Baby steps. Nobody magically learns to walk. Roll over. Sit up. Pull yourself up and cruise along furniture. Stand up; sit down. Again. Take your first steps. The process repeats and repeats.
Failure is a weigh station on the highway to success.
Have the will to keep going.
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The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow- witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him. - Tolstoy
*Adapted from my basketball blog
Winning needs focused investment in areas that work. Neither 100 percent investment in offense nor defense is best. Full belief in your failing process is nonsense.
Leadership. Can the coach sell the program, get buy-in, and add value? In Community Health (1977) we learned about barriers, efficacy, severity, and susceptibility.
Philosophy. Can we sell our philosophy to smart people "firmly persuaded that they know already?"
Player development. What's your player development track record?
Show your receipts - D1 players, McDonald's All-America nominee, All-Scholastic/All-State selections, Local Athletic Hall of Famers, valedictorians and more.
Strategy "We can't run what we can't run." Without core skills, the choice of 'offensive system' doesn't matter.
Physicality (strength and conditioning) Without training, we cannot play "harder for longer" needed to outperform opponents. Measurable performance like 12-minute runs, broad jump, and bench press repetitions give easy to obtain, reproducible results.
Psychology Have a simple program that you can implement such as mindfulness and visualization.
Commitment is king. Players choose whether to invest in themselves and winning or not. "It takes what it takes." In addition to all of the above, players need to play, a lot.
"Mentoring is the only shortcut to success." Find a mentor.
"Winners are trackers." - Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect Measure what you do and seek improvement and betterment of your personal best.
Are you willing to do what the beast does? "Champions do extra." It's a big ask.
Lagniappe. What the beasts do.
1. We're in a time where our desire to retain players and keep them happy is making them fragile and less proud to be on the team. If we want to be special, we need to be more demanding. pic.twitter.com/jU798EXiVj
— J.P. Nerbun | TOC (@JpNerbun) May 2, 2024
Craft a great story.
Lagniappe. Reach. Stability. Speed.
Everyone needs better communication with player families. Without exception, coaches and administrations get complaints about player minutes, role, and recognition.
Coaches use the "24 hour rule" to allow a 'cooling off period' and many limit discussions about playing time and absolutely about other teammates.
President Abraham Lincoln had his "Hot Letters," where he vented his displeasure with various generals and other parties, then filed as "never signed, never sent."
Coach Neal Cobleigh wondered what would ChatGPT artificial intelligence say to an unhappy parent. I asked. I've also edited, shaving syllables. The edited (easier to read) version is below.
Write a letter from a coach to a disgruntled parent upset about her child's playing time and role.
ChatGPT
Dear (Parent's Name),
I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to address the concerns about your child's playing time and role on the team. As a coach, I understand and respect your passion for your child's development and success in the sport, and appreciate your willingness to discuss these matters openly.
First and foremost, I want to assure you that every decision I make regarding playing time and roles on the team is done with careful consideration and with the best interest of the team and each individual player in mind. I understand that it can be frustrating when your child doesn't receive the amount of playing time you may feel they deserve, but please trust that these decisions are based I base decisions on various factors including skill level, performance, team dynamics, and strategic considerations for each game.
I want to emphasize that playing time and roles on the team are not static and can change throughout the season. I encourage open communication between among players, parents, and myself. and I'm available always willing to discuss your child's progress, areas for improvement, and ways we can how to work together to help them succeed.
It's important to remember that sports offer valuable lessons beyond just playing time and winning or losing. They teach resilience, teamwork, discipline, and the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges. I truly believe that every player, regardless of their role on the team, has the potential to contribute in meaningful ways and to grow both as an athlete and as an individual.
I want to thank you for your continued support of the team and for entrusting me with the responsibility of coaching your child. I'm committed to providing a positive and nurturing environment where all players can thrive and reach their full potential. If you have any further concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.
Sincerely,
Dear (Parent's Name),
I hope this letter finds you well. I want to address concerns about your child's playing time and role. As a coach, I understand and respect your passion for your child's development and success, and appreciate your willingness to discuss these matters.
