The key to peak performance is being in the present moment and focusing on one play at a time. Most mistakes happen when you're thinking ahead or dwelling on the past.
Play present. Be in the moment. Focus on this play. You've heard that volleyball is a game of momentum. Disallow hitters and servers to go on a big run. "Keep the ball up" or "put the ball down" in the moment.
Never allow a single drop of blood to turn into a fatal hemorrhage by frustration-related errors.
Adolescence and old age are not for sissies. Two sides of the coin coexist, "you don't understand," and "you get me."
Players and coaches come from different worlds but leverage shared vision and shared goals. Teamwork requires selflessness and relationships. Both staff and team want success.
Buy-in comes from value creation.
"In the short-term, teams are voting machines and in the long-term they are weighing machines." Performance bests potential.
The best teams have shared ownership where everyone feels valued.
Excellence meets a need for excellence.
Progress with process.
Prioritize growth.
I asked ChatGPT to discuss bridging gaps.
Bridging the gap between the “you don’t understand” and “you get me” worlds begins with intentionality and empathy. Here are strategies to help coaches minimize differences and build stronger harmony with players:
1. Prioritize Relationships Over Results
Invest Time: Show genuine interest in players’ lives outside the sport. Understanding their personal challenges, values, and motivations creates trust.
Active Listening: Practice listening without interrupting. Let players feel heard and validated, even if you disagree.
2. Adopt a Learning Mindset
Seek Their Perspective: Regularly ask for feedback and ideas. How do they see the game? What’s working, and what’s not?
Embrace Generational Differences: Acknowledge and respect the cultural references, communication styles, and challenges that shape their worldview.
3. Communicate With Purpose
Clear Expectations: Be transparent about goals, roles, and standards. Misunderstandings often arise from ambiguity.
Use Their Language: This doesn’t mean being overly casual but framing messages in ways they understand and resonate with.
Show Vulnerability: Admit mistakes when they happen. It demonstrates authenticity and builds mutual respect.
4. Lead With Empathy and Consistency
Empathy First: Avoid dismissing players' feelings with phrases like “When I was your age…” Recognize that their struggles are valid, even if they differ from your experiences.
Consistency Always: Fairness and predictability in decisions create a safe and harmonious environment.
5. Celebrate Small Wins Together
Recognize efforts, not just results. Celebrate the unnoticed contributions like energy on the bench, supportive leadership, or a smart play.
6. Foster Ownership
Co-Create Goals: Involve players in setting team and individual objectives. Shared goals create shared accountability.
Empower Leadership: Delegate roles to players that reflect their strengths, giving them a sense of agency.
7. Be Open to Adaptation
Reflect Often: Are your methods effective for this group of players? Adapt based on what’s needed now, not just what worked before.
Balance Old-School and New-School: Leverage your experience while staying open to fresh approaches they might suggest.
Ultimately, harmony grows when coaches see players not just as athletes, but as partners in the journey. Authenticity, mutual respect, and shared purpose create the “you get me” world.
Lagniappe. Be the new kid on the block. Study blocking technique from footwork to hand position. Key players in MVP history have often started on the right side as impactful blockers. There's opportunity.
“You get up every day, you’re entitled to nothing. You could have talent but if you don’t have discipline and you don’t execute, you don’t focus. What do you get? Nothing. Nothing is acceptable but your best,” Nick Saban Winners assume nothing and give everything. pic.twitter.com/86hMKHWMW9
Malcolm Gladwell's book, David and Goliath, explores the underdog story.
Perhaps MVB's greatest underdog victory came in 2003 in the sectional finals against Arlington Catholic. The Cougars were 22-0, had not lost a set all season, and featured a pair of 6' 2" middles. Melrose had a blend of veterans and youth, led by the senior trio of Marianne Foley, Erin Hudd, and Amanda Labella. Melrose captured its first sectional title with a 3-0 victory with Denise Applegate sealing the match with a topspin winner.
Underdog stories go back forever. You know Aesop's fable about The Tortoise and the Hare..."slow and steady wins the race." But did you know the story of Cliff Young?
