Winning is hard. That's why we value it. Winning consistently over two decades is that much harder. It requires a plan, organization, and long-term player development. It also requires a culture of positive energy and willing sacrifice for the team. That's harder than it sounds because we live in a culture of individual achievement.
TEAM is especially true during the COVID-19 era where developing reserves is critical when illness is likely to remove key players for part of the season.
Melrose's last "mediocre" season was probably 2002 (my daughters were freshmen). The record was 13-7 and the playoffs went two matches, a nail-biting extended match win against Dracut and a wipeout by Arlington Catholic. But that season set the stage for a D2 North "threepeat" from 2003 to 2005 as young players added quality contributions to experienced senior leadership.
Fast forward nineteen years and Melrose blends veteran leadership with quality underclassmen trained on the club circuit. Expected growth of young players into high impact players refreshes the cycle. Players and families make a commitment to offseason development to be competitive. And solid players who would start for other communities compete to keep top players sharp.
Melrose is fortunate that Coach Celli has fought "the long war."
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