First and foremost, every decision I make regarding playing time and roles is done with the best interest of the team and each individual player in mind. It can be frustrating when your child doesn't receive the amount of playing time you feel they deserve, but I base decisions on various factors including skill level, performance, team dynamics, and strategic considerations.
Playing time and roles on the team are not static and can change throughout the season. I encourage open communication among players, parents, and myself. I'm available to discuss your child's progress, areas for improvement, and how to work together to help them succeed.
Sports offer valuable lessons beyond just playing time and winning or losing. They teach resilience, teamwork, discipline, and the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges. Every player, regardless of their role on the team, has the potential to contribute and to grow both as an athlete and as an individual.
Thank you for your continued support of the team and for entrusting me with the responsibility of coaching your child. I'm committed to a positive and nurturing environment where all players can reach their full potential. If you have any further concerns or questions, please reach out to me.
Sincerely,
(Coach's name)
All coaches have been there. Build rapport. Build trust. Emphasize team, time, and improvement.
Four ways to overcome the fear of failure in games:
— Sports Psychology (@SportPsychTips) May 2, 2024
1. Play for fun and improvement.
2. Focus only on what you can control.
3. Believe in yourself and have courage.
4. Have a positive attitude about failure (understand that failure isn’t fatal, and that it helps you learn).
"Fear is the mind-killer." - Dune
Single Leg Bound Progression
— Tim Cortazzo (@T_Cortazzo) May 2, 2024
▪️SL Pogos
▪️Height Emphasis
▪️Distance Emphasis
▪️Double Tap
Great for developing speed, power, stability, coordination, and springiness.
An overlooked benefit is the athlete being able to “feel” ground contact under center of mass. pic.twitter.com/O4z1YjmWMa
Lagniappe. Everything scene won was earned with training behind the scene.
See what isn’t obvious but makes a difference. In Moneyball, Michael Lewis explained how Oakland and Billy Beane were arbitraging misvaluation of baseball players. They bought low cost players with high actual value.
Coaches project the ceiling and floor of players. That’s how unknown freshmen begin their career arc. Coaches see potential and refine ore into more.
A feature could start with management, coaching staff, or star players. Lewis saw 'hidden' keys in of Scott Hatteberg and Chad Bradford. They produced edges by “buying” wins through run creation (on base percentage) or run prevention (effective relief pitching).
As a player, ask how will I produce point differential by scoring, defending, or both? Be intentional:
“Players think - “Play me and I’ll show you”.
— Coach Mac 🏀 (@BballCoachMac) May 1, 2024
Coaches think - “Show me and I’ll play you”
- Shaka Smart pic.twitter.com/iEm7ADSKKH
Your challenge? Create value for yourself with point differential by putting the ball down or keeping the ball up.
Lagniappe.
“How good can we expect to be if our best player is not our best teammate.” - Brad Stevens pic.twitter.com/u20xs9FCQc
— Bob Starkey (@CoachBobStarkey) May 1, 2024
If you've chosen to work to be exceptional, choose to be a great teammate.
Lagniappe. Form begets function. Study your attack mechanics.
Craft your MVB story. The younger you are, the longer you have to master the craft. Academics or athletics, "how you do anything is how you do everything." MVB has spawned many elite student-athletes.
"Share something great." Matt Haig wrote, "every story is about someone searching for something." Find ways to inspire. Here are tips from well-know authors.
1. Stories inform plot, characters, and dialogue. You construct your 'volleyball story' with hundreds of days of brick and mortar work.
2. Don't abuse adverbs. "She ran quickly" suffers versus she raced, she sped, she hastened. Stephen King limits adverbs. King informs a Master Class in On Writing. What volleyball adverbs need editing in your story - inconsistency, indecision, confidence?
3. The Heath Brothers (Made to Stick) champion the acronym SUCCESS.
S - simple
U - unexpected
C - concrete (specific)
C - credible (believable)
E - emotional
S - stories
4. "$#*@% first drafts." - Anne Lamott Your first draft isn't a finished product.
