Thursday, December 07, 2023

Stressing the Laws of Supply and Demand - The MVB Way


The MVB Way is about belief, too. Which is why I'll share a dry analogy from 'the dismal science', economics. 


Economics professor Timothy Taylor argues that supply and demand curves provide a useful framework to study production, consumption, and prices. (Eyes roll)


Let's torture the analogy first by changing the y and x axes. 

1) Replace price by wins. We want to win. More is better. 
2) Replace quantity by competition. 
3) Replace demand (downsloping) by 'the MVB Way'
4) Replace supply by opposition motivation 

An equilibrium forms among all of the above. Ceteris paribus (all other things being equal), equilibrium forms. 

MVB, the sum of players, families, coaches, and sacrifices has shifted up and the left. Despite the overarching competition from other sports and societal imperatives, MVB keeps violating the 'expected' supply and demand relationship. 

The interest in volleyball keeps rising (the demand curve) but somehow the equilibrium point has stayed remarkably favorable. 

The point for MVB is that all other things are not equal. Player and family sacrifice (think the downsloping supply curve) remains remarkably steadfast. And the coaching leadership keeps pushing the envelope. 

The demand curve (rise of the opposition) keeps pushing, trying to force equilibrium down and to the right. Belmont, Wakefield, and Woburn all had young rosters. "We'll see how it goes." 


Lagniappe. Imagine what's possible. 

 

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