And Then What?

Repost.

Wednesday is history. Good work. The question becomes, "And then what?"

As a competitor in any domain, you face new challenges. Respond together and forcefully. 

"One team; one fight." 

Teacher's Pet

Coaches don't see everyone through the same lens. Nobody does. If a patient said, "can I call you, Ron?" I would usually say, "Only my mother wants to call me, Doctor."

Here's how to become the teacher's pet:

• Work hard at all times. (Work ethic)
• Be early, not on time. (Dean Smith Time)
• Be a great teammate, energizing and encouraging others.
• Be positive. "Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses."
• Do more than expected. Help with setup, breakdown, and cleanup.
• Show that you want to learn. "How can I do this better?"
• Impact the game. Make others better.
• Improve athleticism. Get the 'wow factor'. 
• Communicate. Communication is intentional; talk is random.
• Lead. Show that you can elevate the team. 

None of this requires a stern face and humorless demeanor. Volleyball is fun. Share your joy. 

Wow factor: the hardest hitters leave a different sound when they strike the ball - Karen Sen, Laura Irwin, Gia, Sadie Jaggers. 

What's special? Ordinary people doing extraordinary things... 

Lagniappe. Grandma's rules. 

• Never humiliate someone in front of their peers. 
• The people who are the hardest to love are the ones who need it most. 
• Rules without relationship lead to rebellion.
• Don't let a bad grade define a good kid. 
• A quiet room is sometimes a fearful room. 
• She said, "I forgot all the test scores. I only remembered the kids who came back years later to say thank you."

"We're Going to Push You"

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

Gerry McNamara told Syracuse on day one of summer practice that championships are built on what you do every single day.

Not one great performance, not one great season, but every day consistently & repetitively.

And when your coach pushes you harder than you think you can… pic.twitter.com/dSBOHVxLb9

— Bryce Butler (@bball_brainiac1) June 4, 2026

Nobody 'shows up' on day one as a finished product. It's work, belief, and time. As a freshman, Sabine had ONE kill. Her single season record didn't arise because she suddenly got taller. She gradually got better. 

Each of you has a unique set of size, skill, volleyball IQ, athleticism, and resilience. Leverage what you have and work to develop what you have less of. 

Success becomes a by-product of those individuals who leverage improving skills and can produce under pressure using competitive character. 

A chosen few earn the label of "dirt dogs," players who are the 'grinders' who don't stop, who will not stop. 

Lagniappe. Get more from your free arm. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oleh Vinichuk | Train Volleyball (@oleh.athlete)

Stats Are Up (Sort of)

Coach Scott Celli posted stats from the Ipswich match and they have come through on the app, yet incompletely on the website (comes up after a short delay)

Attacking leaders:

Johnson and Marchais (7)

McArt and Shoemaker (6)

Assists:

Smith (26)

Serving:

49 service points from 72 serves 

DiGiorgio and Burns (11)

Overlan (10)

Dautovic (8)

Digs:

Burns (14)

Smith (9)

Joy Works!

‼️ Joy is a competitive advantage ‼️

The mainstream perception of ‘good coaching’ is screaming at players, no joking around and no fun on the floor. A lot of coaches, players and fans view fun and hard work as an ‘either, or’.

Every competitive coach struggles with this.… pic.twitter.com/Hu4vzRP3co

— Chris Steed (@csteed) September 16, 2026

Everyone seeks sustainable competitive advantage.

There's an old saying:

Play smart.

Play hard.

Play together.  

All true, all are great advice.

Savor the moment, the experience, your time with friends and teammates, and your youth. Play with joy. 

Lagniappe: quote from Pete Carill. “Light bulbs, that’s what I call them. Light bulbs. There’s an intangible feeling a coach and a player have that you can delight in… They walk on the floor, the light goes on.”

 

Maxpreps Division 2 Rankings

Note: Minimum 3 games. 

1. Scores from yesterday NOT all included which is keeping some schools "off the board." 

2. The only rankings that matter are MIAA which will probably come out late next week. 

3. Note that the rankings recognize "strength of schedule" as Winchester is currently ranked #1 in Division 1 on Maxpreps.com 

 

Commencement Is Irony - A Beginning Not the End

Was not ready for Eric Church to deliver the best commencement speech I’ve ever heard.

Six guitar strings. Six pillars of a life.

Faith. Family. Spouse. Ambition. Community. You.

Tune them when you’re whole, not just when you’re broken.

Watch the whole thing. pic.twitter.com/6d5uY8lPP4

— Dante (@DanteTheDon) May 14, 2026

The bar for what passes as wisdom has fallen. Eric Church shares his philosophy, derived from the six stings on his guitar. 

1. Faith 

"Your faith is the low E of your life." 

John Wooden has "FAITH" flanking the top of his Pyramid of Success. Church encourages us to tend to our beliefs...reminiscent of Voltaire telling readers to "tend to their garden." 

2. Family

"It gives a chord its body."