5. "Don't be boring." - David Mamet Inform and entertain readers.
6. "The difference between good writers and bad writers is that good writers know when they're bad." - Dan Brown (author of The DaVinci Code) Don't settle for mediocre work.
7. "Tell the best available version of the truth." - Bob Woodward, Investigative journalist, The Washington Post Woodward wrote The Brethren, about the Supreme Court. A justice's clerk denied a quote from him in the book. Woodward invited the clerk to his home, and showed him the quote in the clerk's own handwriting.
8. "Read. Read. Read. Read. Read." - Werner Herzog Develop your own style by reading and studying other writers. Herzog includes The Peregrine as required reading for his students.
“The hardest thing of all to see is what is really there. Books about birds show pictures of the peregrine, and the text is full of information. Large and isolated in the gleaming whiteness of the page, the hawk stares back at you, bold, statuesque, brightly coloured. But when you have shut the book, you will never see that bird again. Compared with the close and static image, the reality will seem dull and disappointing. The living bird will never be so large, so shiny-bright. It will be deep in landscape, and always sinking farther back, always at the point of being lost. Pictures are waxworks beside the passionate mobility of the living bird.”
― The Peregrine
9. "Kill your darlings." - David Mamet Make the word, sentence, paragraph, or scene advance the story. What are you doing today to advance your athletic story - technique, tactics, physicality, psychology?
The Romans had a loose word for the concept: anteambulo and it meant a person who cleared the path in front of their patron. If you can do that successfully, you secure a quick and educational power position."
Have favorite authors. Some of mine include Michael Lewis, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Jon Gordon.
WHAT DO ELEPHANTS AND VAMPIRES HAVE IN COMMON?
— Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11) April 29, 2024
What do elephants and vampires have in common?
They will both sabotage your team if you let them.
Elephants in the room are the issues that you have not addressed, and they will stomp on your morale and teamwork if you don’t…
An elephant in the room is a serious but not fully addressed issue. That could be an unruly student in the classroom or a disruptive player on a team. Strong cultures manage the elephant in the room directly.
Vampires are mythical 'blood-sucking' monsters. Energy vampires metaphorically do the same, holding culture hostage to their needs.
Melrose hasn't had many of either. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra reminds coaches, "there is always a pecking order." Every team has its 'alphas' who drive performance and leadership.
This reminds us of key points in team sport.
1) Coaching is about relationships. Brad Stevens says, "coaches get more than we give." The best way to get respect is to give it. When asked about success as an actress, Helen Mirren said, "Always be on time" and "don't be an _______ ."
2. "Ego is the enemy." Live Bill Russell's quote, "my ego demands the success of my team." Russell's teams went 21-0 in elimination games. Some say he doesn't belong on the Mount Rushmore of basketball players. I agree. He belongs on the Mount Olympus of winners, winning 14 championships (2 NCAA, 11 NBA, 1 Olympics) in 15 years.
3. Be positive. "You cannot have a positive life with a negative attitude." Bring your best to the team every day. The best players are those who make everyone around them better. Samuel L. Jackson says to bring "the best version of yourself" every day.
Lagniappe. Contact.
Lagniappe 2. Intentionality and hitting contact.
Sport and life reward those who "complete" the needs of the group. Those who understand the needs of the group and deliver them cement their role. While excelling in that role, they earn the chance to expand that role.
The 2012 championship was filled with elite "role players" who made plays time after time. Exceptional teams get key contributions across the roster.
1. Jen Cain - one of the best all-around players ever at Melrose who had an excellent career at Merrimack.
2. Rachel Johnson - elite individual and paired blocker (with Kayla Wyland comprised "The Great Wall") who became the 'third hitter' necessary for a deep playoff run.
3. Amanda Commito - exceptional back row defender and southpaw server who overcame injury to excel.
In addition to being excellent players, all showed the character, maturity, and humility of superb young women.
Lagniappe.