Young's secret was keep running. While others slept, he ran, sleeping only a few hours a day.
Valley of Elah. David topped the unbeatable Goliath with a laser precision slingshot projectile to the head. Speed defeated strength.
In May 1863 at Chancellorsville, Virginia, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson topped numerically far superior Northern forces. This ultimately led to collapse of Lincoln's confidence in General "Fighting Joe" Hooker who was replaced in June 1863.
At the southern tip of Gettysburg in the Battle of Little Round Top, Bowdoin Rhetoric Professor turned colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain commanded ragtag Maine forces in a key battle against Alabama regulars that helped win the day and the Civil War. Chamberlain ultimately was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and received Lee's sword at Appomattox. Chamberlain's key, "I can learn."
In the 1980 "Miracle on Ice," the US Olympic hockey team defeated the 'unbeatable' Soviet stars in the semifinal match en route to a Gold Medal.
In early 2002, the Patriots matched up as a massive underdog against "The Greatest Show on Turf," emerging with an unexpected victory led by a second-year quarterback, Tom Brady.
ChatGPT Commentary added post-preparation:
You're absolutely right—emotion is a powerful catalyst for memory, and the underdog narrative often intensifies that emotional connection. Underdog stories tap into universal human themes: perseverance, defying expectations, and overcoming adversity. These elements create deeply resonant, memorable experiences for participants and observers alike.
Why Underdog Victories Resonate
Empathy and Identification People identify with the underdog because most have felt underestimated or faced seemingly insurmountable challenges. When an underdog triumphs, it validates the belief that effort and heart can conquer disadvantages.
High Emotional Stakes Underdog stories inherently carry higher stakes. Success feels improbable, making each victory more surprising and emotionally rewarding. Think of moments in sports where the crowd erupts as the "weaker" team wins—joy and catharsis blend in unforgettable ways.
Narrative Contrast Stories are built on contrast—setbacks followed by success or overwhelming odds leading to an unexpected turn. This sharpens the emotional arc, making the victory feel epic.
Psychological Impact Witnessing an underdog win is inspirational. It creates a lasting impression because it challenges expectations and rewires perceptions of what's possible, both in sport and life.
Historical and Sporting Examples
Miracle on Ice (1980) The U.S. Olympic hockey team's victory over the Soviet Union during the Cold War is iconic. Underdogs by every measure, the Americans represented hope and resilience, becoming heroes overnight.
David vs. Goliath The original underdog story, this biblical tale echoes in every modern-day example of "small vs. big." Its themes of wit and courage defeating brute strength have made it eternal.
Leicester City F.C. (2016 Premier League) With 5000-1 odds, Leicester City's title win captivated the sports world. Fans saw a team defy economic and talent disparities, proving effort and teamwork could topple giants.
Rocky (1976) Although fictional, "Rocky" exemplifies the underdog archetype. The film’s lasting impact stems from its emotional weight and relatability, amplified by its raw, working-class hero.
Lessons for Coaches and Leaders
As a coach, leveraging the underdog mentality can be a powerful motivator. Even when your team isn't an underdog by definition, you can inspire them by emphasizing challenges to overcome:
Set ambitious goals that push their perceived limits.
Highlight personal or team growth over past weaknesses.
Foster a "nothing to lose" mentality, encouraging fearless play.
Underdog stories endure because they remind us of the human capacity to overcome—and that belief, fueled by emotion, is unforgettable.
With nine seniors graduating, little will be expected from MVB 25. Use that as fuel to prepare for the upcoming season.
Sustainable competitive advantage means no complacency.
Kevin Eastman, in Why the Best Are the Best, explained that in an NBA Finals playoff game against the Lakers, the Celtics allowed 32 points off defensive mistakes in a win.
In an interview, Duke Women's coach Kara Lawson said that the goal is 'chasing perfection', not reaching it.
Everyone likes to win, wants to win. Not so many have the will to sacrifice to get there. Talent is a must, as we cite the "loaded" 2012 team. Will is underrated.
