Be a Great Teammate*

*Adapted from previous

Everyone can't be the star; everyone can be a great teammate. Alan Williams addresses this in his book Teammates Matter. Williams was a walk-on for Wake Forest basketball and played 59 minutes in four years, earning respect as a player and great teammate.

Melrose volleyball earned its reputation as a "legacy program," one of the most consistent teams in Massachusetts. The Lady Raiders won the State Championship in 2012 and won eight Division 2 North sectional championships. They reached the state finals four times. The team earned the MIAA Coaches’ Sportsmanship Award in 2004.

Making a competitive team is hard. Local girls acquire volleyball skills earlier each year, competing for the chance to enter the program. The struggle doesn’t stop with team selection. Girls sacrifice time and are held accountable to a different standard of behavior. 

Coach Celli holds an introductory meeting to set expectations and review school rules. Participation fees make their job more difficult, as fees help to defray expenses, but don't assure playing time.

The coaches explain how players contribute, through practice, exemplary attitude, and  improvement. Many reserve players would play big roles on other Middlesex League teams. Players earn opportunities according to their progress. The rotation is dynamic, performance-based and feedback rich. Not everyone plays as much as they would like. The shared goal is having a championship team, playing at its full potential. Understandably, players and parents can find this difficult.

“The race doesn’t always go to the swiftest or the battle to the strongest, but it pays to bet that way.”

Although many players have earned recognition locally and some statewide, few accomplished more than a girl who played more than a decade ago - a great teammate. She wasn’t the star; she often played late in games after the outcome was known. She worked hard to become her best. She knew she wouldn’t play during the big moments, watching younger, less experienced, talented teammates. 

She accepted an excelled in her role. She valued being part of the team and contributed however she could. Her best friend, Marianne Foley, became an All-Scholastic, while she cheered and supported the team. Both shared the moment of becoming Melrose's first Division II North volleyball champions, a team that went 22-2 and came within a point of going to the state championship, losing to the ultimate champions, Marlboro. And everyone knew Danielle Burke as an exceptional teammate, a part of Melrose volleyball history.