“If you want to achieve anything great as a group, it’s not about giving the piece you want to give, it’s about giving what the group needs. The pathway to great achievement as a group is always giving what the group needs. Saying and doing it are two different things,” Kara… pic.twitter.com/H9t6zxIiog
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) April 28, 2024
“The arrogance of success is to think what you did yesterday will be good enough for tomorrow.”@TeamCoachBuzz #GetBetter#TodayMatters pic.twitter.com/kYeu6BuTmE
— Bob Starkey (@CoachBobStarkey) April 28, 2024
You can only be as good as your self-belief. Excellent players have "plus" grades in at least two of three elements of skill, athleticism, and physical attributes.
Work to understand psychology in life and sport. Consider the following:
"Don't take anything personally" is one of The Four Agreements. If someone gives negative feedback, "you're not a good player," that says everything about them and nothing about you.
First, assess your inputs. Put in the mental preparation and study, the practice, and physical training. Get and give feedback with mentors.
Next, assess your outputs (progress). The most important of these is impacting winning. Samuel L. Jackson explains that "every role is not for you." That didn't mean that his audition was lacking. When your best isn't good enough, circle back to your inputs. What adjustments are needed?
"Control what you can control" - attitude, choices, effort. Your attitude includes your confidence. Bill Parcells comment, "confidence comes from proven success" implies earning confidence. "Off days" happen, but energy and effort should be consistent.
When you've done the work and have the receipts, you're entitled to self-belief.
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How you do anything reflects how you do everything. Focus, stay fully engaged and be coachable and you'll go places, too.
Lagniappe. Always follow your coaching strategy and alignment.
Many MVB players have read Jay Bilas's Toughness as a group. Toughness, both physical and mental, helps players overcome personal and "professional" crises.
Literature and film celebrate toughness crises. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle depicts the struggles of workers focusing on working conditions in slaughterhouses. The Karate Kid shares an East Coast transplant seeking dignity, balance, and success in California.
You define how toughness applies to your MVB experience.
1. Toughness is a skill. Sports grow skill and will. Just as you improve your skills, you grow your resilience.
2. Toughness reveals itself in performance in showing up, competing at practice, and bringing energy to yourself and teammates.
3. MVB players show toughness under adversity when playing from behind and when not at your best. Sadie Jaggers' playoff match against Billerica coming out of a sickbed was a great example of toughness.
4. Players show physical and mental toughness during jousts and blocks at the net, going to the floor to keep the ball up, and having the courage to hit when the situation arises.
5. Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi said, "fatigue makes cowards of us all." The will to condition yourself and the discipline to eat and hydrate properly, to get eight hours of sleep, and 'actively recover' show toughness.
6. Toughness is a habit. The players who engage every day academically and in their extracurricular activities manifest toughness. "How you do anything is how you do everything."
Part of the MVB experience includes modeling excellence, setting high standards, and "leaving the jersey in a better place." Make toughness your brand.
Lagniappe.
Jim Harbaugh said, "Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building a callus."
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) April 25, 2024
Toughness is not a talent, it's a skill.
• It's mental.
• It's physical.
You build toughness through… pic.twitter.com/GJsldVemdn
Tom Izzo said, "Championships and great seasons are won in locker rooms."
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) April 24, 2024
Great teams have great teammates.
• They own their roles.
• They care about each other.
• They commit to each other and the team.
A great team isn't made up of individual superstars, it's made up of… pic.twitter.com/DIVqV8eGqB
Choose to be a great teammate. Make it a priority. Have joy in preparation, practice, and competition. Celebrate the experience and your teammates.
Lagniappe.
Derek Jeter asked Bruce Bochy after a World Series Championship. “How come everybody that comes up here doesn’t talk about themselves? All they care about is the team and all they want is to win for their team? How is that?”
— Coach the Coaches (@WinningCoaches) April 22, 2024
Bochy: that’s how you win.
~ via @CoachJoshLynn
Lagniappe 2. Harsh reality that great players adopt...can you be feminine and the beast. MVB greats navigated that conflict.