Coaches have sleepless nights worrying about factors out of their control. Will a player be academically eligible? Will another be healthy? Is another tired? Is a fourth unfocused because of a messy relationship? Are players getting enough rest, eating right, violating league rules while partying?
Everything and nothing changes over generations. If you want to be exceptional, sacrifice...willingly. Because you play for the girl next to you.
Life hacks come from anywhere. Be open and use all our senses and our imagination.
A rubber band. Place a colored rubber band on one wrist. Every time we complain, shift the rubber band to the other wrist. Raising our consciousness to complaints reduces complaining. It's a negative feedback principle. "Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses."
Cellphones. Video is the truth machine. Use your cellphone for "interval training" by recording your play at intervals. Track improvement in skill with a "video record."
Spreadsheets. Spreadsheets allow you to record your physical progress in strength and conditioning. Tracking your bench press has less value than tracking vertical jump (e.g. with a chalked finger) and 17s.
Motivation. What motivates you and other Gen-Z members? Is it a quote, video, song? Find your muse, whatever raises your drive. Inspiration informs a vital task for coaches and leaders.
Music can help players find their best 'activation'. 'Hyper' players may need something calming and lower energy players may respond to more upbeat music.
Learning. Learn every day. Are you a podcast person? The Knowledge Project is one to consider.
Mindfulness. The UCLA Mindfulness site has scripts as short as a few minutes.
Players underestimate the value of trust. Players earn trust with their skill, their work, and their will.
You get on the floor in the big game, in the big moment by earning the coach's trust. He wants you on the court. He needs you on the court.
If you need to be on the court in the moment, earn your coach's trust. Remember the achievement equation:
ACHIEVEMENT = PERFORMANCE x TIME
ChatGPT answer on earning trust:
Earning a coach's trust comes down to consistency, effort, and selflessness. Here are some key ways players can build that trust:
Commitment to Practice Show up on time, listen actively, and give full effort every day. Coaches trust players who are reliable and don't need reminders to put in the work.
Consistency Do the little things right every time. This builds a reputation for reliability. Consistent players give their best effort and bring a positive attitude, regardless of how tired or frustrated they might be.
Play Unselfishly Coaches notice players who prioritize the team’s success over their individual stats. Set your teammates up for success, celebrate others’ achievements, and communicate on and off the court.
Adaptability Be willing to play any role. If the coach needs you to try a new position or technique, do it with enthusiasm and without complaint. Showing you're open to learning and evolving will make you more valuable to the team.
Game IQ and Self-Reflection Demonstrate an understanding of the game plan and make smart decisions on the court. Between games, ask questions, review your performance, and show you're working on areas for improvement.
Stay Composed Under Pressure Coaches need players who can handle pressure and respond to challenges. When things go wrong, stay calm, reset quickly, and encourage teammates to stay focused.
Accept and Act on Feedback Embrace feedback as a tool for growth. Listen carefully, make adjustments, and then follow up with improvement. Coaches are more likely to trust players who are coachable and responsive to guidance.
Building trust is about actions over time, and the players who practice these principles daily become invaluable to any team.
"The magic is in the work." Players and families sacrifice time and treasure to travel, compete, and improve.
Twenty years ago a minority of players played offseason volleyball. That created a mismatch for MVB. Fast forward to 2024 and offseason play is widespread among athletes.
MVB 25 will have numerous "holes" to fill - setter (Leah), "Swiss Army Knife" all-around player (Carol), back row defense and servers (Maggie, Gg, Alex).
Let me know about offseason accomplishments. "Gas up" your game.
Sadie Smith earned co-MVP status for her weekend tournament play. Currently a freshman, the 5'7" fifteen year-old will challenge for the setter role on MVB 25.
1) Filling with high fiber, may promote ideal weight
2) Low glycemic index (the avocado, not the toast)
3) Healthier monounsaturated fat
Caloric intake depends on both the size and volume of the avocado spread, number of pieces of toast, and use of unsalted butter. If more protein is desired, topping with a fried egg is an option.
