I take notes on every introductory press conference I watch. NFL, NBA, MLB, College Sports... Just trying to excavate any bit of value that leader may share.
Here are my notes from new @PelicansNBA head coach Jamahl Mosley introductory press conference:
What would we emphasize in an introductory 'presser'? Every year, every team is "new." Just as Coach John Wooden began each season with an explanation on donning socks and shoes (to prevent blisters), each year coaches explain our approach, seeking buy-in and high performance by adding value.
*Adapted from my basketball blog
Philosophy
Coaches want teams to reflect our personality and approach to the game.
Bring the best version of ourselves every day with the Stoic approach of "control what we can control."
"Every day is showtime."
Priorities are teamwork, improvement, and accountability. We are responsible for our 'brother'/'sister'
Specificity
It's not enough to say we'll play hard, play smart, and play together. Explain what that means.
Focus and effort to limit easy points (e.g. service errors, miscommunication, missed assignments)
Communicate on the floor at all times.
Play to succeed each possession as the game is the sum of individual possessions.
Culture
Put value on a learning culture. "Everyone benefits from coaching" and coaching is correction. "Form begets function." Doing it the right way, at the right time, every time has to become 'automatic' as volleyball IQ becomes "I do."
Standards
Track performance of what matters. "Winners are trackers." Successful teams commit to higher standards, recognizing that better process (preparation) leads to superior results.
Analytics prove that we're doing the right things. Higher efficiency and fewer errors inform better outcomes.
"Fouls negate hustle." We can't bail out teams with mistakes.
High performance applies at home, school, and sport. If players can inhabit volleyball mastery, they can excel at English, history, and mathematics.
Mindset
"Do more to become more and become more to do more." Competition is a habit. Toughness is a habit. Hard work is a habit.
Put the team first. Seize learning and leadership opportunities.
Develop great habits of preparation and self-care. Just as you service your car at your convenience, you fix it at your inconvenience. There are no "little things." Sleep, recovery, hydration, and nutrition are force multipliers.
The "keystone habits" developed today carry over throughout your life. Everything builds upon today's gains.
The only constant is change. Be curious, open, and alert to new and better ideas.
Lagniappe 2. The ability to see the action, anticipate, decide, and execute separation excellent from good.
One of the biggest differences between average players and elite players is processing speed. Most elite level offenses are built around the “0.5 rule” ... within half a second of catching the ball, you either shoot, drive, pass, or create another action. The defense is too…
How do you improve? If you have availability, there's nothing better than playing. Easier said than done.
Return to our Four Pillars:
Technique
Tactics
Physicality
Psychology
1. Jump rope (physicality) improves endurance, coordination, and vertical jump (a little). If we could jump rope for five minutes in 1973 at the beginning of practice, then why couldn't you?
2. Vertical jump. Improve your ups. Sport rewards athleticism. Yes, time and physical maturity matter, too. There are jobs to be won.
3. Armswing technique. "Form begets function" and "repetitions make reputations." Here's a progression drill. Tip: when starting out, do this in front of a mirror.
4. Armswing power...engage your core, your shoulder, your wrist.
7. Study volleyball video. "Film is the truth machine." There are two versions available - "This is what I saw" and "This is reality." Always follow the principles taught by Coach Celli and staff.
8. Train your mind. Mindfulness increases focus, benefits sleep, and reduces circulating stress hormones and anxiety. Exceptional players do ordinary things in extraordinary ways.
AI Prompt: Briefly summarize (one paragraph) evidence that mental practice translates to physical improvement in volleyball.
Response: Research in sports psychology and motor learning consistently shows that mental practice can improve physical performance, especially when combined with actual training. When athletes vividly imagine executing a skill—such as a volleyball serve, pass, block, or attack—they activate many of the same neural pathways used during physical movement. Studies have found that visualization improves technique, decision-making, confidence, reaction speed, and skill retention, while also helping athletes prepare for pressure situations. Mental rehearsal is not a substitute for physical repetitions, but it can enhance learning by strengthening neural connections, reinforcing correct mechanics, and increasing the quality of subsequent practice. In volleyball, players who regularly visualize successful serves, defensive reads, setter decisions, or attacking sequences often perform with greater consistency because they have effectively "rehearsed" the skill before stepping onto the court.
Make a difference for yourself and your team. The Minnesota Twins' manager expects attention to detail with the belief that will create a competitive team.
All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization.
Success in the future often follows an understanding of the changng fortunes of the past.
Winning requires not only talented people but superior tactics. Studying a famous battle illuminates how leveraging strengths and exploiting weaknesses can prevail, even with "inferior" forces.
Background:
Athens and the Persians in 490 BC. It is unclear why the Persians desired the expansion. Some hypothesized it was political. In any event, the Persians under Darius had an expansionist mindset.
The Setup:
Athens had smaller but heavily armored forces fighting in "phalanxes." They intentionally weakened the center and fortified the flanks (outsides). Athens attacked early as the aggressors, neutralizing the Persian archer capabilities (perimeter attack) and used classic "flanking" maneuvers, trapping the Persians in the center.
Superior armor and now legendary tactics carried the battle.
