MVB Conversations

Behind the scenes conversations are mostly positive. They often focus on intangibles. 

Coaches see everything. They appreciate effort and consistency. Every player should want to be viewed this way. 

"She is the nicest kid you'd ever want to meet."

"Her leadership is what we will miss the most."

"She wants to play." 

"She's giving us a lot right now."

"She wants to learn."

"Winning means a lot to her. She cares." 

Sometimes they focus on problem solving as coaches ruminate on answers to thorny execution problems.

They don't focus on playing time. I certainly found that difficult during my basketball coaching. 

Every player has a here and now, a potential floor, and a ceiling. This needs explanation. Consider a numerical scale; I'll steal from Soxprospects.com

You're fortunate to get a franchise player any year, never mind every year that Melrose finds and develops.  

Imagine you have Player A at 4.5-5 whom you see 'static' at that level. Player B might be at 4-4.5, whom you envision with a floor of 5 and a ceiling of 7 (league All-Star). Do you play Player A for what she gives you now or lean toward Player B with the prospective higher ceiling?

In the here and now, if you play Player B, then player A and her friends and family might think, "Player A is more productive than Player B." And depending on our history, we might have been Player A or Player B. See it from both sides. 

For what it's worth, those aren't the conversations I hear or initiate.

Mostly I hear about how hard the kids work and how much the coaches work to unleash their potential.   

Lagniappe. Work on your footwork without leaving home. Fractions of a second make a difference.