"Family will rarely demand your time...call your people...let them see you when life is hard." Your family is your rock. 

3. Spouse

"The person you choose to share your life with is the most important decision in your life." 

They amplify the strings or take your instrument apart. "Look for shared values over shared interests."

4. Ambition

"Ambition and resilience live on this string." They pull in opposite directions. 

"The world breaks everyone." - Hemingway  We all fail. Remember that ambitious givers do best. 

5. Community

"Temptation to perform for everyone and to belong to no one."  Put down roots and know those around you. "These are my people."

"Generosity...is how you make it." Take your community along.

6. You

The final string is the thinnest and most easily broken. The comments, criticism, or opinion of others should not change you. 

You are an 'original'. Make your story great. 

All strings will drift. Choose to make music not noise. You need to keep your life tuned. 

Lagniappe. Leadership from Lawson. 

I'm convinced @DukeWBB Coach Kara Lawson is one of the best leaders in sports. This clip on urgency, growth not being linear, and the idea that there is no finish line is superb:

🥱 Need It > Want It. The people who win aren’t always the most gifted, they’re the ones who refuse… pic.twitter.com/ebLXWPs9dh

— Josh Chambers (@JoshChambers) May 4, 2026

Lagniappe 2. The experience, not winning, promotes keeping kids in sports. 

View on Threads

State Leaders

All Massachusetts categories 

Kills: 

Adriana (12)

Elise (27)

Assists:

Sadie (4)

Digs:

Anna (15)

Game 4: Melrose 3 Ipswich 0

Melrose took a rare trip to Ipswich to face the 3-1 Tigers and emerged with a 25-9, 25-16, and 25-11 sweep.

The win levels Melrose at 2-2 as they approach the quarter pole of the regular season.

Coach Scott Celli did a masterful job of managing an injury-depleted lineup with Adriana Santoriello added to the injury list. MVB got Alisa Dautovic back for almost half-time duty, moved Sabrina "Air" McArt outside and rotated senior Maggie Shoemaker and sophomore Lorena Contin into the middle.

The frequent substitution between Sabrina and Alisa creates significant challenges to optimize the lineup. 

Melrose got behind 4-2 early with the rowdy Ipswich student body urging their club on. An Ipswich administrator dampened the applause - consistent with their guidelines. 

Melrose went on a massive run to lead circa 16-5 with a lot going right, including service excellence from Alisa and craft in all zones. 

A key to the performance was excellent "attack distribution" with offense throughout the front row (Sabrina, Elise Marchais, Amelie Johnson, Maggie, and Lorena) and second-ball attacks from setter Sadie Smith and even some pipe attacks. 

The second and third sets saw continued Melrose dominance with the highest volume of aces this season, solid back row play from Anna Burns, Dani DiGiorgio, Gen Overlan, and Alisa. 

Melrose's aggressive serving forced Ipswich to play "out of system" limiting their offense. 

It was Melrose's best all-around outing on the campaign and a result of aggressiveness, consistency, and force. 

Three Up

Alisa Dautovic - she debuted her MVB 26 serve and probably recorded 5-6 aces. She is also one of Melrose's top passers, making everyone else's job easier. 

Sadie Smith - as the setter, she moved the ball around generating quality attacks across the roster. 

Anna Burns/Maggie Shoemaker - the senior libero had her best game of the year, passing consistently and radiating enthusiasm. Maggie displayed excellent decision-making and net craft. 

Melrose Notes: Melrose traveled well with a solid contingent of fans in the loud Tiger gym. 

The team energy level was excellent throughout and the support from the JV was noteworthy.

Melrose travels to Lexington Friday as they have their fourth road match in five contests. 

Stay Frosty and Positive

Positive thinking has unmeasured value. LinkedIn shared a piece about the US Open. It's worth reading.

There's an unmeasurable accounting that happens in sports - the real benefits from both participation and success and the costs in economic terms, expense, and sacrifice.

Some of us have ridden that roller coaster for a lifetime. As ABC's Wide World of Sports once shared in its introduction - the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. 

Years ago Jeff Mate shared a piece from a Lacrosse publication, "Never be a child's last coach." That's especially true for youth (developmental) sports where children regularly become "human sacrifices" for coaching and (sometimes) parental egos.

When sports promote "National Championships" for under 10s, we've lost part of our sanity. And we know how Norway took a different approach, supporting sport for youth without uber-competition. Somehow, a tiny nation beats the pants off the US in the Winter Olympics. 

Former UNC Women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance only showed his players "positive video." That's not to say they weren't competitive as every practice got scored and every player ranked - top to bottom. 

As sports progresses and competition increases, the scoreboard matters. A child has a far greater chance to become a doctor than a professional athlete and NIL money and college scholarships are not likely for the vast  majority of student athletes. 

What's the bottom line? 

Enjoy the journey not just the destination.

Support your children and their teams. 

Compete intensely while maintaining perspective and sportsmanship.

