Wrong!

Having opinions exposes authors to criticism. Sometimes opinions are wrong, too, including mine. The novelist Anatole France once said, "If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

What comes in the long-term interest of Melrose volleyball?

• I'd love to see the program win a state championship, the ultimate validation for the hard work of the players and coaches, and the sacrifices the parents make. Achievement today won't diminish the efforts or merit of past or future teams or their opponents. If it doesn't happen, we can live with that, too. The wanting often most intensely follows the not having.
• A general increase in the quality of play within the Middlesex League would increase interest in volleyball, help all the teams improve, and create more enjoyable, competitive games. With success comes confidence, and with confidence, success. Nobody gets excited by big victories over weak opposition. The number one factor to achieve that is coaching...stable, effective, enthusiastic coaching. The best example of that will come from our neighbor up Franklin Street.
• Expansion of 'rivalries' among non-league competitors helps. The Central Catholic-Melrose rivalry has turned into one of both competition and respect. Both teams have had their moments. We can only hope that Melrose can develop other rivalries that can prove mutually beneficial as the Lady Raiders seeks elite volleyball status...whatever that is. Sometimes opponents will encounter our teams at less than our best, and vice versa. Sometimes our teams will be at their best and still come up short, but we don't trade in excuses. NOBODY wins all the time.
• Development of an off-season, locally-based, feeder program. The competition for and cost of gymnasium time makes that really unlikely. Finding coaching volunteers isn't easy, either. As a society, we are willing to throw hundreds of billions of dollars at questionable causes, while every nickel that goes for kids gets scrutinized to the nth degree. Factor in truly economic hard times and the reality of demographics, and "pipe dream" understates this.
• Availability of a dedicated volleyball court (e.g. at Horace Mann or the Common) would be terrific. Sand would be okay. An indoor facility with even a dedicated day for volleyball would be even better. The Common has as much of a reputation for late night mischief as a gathering place for sports, but that is another story. Most communities have 'hot spots' for trouble (the head of the lake in Wakefield comes to mind) and as a community whatever we can do to minimize problems helps.

How does this impact Melrose volleyball 2009? Not at all...but it doesn't hurt to dream.