Image from US Military Academy
Key lessons:
Know your strengths
Neutralize opponent strengths
Win the edges
Take advantage of depth
Execution defeats talent
The lesson of Marathon is not that stronger edges always win. Victory belongs to teams that understand their strengths and structure the contest around them.
MVB 26 may not possess the interior firepower supplied by Sabine Wenzel in 2025. But volleyball is not won by replicating last year's roster. It is won by maximizing this year's.
Like the Athenians, Melrose must identify its advantages, neutralize opposing strengths, and concentrate force where it can create the greatest impact. If experienced defenders can limit long-range attacks and the pins can provide strength on both offense and defense, MVB may discover what Athens learned 2,500 years ago:
Superior tactics, disciplined execution, and teamwork can overcome apparent disadvantages.
Lagniappe. Even without access to opponent video, the ability to read their setters helps "early warning systems" about opponent tactics.
Players define the lineups through their commitment, their work, and resultant development.
MOTIVE
What realistically do you want from your MVB experience? (Achieve this within the team framework.)
MEANS
What offers you the best chance to make that reality? Independence...mentoring...working with a teammate or group...
OPPORTUNITIES
What skill can you grow between now and tryouts? ("Badge up")
Do you have a written plan to follow? (Your blueprint)
How will you monitor your progress? (Self-feedback)
Own your answers.
Lagniappe. Learning allows us to encode key information that is unconsciously available. The more we 'know' the less we have to rely on "working memory." (Watch this when you have time to think about it.)
Most people try harder.
High performers build systems.
There's a difference between effort and infrastructure.
Effort depletes. Infrastructure compounds.
The question isn't: how do I try harder at this?
The question is: how do I make this happen without trying?
Instead of describing a player by position, describe them by transferable skills.
A badge is essentially:
A repeatable skill that creates value.
Let's examine by position:
Outside Hitter
Possible badges:
Serve Receive
Terminal Attack
Tooling the Block
Blocking
Communication
Libero
Possible badges:
First Contact
Court Vision
Pursuit
Communication
Serve Receive
Setter
Possible badges:
Decision Making
Deception
Tempo
Leadership
Defense
Blocking
"Coach's Badges"
Competitive Character Badge
Shows:
Toughness
Resilience
Consistency
This is the one most analytics miss as analytics don't measure 'heart'.
Leadership Badge
Engages teammates
Always positive
"Follow me"
The badge framework advances the discussion from:
"Is she good?" -->
"What value does she create?"
That's a superior coaching question. And the badges are metaphorical "earning your stripes."
If I were building a Melrose Volleyball evaluation form, I might score:
Serve Receive Badge
Scoring Badge (Serve, Attack, Block)
Communication Badge
Competitive Character Badge
Defending Badge
than simply rank players by position.
Lagniappe. Here's a more granular (detailed) look at volleyball badges from Google Gemini.
Using basketball badges—specifically how NBA 2K uses them to represent hyper-specific traits that alter the flow of a game—is a brilliant mental model for volleyball.
In basketball, a player isn't just "good at shooting"; they have the Catch & Shoot badge or the Limitless Range badge. In volleyball, standard box scores (kills, blocks, digs) rarely capture the actual mechanics of value added. Two players can both hit .300, but one does it via brute force, while the other does it via elite court vision.
If we translate this concept to volleyball, badges capture those distinct, transferable skills that elevate a team’s floor or ceiling. Here is how we can map out a "Volleyball Badge System" across different facets of the game.
1. Out-of-System & Ball Control Badges
These are the badges that don't always show up as points, but they are the literal glue of a high-level program.
Floor General (Passive):Boosts the defensive positioning and reaction times of all teammates on the court. This belongs to the libero or vocal middle who organizes the block-defense scheme in real-time, ensuring nobody is standing in "no man's land."
Velcro Palms:Significantly reduces ball handling errors (double contacts) and allows for clean, hittable sets even when tracking a ball from deep off the net. The ultimate badge for an out-of-system setter or a non-setter making the second contact.
The Equalizer:Gives a massive boost to pass quality when receiving high-velocity, aggressive jump serves. Players with this badge don't get aced; they absorb the heat and keep the team in-system.
2. Offensive & Playmaking Badges
Volleyball offense is about manipulating time and space. These badges dictate how a player forces the opposing defense to react.
Tool Time (Hall of Fame Level):Increases the likelihood of scoring off an intentional wipe, tool, or high-hands swing against a closed double-block. This is for the savvy pin hitter who treats the block as an asset rather than an obstacle.
Seam Finder:Grants superior perimeter vision. Automatically identifies gaps in the deep corners or the "doughnut" hole in the middle of the defensive zone. Players with this badge excel at roll shots, tips, and deep corners when a hard swing isn't there.
Floor Spacer:Forces opposing middle blockers to honor the quick attack, opening up one-on-one situations for outside hitters. A middle blocker with a lightning-fast approach holds the defense captive just by jumping.
3. Net Defense & Transition Badges
Blocking isn't just about height; it's about lateral speed, discipline, and timing.
Iron Wall:Reduces the "joust" lose-rate at the net and prevents balls from penetrating through the middle of a double block.