Steal ideas wherever you can. Tara Sullivan profiles the Bill Belichick to North Carolina story in Sunday's Boston Globe.
Her observations play across a variety of sports. Here are excerpts:
▪ Do your job, a mantra he lived by, reminds players to focus on their own responsibility and not be caught up with what others are doing.
▪ Put the team above yourself.
▪ Collaborate. Teamwork comes first.
▪ Pay attention to details and be prepared in everything.
▪ Find and attack your opponents’ weaknesses, something Belichick made a career out of in the NFL.
▪ Be flexible in your game-planning.
▪ Impact young men by teaching discipline and structure.
These principle work across sports from high school to pro sports. Certainly these elements apply to Coach Scott Celli's goals creating players and teams with competence and character.
Lagniappe. The coach shows a technique to engage the pec major to improve "length-tension relationships" to improve hitting velocity.
What kind of player do you want to become? To become exceptional, embrace coaching.
That means sometimes accept hard conversations. Those include skills that need development, decisions to improve, self-care including training, rest, nutrition, and recovery.
The most important question, "what can I do to become my best?"
The sooner we read and write better, the longer our chance to share quality. Prioritize excellence. Try these pearls from Gary Provost including his first chapter outline and a paragraph about vocabulary.
Hi – I'm reading "100 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Updated): Proven Professional Techniques for Writing with Style and Power" by Gary Provost and wanted to share this quote with you.
NINE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING WHEN YOU’RE NOT WRITING
1. Get Some Reference Books
2.Expand Your Vocabulary
3. Improve Your Spelling
4. Read
5. Take a Class
6. Eavesdrop
7. Research
8. Write in Your Head
9. Choose a Time and Place
"The only way to make your vocabulary more accessible is to use it. If you want all those short but interesting words waiting at the front of your brain when you need them, you must move them to the front of your brain before you need them." - from 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing
You're all in on better volleyball. Fantastic! Pledge to invest time and effort in communication - written, verbal, and nonverbal.
Want more ideas?
Write a fast first draft and then revise. Writing is rewriting.
Limit jargon if you choose a wide audience. Newbies won't know pin hitting or pipe attacks.
Use strong verbs. Banish adverbs.
Read your writing aloud. If it sounds awkward or pompous, it is.
Experiment. Write in the style of another author, such as Hemingway or Shakespeare. You can also ask AI to do the same as a model.
Get an AI writing critique from ChatGPT.
Maybe you like volleyball better than writing. Over the long haul, writing well serves you well, just as serving well will help your volleyball.
How you do anything is how you do everything.
Lagniappe. Improve skill, space, and time.
Lagniappe 2. "Repetitions make reputations." Craft your platform.
Fall in love with the mental side of the game. Exceptional play demands exceptional game knowledge. Volleyball is a thinking person's sport.
Jared McCain on the mental side of his preparation:
“Watching film, meditation, visualization, recovery, reading, it all helps me become a better basketball player. I’ve been in love with the mental side.”
Graduation creates opportunities. Make the open job your job. Volleyball is a thinking person's sport. Skill includes decision-making and execution. The setter is the quarterback of the offense and an important defender.
Leah "isn't walking through that door." Someone will emerge as the next excellent MVB setter. But it's not just the setter, it's the coordination among the setter and the attackers with different types and different timing of attack.
Excellence is hard. Grueling. Your parents work hard every day to create opportunities for you. There's no guarantee. And you have no 'manual' for excellence.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says, "you can't skip steps." Keep grinding day after day and eventually results come.
Be process-focused. Student-athletes do what they don't want to do today to achieve so they can do what they want in the future.
Some of you work out with a teammate. You don't need a gym to work on your footwork, your athleticism, your resilience.
Coach Lawson preaches competence. Moreover, great student-athletes thrive on competence and character. Character shows up as attitude, commitment, determination, energy, persistence, teamwork.
"Greatness stays with a man." The foundation you build today stays with you.
