Cooking Up a Winning Program (with Bonus Material)

Melrose volleyball has maintained a winning program over the past twenty plus years.

The team has won a season title every year since 2006, excepting the pandemic year without play. It has spawned ten sectional titles, one state championship, produced three D2 players of the year, seventeen All-State players, and myriads of All-Scholastics. 

Graduates are parents, business and education leaders with advanced degrees, and a future veterinarian (Victoria Crovo). 

How?

1. "Build a program not a statue." Exceptional coaches get recognized but credit the players who compete on the floor.

2. "Surround yourself with great people." Coach Scott Celli earned Massachusetts Volleyball Coaching Hall of Fame status with great assistance from Steve Wall, Ryan Schmitt, Andrea Basteri, Ryan Celli and others. 

3. Build great culture. Culture is the environment shaping team and player development. In the words of UNC Coach Anson Dorrance, "Excellence is our only agenda." 

4. Develop leaders. Season after season, player leadership matters. This year Grace Gentile, Sadie Jaggers, and Leah Fowke follow in that tradition as captains. But 'distributed leadership' reigns with hard work across the board and no distractions. 

5. "Every day is player development day." Excellent players become better and very good players have daily opportunities for physical and emotional growth to become excellent players. 

6. "Always do your best." Your best today might not be your best 'ever' or 'the best' but bringing your best pays dividends and elicits no regret. 

7. Make it fun. Whether it's "Queen of the Court" or scrimmaging, players love playing volleyball. Successful teams "play" sports; they don't "work" them. 

8. Skill development extends into the offseason. Most successful players play on AAU teams to raise their skill levels, experience, and instincts. That means a lot of sacrifices from families in time and treasure. 

9. Engage the community. Melrose volleyball gets great support at home and on the road. 

10.Recruit from within. Few things work better than getting pre-teens out to games to watch girls making acrobatic digs and thunderous spikes. 

Stephanie Crovo (left) and sister Victoria flank Liz Sheerin. Both sisters became Melrose volleyballers. Stephanie played on the 2012 State Champions and Victoria Crovo played four years of varsity volleyball from 2013-2016. 

Lagniappe 1. When I said cooking, I meant it. 

My Cheddar Broccoli soup:

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 Tsp Salt, 1 Tsp pepper, 1/2 Tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups half and half
• 4 cups chicken stock (I use water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes)
• 1 head broccoli
• 8 ounces medium cheddar

Sautee' chopped onion/garlic in butter or oil for 5-7 minutes

Add half and half and flour to make a roux

I add the salt, pepper and nutmeg into the roux at this time 

Meanwhile cut broccoli into small pieces and cook 5-7 minutes in stock

Add the broccoli/stock mixture to the roux. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the cheddar to the mix and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Additional seasoning to taste. 

Some people prefer to set aside a quarter of the broccoli pieces and use an immersion blender on the soup, rendering smaller broccoli pieces. I like the bigger broccoli pieces.