Shadow Stepper:Gives a speed boost when moving laterally along the net to close a block from pin to pin. Crucial for middles running a read-and-react defensive system.
Dime Dropper (Transition):Immediately after recording a dig or a block-touch, grants an accuracy boost to the subsequent transition set. This bridges the gap between great defense and an immediate counter-attack.
4. The Intangibles (The "Glue" Badges)
In 2K, badges like Microwave change the emotional momentum of a game. Volleyball is arguably more momentum-driven than any other sport.
The Fire Extinguisher:Immediately halts an opponent's scoring run. A player with this badge terminates a broken play or makes a spectacular layout dig right when the team is on the verge of spiraling.
Next Play Mentality:Negates any performance penalties following a service error, hitting error, or getting blocked. This represents elite emotional resilience.
Vibe Check:Provides a minor attribute boost to the entire six-pack on the floor immediately following a long, exhausting rally, regardless of who won the point. It’s the badge of the ultimate culture-setter.
How This Shifts the Evaluation Lens
When you look at a roster through a "badge" framework rather than a stat sheet, team building changes. You stop looking for a generic "Outside Hitter" and start looking for an outside who carries the The Equalizer and Tool Time badges because you know your team struggles with serve receive and out-of-system transitions.
Imagine your own that apply to you.
"Tom Brady" Badge - Elite passing accuracy
"Rocket Girl" Badge - The "Wicked Serve"
"Hoover" Badge - Defensive player who vacuums up everything
"Honey Badger" - Fearlessness recognition
"Pink" Badge - Soars like Pink on a trapeze
Lagniappe 2. Your backpack - from a former pro player.
Find a way to be excited and connect with each other and the fans.
Involve the community first by playing exciting volleyball. The 2010 MVB team was young and talented. It featured a host of sophomores - Barbaro, Bell, Cain, Commito, Doherty, Johnson, McGowan, Wyland - the foundation of the 2011 Finalists and 2012 Champions.
The highlights of a match against an excellent Canton team show how youth didn't restrain them. Study the power and precision that forged success.
Top programs create a virtuous cycle:
Team - Fans - Energy - Community - Better Experience - More Fans
Communicate with Fans
Get to know them.
Inspire youngsters who attend. Say 'hi' and be approachable.
Use positive social media.
Explain the Game
Use instagram and short videos (e.g. team introduction)
Share what you know publicly.
Become Storytellers
Connect with the Melrose Weekly
Share a fun story with the MVB blog
Celebrate
Young fan of the Week?
Recognize an MVB alum
Connection
An audience watches but a community participates.
These are only a few ideas. You can leverage your social media to inform:
The making of a volleyball player.
Team development.
Strength and conditioning...the price paid for success.
What you watch while studying video.
Drills that helped you as a young player.
There's a process to everything and you can't skip steps.
Lagniappe. Never fatigue of the basics.
The fundamentals aren’t flashy… but they’re what separate good from great.
As Kobe said: “I never get bored with the basics.” Mastery is built by doing the simple things exceptionally well — over and over again. pic.twitter.com/afM04RLKyr
All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization.
"Corporate memory (also known as organizational or institutional memory) is the accumulated body of data, information, and knowledge created by an organization over time, which guides its decisions and operations." - Brave AI
My MVB 'observations' began in 2002 with little understanding of volleyball. How do players interact? What does each position do? Is the line in or out? More questions existed than answers.
After a sluggish 7-6 start, MVB 2002 went 13-7 in the regular season, won a memorable five set match, 38-36, and lost in the next round to a powerhouse AC team. MVB was young and our twins were the youngest players on the team.
The 2002 season was the springboard to the emergence of MVB with a threepeat of sectional championships and a 2005 3-2 defeat in the Finals.
None of that happens without commitment and sacrifice from the players, coaches, and families.
Success brought both team and individual recognition.
The 2004 team won the MIAA Sportsmanship Award.
Titles piled up, reaching ten trips to the Final Four, four trips to the Finals, and a State Championship with the exceptional 2012 team. League titles became features not exception. Twenty players earned All-State honors, many of whom also reaped Globe and/or Herald All-Scholastic honors. Coach Scott Celli earned Boston Globe Coach of the Year (2009) and MAVCA Hall-of-Fame honors. Six players won election to the Melrose High School Athletic Hall of Fame. More are 'teed up' to follow.
But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.
Disappointing injuries happen. Karen Sen missed almost half her senior season. Laura Irwin (twice) got injured in the postseason. Sofia Papatsoris had significant injuries during two seasons. Caroline Higonenq went down in the last game of the regular season. Leila Kiggundu missed all of her freshman season.
And four of the ten sectional titles turned into Finals appearances and one survived the gauntlet to win States.
Bottom line? You write your narrative. Make it a great one.
Lagniappe. Talent is never enough. Standards, value, and cultures help transform excellent into extraordinary.
Bill Walsh built one of the greatest football dynasties ever. • He won 3 Super Bowls in 10 years. • He had a 71% winning percentage in the playoffs. • He built a culture and dynasty that lasted beyond him.