"Tom Brady was a 4th string QB his rookie year ...Gronkowski didn't do too much his rookie year ...Edelman played QB in college ... developing players is something we believe strongly in"
When players return in the fall, they're not freshmen or sophomores, they're sophomores and juniors. Step up and make a difference. There will be JV players who become players in '25.
Hannah Brickley was All-State as a sophomore, junior, and senior.
Victoria Crovo was the best player for MVB in a sectional final as a freshman.
Karen Sen had 18 kills in the state semifinal as a sophomore.
This might be the most important volleyball article you'll read.
Watch upper level soccer and commentators like Ian Darke say things like, "that was an ambitious try." That means "low reward" as in, they can't score from there. How about ambitious do?
Professionals play a winner’s game – they win by being better than their opponent. The outcome is mostly within their control.
In a professional game, each player, nearly equal in skill, plays a nearly perfect game rallying back and forth until one player hits the ball just beyond the reach of his opponent. This is about positioning, control, and spin. It’s a game of inches and sometimes centimeters. This is not how amateurs play."
Exceptional teams win the points. They can't rely on the opposition giving them points. In the developmental settings of practice, scrimmages, and offseason play, craft ways to score more points.
Return to first principles of 'scoring points'.
1. Service, completely under your control.
2. Blocking. The great Melrose teams always had "blocking power" that not only denied outside hitters points, but translated into points. Obviously, Sabine has been an impact blocker with athleticism and size. If you want a big role on MVB 25, become the next impact blocker.
3. Attacking. Every season, 300 plus kills have to be replaced, this year mostly from Carol Higonenq and Sofia Papatsoris. Shockingly, only one MVB team ever had three players with 200 plus kills, 2005. Another way to earn the job is to "be that guy." The kills can come from the middle, the pin hitters, and sometimes from "pipe attacks." If I had to project who could become a back row attacker, I'd speculate on Elise Marchais, purely a guess.
Nothing in the blog comes down on stone tablets.
To become an exceptional team, become exceptional at winning points.
Leah Fowke, one of the elite setters in MVB history, earned selection as a Boston Herald All-Scholastic.
During her career she amassed more than 1,000 assists, played on four Middlesex League champions, was twice ML12 All-Conference, played on two sectional champions, and earned MAVCA All-State selection.
Dan Campbell said, "It starts over with the work. There is no complacency. There is no entitlement. We go back to work, and that is the focus. Because, if you don't work, it doesn't matter."
It means doing the work. It means competing every day.
Warren Buffett's investment partner Charlie Munger shared their secret.
It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.
Yes, teams need skill, strategy, physicality, and resilience. But they need to limit mistakes.
Hope is not a strategy. In team sports, the "better" team wins most of the time. If you're the better team, it implies obligation and if you're the underdog it implies opportunity.
Self-sabotage in volleyball includes lack of preparedness to handle pressure, poor attack decision-making, poor serving, and lack of mental toughness to name a few. Optimizing play includes doing "more of what works" and "less of what doesn't."
Do the work to earn the right to win. You will never regret it.
This reminds me of James Kerr's book, Legacy, about the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team. Have a "blue head under control, focused, all-in. The "red head" is angry, emotional, and prone to lose control.
Having coached for 31 seasons, I’ve come to see that high school football teams typically fall into one of two categories.
First, there are the teams led by coaches and fueled by players who have been taught to pursue and play the game the right way. These teams are built on a…
Love and respect for the game and teammates create sustainable competitive advantage. It also 'plays' at home, school, work, and elsewhere forging value for your leadership and character.
Being "built to last" is no small thing. Attention to detail serves you well for a lifetime.
AI Take:
Being a good teammate is rooted in fostering trust, collaboration, and shared success. The top three factors include:
Accountability and Dependability
Show up prepared and ready to contribute.
Follow through on commitments, whether it's being punctual to practice or fulfilling game-day roles.
Own mistakes and learn from them without passing blame.
Communication and Support
Actively listen to teammates and offer constructive feedback.
Encourage and uplift others, especially during tough moments.