There is always a "winner" and a "loser" on the scoreboard; help our children win in life. 

 

 

 

The Prince and the Pauper

"And when he awoke in the morning and looked upon he wretchedness about him, his dream had it usual effect - it had intensified the sordidness of his surroundings a thousandfold. Then came bitterness, and heart-break, and tears." - The Prince and the Pauper, Mark Twain

Confront reality. 

Improve with relentless process.  

"The score takes care of itself." 

Lagniappe. Monday was a step in the right direction, a reminder of Neil Gaiman's advice in Coraline, "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

Sport Is About Truth and Trust*

*Adapted from my basketball blog.

Trust cannot happen without truth. The best coaches and leaders traffic in truth in both art and reality. Great coaches are in the truth business. 

Where do art and reality collide to find truth? 

1. Kevin Eastman's Truth

"You have to TELL it. As Mark Twain said, “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.” More than that, telling the truth is just the right thing to do.

You have to LIVE it. Truth doesn’t stop at telling. We need to live it every day.

You have to TAKE it. Sometimes people say the truth hurts. I think it may sting, it might embarrass us, but in the end it will help us. You have to learn to take it and move on. You do have to handle it."

2. Coach Norman Dale's Truth

"I love you guys." Truth isn't transactional; it's relational.

3. Dean Smith's Truths

• "It's just a game."
• "A lion doesn't roar after a kill."
• “If you make every game a life and death proposition, you’re going to  have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot."

4. Coach Ellis Lane's Truths (New England Basketball Hall of Fame)

• "The ball is gold." Great plays come around less than mistakes. 
• "Sacrifice." 

5. The truth about studying basketball. 

"Video is the truth machine." 

6. Bon Jovi's Truth

"You can't win until you're not afraid to lose." 

7. John Wooden's Truth

“Tell the truth. That way you don’t have to remember a story.” In Wooden’s philosophy, truth-telling was practical rather than just moral. He believed that deception created mental clutter and distracted players from their performance.

8. Pete Newell's Truth

Newell defined the fundamental truth of basketball as a game of mistakes, asserting that the team making the fewer mistakes generally wins. He believed that each lost ball translated to about 1.5 points.

9. Don Meyer's Truth

Don Meyer emphasized that great players want to be told the truth, Good players who merely want to be coached.

10. Ted Lasso's Truth

"Be curious not judgmental." What are the underpinnings of our identity and our performance? Curiosity opens doors; judgment closes them.

11. Billy Beane's "Moneyball" Truth

"Adapt or die." Every team has different sets of resources in finance, talent, coaching, and more. The best coaches maximize the return on what they have and don't whine about what they don't have. 

12. Ernest Hemingway's Truth

"The first draft of anything is garbage." We have a creative vision and a critical vision. Coaching involves both - the ability to develop a system, to teach and refine the system, and improve the players within the system. 

Find your truths. 

• "Win this possession." Volleyball is a game of possessions. 
• "Players, not coaches, make out the lineup via performance." 
• "Create a learning culture." If not, we create a losing culture.
• Soft skills win because life is hard. 

Lagniappe. Get more from arms in your jump. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by YASH BHARDWAJ || VOLLEYBALL COACH (@volleyball_basic)

Melrose (1-2) at Ipswich (3-1) Wednesday

Hear this out. The volleyball season resembles the NFL, not MLB, in some ways. The regular season is twenty games versus seventeen for the NFL, magnifying the relevance of each game. The baseball season, 162 games, is a marathon. 

Volleyball is a sprint. Each game is five percent of the season. Two months and it's gone.

Melrose travels to Ipswich for its first non-league match of the season on Wednesday. Ipswich, like Melrose, is a perennial contender. 

It promises to be a battle. 

Updated Season Statistics

Season statistics (through three games)

Receptions:

Assists:

Digging:

Serving:

Attacking:

 

Study the Game

Study the game.

Study the fundamentals...footwork, platform skills, attack approach, armswing.

What does volleyball reward? 

• Technique
• Strategy
• Athleticism

Aggressiveness and high contact points create advantage

 

Prioritize These

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Allistair McCaw (@bechampionminded)

"Control what you can control." That morphed into Coach Scott Celli's advice: "It's not whom you play, it's how you play."

Against top opposition, MVB wrote a credible story. 

Get better every day.

Learn from wins and losses.

Become a storyteller.  

 

Optimize Your Thoughts

Rory McIlroy gives a masterclass on mindset, visualization, and dealing with pressure.

"You never really know what's gonna pop into your mind at any given point. But when something undesirable pops into your mind, that's when you have to replace that with a better thought."… pic.twitter.com/qInX93UwRm

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) September 11, 2026

"We make our habits and our habits make us."

The best players have done the preparation and work. Part of that is winning the mental game, the fourth leg of the stool of:

• Skill
• Strategy
• Physicality
• Psychology

Positivity, focus, and the capacity to visualize success and control self-talk and eliminate distractions make champions. 

•