"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.
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."
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."
"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.
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
You may or not achieve the first. It does nothing to account for the "what I cannot control" factor. Conversely, if you commit to work to be your best self, there's a reasonable chance that you will accomplish a lot.
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.
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.”
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.
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).
Sport is not warfare and volleyball is not combat. High‑performing organizations - military units, elite athletic teams, scientific expeditions - share common DNA: discipline, preparation, leadership, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of mastery.
When athletes learn across domains, they think better and expand their toolkit. The goal isn’t to glorify conflict; borrow the best ideas from organizations that operate under pressure and depend on teamwork for success.
Below are six military concepts that translate directly to volleyball that can make any team tougher, smarter, and more resilient.
1. Red Teaming: Stress‑Testing Our Plan
In the military, Red Teams exist to challenge assumptions and expose vulnerabilities. They simulate an intelligent, adaptive opponent whose job is to break your plan before the real enemy can.
One of the most famous examples is the Millennium Challenge (2002), where retired Marine Corps General Paul Van Riper - commanding the Red Team - used speed, surprise, and unconventional tactics to overwhelm a technologically superior Blue Force. His success forced the exercise to be reset with new rules.
Volleyball Application:
Scout teams mimic the tendencies of upcoming opponents.
Film study becomes “enemy analysis.”
Coaches run scenarios that stress‑test serve‑receive, transition, and end‑game decision‑making.
The goal is not comfort—it’s exposure.
A team that challenges itself honestly becomes harder to defeat.
2. Force Readiness: Stay Ready
Military readiness is holistic: training, logistics, equipment, health, immunization, mental resilience, and the ability to deploy on short notice. It’s not one thing - it’s everything.
Volleyball has its own version of readiness:
Skill building and maintenance
Strength, conditioning, and recovery
Nutrition and hydration
Mental health and emotional regulation
Injury prevention and rehab
Understanding fatigue—your own and your teammates’
Readiness is built daily, not defined on game day.
3. Preparedness: Winning Before the Match Begins
Over 2,500 years ago, Sun Tzu wrote that “every battle is won before it is fought.” Preparation shapes outcomes long before the whistle blows.
You can’t choose your schedule. You can only choose your response to it. That means:
Preparing physically and mentally for every opponent
Controlling what you can control
Using After Action Reviews to extract lessons from wins and losses
Treating losses as data, not identity
Prepared teams don’t fear opponents - they respect the process.
4. Force Multipliers: Making the Whole Greater Than the Parts
A force multiplier is anything that makes a unit more effective than its numbers suggest. Colin Powell famously said, “Optimism is a force multiplier.” Earned belief is powerful.
MVB’s Force Multipliers:
Coaching: A MAVCA Hall of Fame coach (Scott Celli) and All‑Scholastic assistants (Ryan Celli, Gia Vlajkovic). Being coachable is itself a multiplier.
Education: Learn from everyone - AD, coaches, seniors, and parents with deep volleyball experience.
Tradition: A proud history of excellence. "Leave the jersey better than you found it."
Technology: Video, analytics, and specialized equipment that accelerate improvement.
Multipliers turn good teams into dangerous ones.
5. Always Forward: A Culture of Relentless Improvement
General Alexander Suvorov, “the general who never lost,” trained relentlessly, cared for his soldiers, and lived by the principle “Always Forward.”
Applied to volleyball, “Always Forward” means:
A growth mindset
Distributed leadership - everyone can lead
A learning culture where mistakes are fuel
Mentorship between classes
Focusing on how you play, not who you play
Coach Don Meyer captured it perfectly: “It’s not whom you play, it’s how.”
6. Chop Wood, Carry Water: Mastery Through the Mundane
Samurai archers spent years mastering fundamentals before ever touching elite techniques. Their apprenticeship began with simple, repetitive tasks -self‑care, discipline, attention to detail.
“Chop wood, carry water” means:
Doing the right things, the right way, every time
Owning setup, cleanup, and everything in between
Taking pride in the unglamorous work
Understanding that mastery is built on repetition, not inspiration
Championship habits are built in the mundane moments.
Conclusion: Learning Across Domains Makes Teams Stronger
Volleyball isn’t war. But the military’s best ideas about rigorous preparation, critical self‑assessment, discipline, and a culture of continuous improvement, translate powerfully to sport.
Teams that embrace these principles become more resilient, more adaptable, and more capable of performing under pressure. And they compete with a sense of purpose that goes beyond the scoreboard.
Always forward.
Lagniappe. Hitting solid downballs is an underrated skill. In my opinion, Sadie Jaggers was one of best MVB players to hit downballs.
ChatGPT functions as a tutor...if we know how to use it. It probably borrows from Feynman Technique.
Choose the topic
Explain it
Research it
Restate in simple terms
Here's the process from Prompt to Response (with light editing)
PROMPT: "You're a teacher with one hour, and you'll never see me again. Make me functional in blocking at the volleyball pins before time is up. No theory without practice. What to learn first, what to skip completely, and the one exercise that puts me ahead of people who've been studying for months."
RESPONSE: "This is a great prompt because it forces ruthless prioritization."
If I had one hour and my only goal was to make a player functional at blocking the pins, I would ignore 80% of what is typically taught.
Skip Completely
For today:
Hand signals
Advanced scouting
Read systems
Swing blocking terminology
Triple blocks
Matchups
Statistics
Most whiteboard theory
A beginner doesn't lose points because they don't know enough. They lose points because they can't get in front of the hitter.
Core Competency
Rule #1: Beat the Ball to the Spot GET THERE
Most pin blockers are late.
Not short.
Not weak.
Late.
Everything starts with:
See → Move → Load → Jump
The blocker should be moving while the set is traveling, not after it arrives.
Rule #2: Inside Hand Owns the Court BE INTENTIONAL
At the left pin:
Right hand takes line.
Left hand takes seam.
At the right pin:
Left hand takes line.
Right hand takes seam.
Most young blockers wave both hands equally. Functional blockers understand responsibility.
Rule #3: Press, Don't Reach SHRINK SPACE
The goal is not to touch the ball.
The goal is to take away space.
Hands penetrate across the net.
Think:
"Hands over. Not hands up."
The One Exercise
If I could teach only one drill:
Shadow Blocking with a Coach Setter
No ball.
No hitters.
No distractions.
Coach stands at target.
Player begins in base.
Coach points:
Outside
Middle
Outside
Right side
Outside
Player performs:
Read
Crossover
Plant
Load
Press
Over and over.
Fast.
Hundreds of reps.
Why?
Because blocking is primarily a footwork skill.
Months of study won't overcome poor movement.
Ten minutes of correct movement beats ten hours of talking.
The Progression
Minute 0-20
Base position
Crossover footwork
Plant sequence
Minute 20-40
Add a setter
Read the set
Move while ball travels
Minute 40-60
Live hitter
Don't care about touches
Grade only:
Was blocker on time?
Did blocker seal space?
Did blocker press?
The Coaching Cue
If the player remembers only one thing:
"Arrive early enough to be stopped before you jump."
Almost every blocking error stems from arriving late.
Great blockers look athletic.
Elite blockers look early.
Those are different things.
The player who masters early movement, crossover footwork, and pressing over the net will be ahead of many players who have spent months learning blocking vocabulary but still can't consistently close a block at the pin.
Summary:
Get there
Be intentional
Shrink space
Master your footwork
Study a great blocker (e.g. Rachel Johnson)
You don't need a gym or a net to practice footwork and pressing. You need a little space and could put a string between two points to simulate the top of the net.
Rachel and other historical great MVB blockers get there, they don't "ball watch" and arrive late.
