craft your response? Don't be a prisoner of emotion. 

Chop wood, carry water. 

Reminder - The Ration Sisters

The "Ration Sisters" dominate sports through their presence or absence. You know them:

Big Sisters

Perspi

Prepa 

Little Sisters 

Aspi

Inspi

As in every family, all of the children matter. Every family struggles from time to time. No exceptions. No excuses. 

Inspi Ration sends a message today: 

The Immaculata College women's team was "nobody from nowhere." They had the worst facilities, the worst uniforms, and nobody gave them a chance to win anything. Yet they persisted and dominated because they believed in themselves.  

Perspiration, preparation, aspiration, and inspiration drive excellence. 

When Comparison Is not a Thief of Joy

Comparison is the thief of joy, except when it isn't.

"A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two unrelated things by stating one is the other, without using the words "like" or "as" (which would make it a simile)."

Melrose featured players with differing styles through the decades. Erin "The Hammer" Hudd brought power. "The Queen," Hannah Brickley was Melrose volleyball royalty. Dr. Victoria Crovo's nickname explained her play - "V-Rex." Sofia Papatsoris's background was dance...her play showed that. 

Once Melrose had a setter who reminded me of R2D2. She skittered around the court making good plays. 

MVB 26 offers a breadth of styles. One attacker reminds me of a dancer, another a pterosaur, and a third a blacksmith. Metaphors do not imply effectiveness, only style. 

 

Execution matters most, not style. 

Lagniappe. Be like Paige, an NCAA and World Cup champion who has always been about the team. 

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Steal Something, More or Less

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Winners don't make excuses. They find solutions not problems.

Winning can create more winning or complacency. 

Complacency says:

"I'm good."

"I've done enough conditioning."

"Nobody can take my job."

"I've studied enough." 

"I'm a proven quantity."

What's the alternative? Dan Pink, author of Drive, says "Do five more."

• Do five more sprints.
• Watch five more minutes of video.
• Take five more "high intention" serves. 
• Read five more pages.
• Study five more minutes.

Less is more when it means more efficiency, fewer drills in favor of better ones, more focused study over more duration. 

And sometimes more is more. Be more focused, more aggressive, and more consistent. 
  

 

 

 

 

Ten Lessons from "Good Writing"

Do your best in the classroom and on the court. Fill your toolbox. 

Good Writing by Neal Allen and Anne Lamott, shares 36 lessons for better writing. These ten hit home. 

1. The sentence carries structure...the "attack" of the hitter.

"Pass, set, hit."

2. Strong verbs sideline many adverbs and adjectives, driving action.

Don't play hard. "Compete." 

3. Whenever possible use active voice.

Don't be a winner. "Win." 

4. Limit "to be" and "to have" parts of speech.

"She carries the team," better than "she is good." 

5. Avoid long sentences. Allen shares a 280-word sentence as an example. Give him a 10-15 year sentence for that.

"Volleyball winners share" or "Talk energizes." Remember the six word story challenge. "For sale: baby shoes. Never worn."  

6. Avoid "showy offy" writing. Allen violates that with classical Greek references and a compulsion to use the word "ineffable." You know what I'm thinking.

"Belief" beats "Herculean confidence." 

7. Three word or phrase series land well, "tricolon" in rhetoric.

•  Three cheers for the red, white, and blue.
• "I came, I saw, I conquered." (Julius Caesar)
• "Duty, honor, country." (MacArthur speech to West Point graduates)

8. Write the hard stuff. "If it's hard to write, then it's probably worth writing." Women deliver memorable speeches. Hear them. 

"Ladies, be seen, be heard, and be valued." Potted plants? Never.

9. Remove the boring stuff. Don't go TLDR (too long, didn't read).

10.Trust your reader. Don't make them expend too much energy. 

Don't agree with him, while respect Hemingway, "There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games."

Bonus: Appeal to other senses beyond sight and sound. Explore taste, smell, and touch in your writing. 

 

Game 11: Woburn 3 Melrose 0

Woburn put the brakes on Melrose's seven game win streak, humbling the visitors 25-18, 25-20, 25-18.

The loss dropped Melrose to 8-3. 

Leaving the parking lot, I saw a bumper sticker, "I HOPE THAT SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS TO YOU TODAY"  

That didn't apply to the game.

The Tanners outplayed Melrose in every aspect of the game - notably serving, receiving, attacking, and blocking. Each set they raced to a substantial lead (at least 5-0), forcing Melrose to play continuously uphill. 

The positives were:

1) Everyone got to play. Leila Kiggundu was solid in relief at setter and Mia Sasso had some moments outside. 

2) This is not the defining game of the season. Game 11 is not the "one and done" moment. 

Teams earn satisfying wins. When outplayed, you expect to lose. "You win as a team and you lose as a team." 

It wasn't good enough tonight. 

Melrose Notes:

Melrose hosts Arlington Catholic Friday at 5:30 P.M.

ML12 parity rears its head again. Lexington defeated Wakefield 3-1 at Lexington. Winchester shut out Burlington. 

Updated Power Rankings (Five and Ten)

Updated power rankings that determine seedings and playoff sites.

Melrose maintains the #3 slot in Division 2, dropping about 0.1 ratings points after beating Stoneham (#36 in Division 3).

