Reaching for Heaven

It has been said that hitting a round ball with a round bat is the hardest task in sports. That's not even in the ballpark.

Who has the hardest task in sports? Players who sacrifice every day, coming to practice, working hard, maintaining a positive attitude, encouraging their teammates...unselfish, anonymous, uncelebrated...a player might outwork and out-hustle another, but not achieve the same level of success because of the vicissitudes of sport.

The differences among players- size, strength, quickness, athleticism, skill, and decision-making - can be either subtle or transitory. Regardless, the unheralded teammate, especially on talented teams deserves special mention.

The 2011 edition of Melrose volleyball has fifteen players, all of whom would start on many of the teams in the Middlesex League. The junior varsity has players who could start on some ML varsity teams now. But no matter what the talent level the coaches can only put six players on the court at a time.

The current team has three or four players who (at the end of their high school careers) will ultimately be recognized as among the top dozen players Melrose has had during the past decade. For that reason, finding a way to get on the court becomes all that more difficult.

So as Senior Night approaches, celebrate all the players, but especially the seniors who have given so much to the program.