I've Made the Team. What Now?

Each team writes a narrative - a three month journey through tryouts, preseason, regular season, and for the fortunate, the postseason. 

I feel lucky to have coached (in another sport), ten of the thirteen members of Melrose Volleyball 2018. How do you keep and raise success? The magic is in the work.

It starts with MINDSET. You probably know Carol Dweck's book, "Mindset" where she studied young people and found willingness to grow, to work, and to be resilient in failure, outperformed those who simply performed well. 

In Kevin Eastman's new book, Why the Best Are the Best, he discusses twelve performance standards of the Boston Celtics. One is NEVER HAVE A BAD PRACTICE. Great practice means punctuality, getting enough rest, eating right, taking care of both mind and body (stretching, ice, tape, whatever you need). It means having URGENCY, also known as being here now, playing present, being in the moment, making the NEXT PLAY. The last play is history. 


Tim Ferriss wrote Tools of Titans. What do the most successful people do? They build routines (rituals, habits) that lay the foundation for their daily action. They invest their time; they don't spend it. Over EIGHTY percent practice mindfulness, which brings mental clarity, reduces stress hormones, increases brain density in learning and memory centers, and cuts anxiety and depression. Really. Meng Tan explores this in Search Inside Yourself. 


It doesn't take a long time. It requires persistence. 

Congratulations on earning a spot on the team. Now find ways to excel in your role, to grow, and to become a great teammate. "Make the big time where you are." Write a terrific story.