ML12 strong performances, schedule restructuring, and opponent rating (strength of schedule) place five teams in the Division 2 rankings. 

Melrose's 4.1205 places them 11th overall across all divisions. 

Melrose travels to Woburn today. 

"Do or Do Not, There Is No Try"

Coaches put teams in position to succeed. Again and again, they hear players say, "I'll try" or "I can't."

When a player's inner voice says, "You can't do this," they have lost. 

The child was ten and heard, "You're going out to play." She said, "No, Daddy, I'm going out to win." 

Wilma Rudolph was the 20th child in her family, frail and unable to walk because of childhood polio at age four. She refused to accept that...and won three Olympic Gold Medals.

 

Never say, "I'll try." Say, "I will."  

 

Hall of Mirrors

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The season "halfway mark" offers time for self-reflection in the "Hall of Mirrors." 

Return to The Leadership Moment of Michael Useem for a framework:

• What went well? 
• What went poorly (or needs improvement)?
• What could we do differently next time? 
• What are the enduring lessons? 

What Went Well?

Player and team development showed admirable growth. Neither young nor experienced players  come with mental toughness guarantees. A signature win helps to inspire belief. 

What needs improvement? 

Aggressiveness and consistency build the foundation of excellence. Both can always improve. The "third wish" is for better health. 

What could we do differently? 

Assembling lineups amidst absences and health restrictions challenge any coach. Everyone should want to play more. As Colonel Nathan Jessup said in A Few Good Men, "You want me on that wall. You need me on that wall." 

What are the enduring lessons? 

The first half reinforced the benefits of a challenging schedule. "Iron sharpens iron." The second half gets tougher with competitive league and non-league contests, and the Middlesex League tournament. "The wind blows hardest at the top of the mountain." That's why you play the game. 

Lagniappe. Learn from Lasso. 

 

 

Sound and Fury

Writing serves communication, exposition, literature, and entertainment. And noise. Mom reminded us, “Who died and made you king?”

Polls and rankings (Noise)

Friday - Boston Globe

Monday - MassHSVB.com

Monday/Thursday - MaxPreps.com

Power Rankings (Signal) 

Tuesday and Friday 11:00 A.M. - MIAA.net

As of Friday, Melrose had a Power Ranking of 4.2267, good for third in Division 2 and eighth overall among ranked MIAA schools. 

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

MacBeth, Act 5, Scene 5 

The blog is mostly noise. You provide the action. 

Fail Better

Ever tried. Ever failed.

No matter. Try again.

Fail again. Fail better. 

-Samuel Beckett

Small differences often decide wins and losses. At higher levels, it's not about "who wants it more." Does anyone think that the Super Bowl loser didn't care enough?

You may know the saying, "Baseball is a game of failure." Seven players hit at least .300 in Major League Baseball this season. In Massachusetts, eight volleyball players have a hitting percentage ((kills-errors)/attacks) over .400. Success means failing less, failing better. 

Mickey Mantle, a Yankee all-time great, struck out over 1,700 times, the equivalent of three full seasons. He made twenty all-star teams, hit over 500 homers, and helped win seven World Series. His production overwhelmed his failures. 

The French philosophical novelist Voltaire wrote, "Better is the enemy of good." The pursuit of perfection can interfere with progress and success.

"Control what you can control." The uncontrollable happens a lot. Focus, "be where your feet are" and give your best and nobody can ask for more. 

Lagniappe. Another saying dictates that players should not play like robots. Bryce Paup implies that efficiency-reacting robots make plays. Be good at the basics. Boring excellence works. 

Lagniappe 2. Volleyball Gold Medalist Kerry Walsh Jennings says, "I want to fight for it every day." 

 

Grow Your Game

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose institution. 

Observations are "snapshots in time." Some are "Big Picture" and others illuminate granular (attention to detail) situations. 

1. "Every day is player development day." 

Teams go as far as the performance of their talent. MVB has a lot of potential because of projections of the talent. 

Raising "standards of performance" gives a team a chance to approach its ceiling. Baseline higher talent and proven coaching sets the floor. 

2. Team first 

Teamwork is a "force multiplier," making the whole greater than the sum of the parts. Teamwork manifests with communication, gratitude, and shared sacrifice. 

Hard work is contagious as is energy and competition. Being competitive doesn't prevent excellence in working together. Working out with a teammate or a group helps raise everyones performance. 

3. Strategy (technique, volleyball IQ)

Strategy reduces to both macro (situational awareness) and micro (reading the play at hand). Execution requires the triad of people, strategy, and operations (making the play). 

Players need to know what to do when there's something to do (e.g. "next best action") and what to do when there's nothing to do (e.g. keep the ball in play). 

4. Physicality

Physical maturity and athleticism vary with individual makeup, age, and physical training. 

Typical percentage at for girls ages 15–16: ~98–99% of adult height

5. Toughness is a Skill

Toughness can improve. Physical toughness can parallel maturity and strength training. Mental toughness can definitely improve:

• Play against better players
• Play with constraints (e.g. start a scrimmage trailing 19-22 or worse)
• Work to lessen weaknesses
• Mindfulness increases focus is students as young as six.  

Your game evolves. Take the opportunity to grow your game finding elements to work on daily. 

Lagniappe. Train hand-eye coordination.

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