Share information openly, ensuring everyone feels included and valued.
Unselfishness and Commitment to the Team
Prioritize team goals over personal accolades.
Adapt to different roles or positions to benefit the team.
Sean McVay said, “Winning is a habit; let’s make it ours.”
You build winning habits by committing every day to the details others overlook. • It means competing. • It means owning the process. • It means not just settling for average.
The recent "Volleyball Banquet" reflects continuity over decades. Players have ownership of the experience. We spot MVB alumnae and alumni parents in the stands as part of continuity.
"The blog" represents a small piece of the puzzle. It connects across the MVB legacy of the past three decades. Themes appear and reappear, original and stolen.
You are part of something bigger than yourself. MVB players have a responsibility as Legacy author James Kerr writes, "to leave the jersey in a better place."
Character matters. Represent yourself, your family, and your team with high standards at home, school, and extracurricular activities.
Be somebody. In Professor Adam Grant's book, Give and Take, he describes three types of styles - givers, matchers, and takers. The people who do the best and worst are 'givers'. But the people who do the best are ambitious givers. Want to be great and work to be great. Leah Fowke was an athletic, quiet young woman who let her play do the talking as she grew into a big role after being on a pair of sectional champions.
I'm neither here to carry water for any player nor to create expectations or pressure. One theme at the 'Banquet' was "reloading not rebuilding."
Nobody cries for Melrose graduating nine seniors. Everyone should and will want to beat MVB into the ground. Returning and new players should want to "drink the tears of our opponents."
We are what we repeatedly do; therefore, excellence is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle's wisdom endured because it produced. Excellence in planning, preparation, and performance comes at a price. The magic is in the work.
Own your brand. Sara Blakely says, "obsess the product." Bringing the best version of yourself becomes a habit. Habits are born from a cue, craving, response, and reward.
Dream big. Some eighth or ninth graders may think, "I'll do whatever it takes to make the team." Years ago a young Michael Jordan told Carolina assistant Roy Williams, "I'll work as hard as any Carolina player before me." Williams said, "You have to work harder than that."
Making the team, finishing the homework, or passing a test don't measure up to "being the best version of yourself." Work harder.
"How you do anything is how you do everything." Process. Process. Process. Coach Nick Saban, the greatest college football coach in history asks, "Are you investing your time or spending it?" Coach Sonny Lane's most important share was the word, sacrifice. Put the team first while raising your technique, tactics, physicality, and resilience. Achieve individual excellence within the team concept.
"Control what you can control." Many names resonate among MVB history. You've heard the names Brickley, Bell, McGowan, Crovo, and others because they did the work. You can't control how many kills or assists you get in a team sport. You control how hard you study, how hard you practice, how you eat, sleep, and recover after workouts.
Legacy will emerge from some of the returning names - Wenzel, Boyer, Ackman, Burns, Shoemaker, Marchais, Friedlaender, Smith. Other names will emerge from driven 'unknowns'. The sun is going to shine. Time will tell how brightly.
Lagniappe. Good teams practice well. Buffalo Bills' coach Sean McDermott provided clarity, "That's what it gets back to in terms of earning the right to win. How we meet, how we talk, how we workout, how we practice when we do practice, how we play - that's the standard we're trying to get to every day."
Lagniappe 2. You need strong hands and upper body along with first step quickness to hand pass well.
1) Sautee chopped onion and garlic in melted butter for 3 minutes
2) Add Half-and-Half and flour to initiate a modified roux for about 2 minutes
3) Add salt, pepper, and paprika to your specification
4) Add hot chicken stock (water and bouillon)
5) Add broccoli and carrots, simmering for about 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally (some people steam the vegetables to soften, it's not needed)
Some people favor using an immersion blender on 3/4 of the broccoli and saving some florets for the end. I don't think that's needed.
6) Finish with shredded cheddar
I generally let it sit for half and hour off heat before serving.
To me, this is equal or superior to "restaurant quality." I consider it GOAT quality. It would also keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator, although it will NEVER last that long.