“Everybody wants to be the beast but everybody doesn’t want to do what the beast does,” Nick Saban
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) April 26, 2024
🎥 @SupremeLending pic.twitter.com/1TXIK4QfXN
Lagniappe 3. Don't allow the little things to go unnoticed.
DEATH BY 1,000 CUTS
— Jeff Janssen (@janssenleader) April 22, 2024
KILLS MORE CULTURES
THAN A FATAL BLOW:
🩸 showing up late
🩸 taking plays off
🩸 sloppy practices
🩸 poor execution
🩸 skipping reps
🩸 grumbling about roles/PT
🩸 eye-rolling when coach talks
🩸 not holding people accountable#CutsKill#CultureWins
"Hope springs eternal." Last night the Patriots selected quarterback Drake Maye with their first choice.
Nobody knows how any draft choice will do. Coach Jerod Mayo, discussing the quarterback situation said, "it's about competing and it's about going out there every day striving to get better."
MVB tryouts start in a little less than four months. How you use that time is your choice.
I wrote this to a former player of mine, "What I think life teaches is that others will value your output. Yet, what is more important for your family, your hopes and dreams, is your input."
Lagniappe. Recovery into defense is vital to keep balls alive.
Coach Dean Smith is a HOF Legend.
— Greg Berge (@gb1121) April 25, 2024
He led "The Carolina Way."
Here are some insights from Coach Smith that shed some light on his greatness. pic.twitter.com/zbV9O4k6IW
Progress by studying teams, players, and coaches. Coach Dean Smith earned a degree in Mathematics from Kansas while playing college basketball for a National Championship team.
He was a pioneer in studying basketball analytics and was best known for coaching Michael Jordan, and for his commitment to social justice, including integrating ACC basketball.
Study the list about some of Smith's principles. As he would say, "A lion never roars after a kill."
This is a huge problem in our world today.
— Greg Berge (@gb1121) April 23, 2024
- You cannot skip the process.
- You have to accept the struggle.
- You have to find joy in the journey.
There are no shortcuts. And if you have this mindset and approach to life, you will go far.
No Deposit - No Return! https://t.co/hKQtnXPq7N
Rick Pitino wrote a book years ago called Success Is a Choice. MVB has enjoyed remarkable success by choosing commitment, consistency, and culture.
Spurs' Coach Gregg Popovich teaches, "pound the rock," meaning you can't skip steps. You have to hit the rock a hundred times until it breaks.
Geno Auriemma's UCONN women started practice with two laps with nobody cutting a corner. Champions don't cut corners.
Success in volleyball converges with success at home, school, and work. "The magic is in the work."
Your predecessors have done this. You can and you will.
Lagniappe.
In 1985, the UCONN A.D. told the women's basketball team that he would get them the best woman coach he could find. They asked for the best available coach.
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Thirsty for success? Learn to love this.
“Find out how to love practice, enjoy it, love it, love the grind…and ask yourself, are we in?or are we out? Every single day,”
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) April 24, 2024
Dave Roberts
Master the fundamentals with an enthusiastic spirit.
🎥 @BaseballBros pic.twitter.com/BEQqAiDE5p
Don't think "have to." Think "get to."
Lagniappe. Dumbell only exercises to improve strength and ultimately spike touch.
All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own.
Apply knowledge across all domains. Expressing sorrow or apologizing reflects maturity. But sometimes, it lowers us.
Post by @simiianandView on Threads
This thread points out that "thanks" amplifies our voice.
Better to say, "thank you for working hard at practice," than "I'm sorry for making practice so tough."
Tell your parents, "thank you for supporting my extracurricular activities," instead of "I'm sorry for having to drive a couple of hours to a tournament."
You matter. Better communication is consistent with the first of The Four Agreements, "Be impeccable with your word."
Find ways to grow.
Lagniappe. Write it down. Be thankful. Plan the day. Highlight your days. Improve your plan and plan your improvement.
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ELO (Electric Light Orchestra, Xanadu)
ELO - early, loud, often. Talk matters. The sport differs but the concept does not. Talk adds value. Talk energizes. Talk intimidates.
MVB has the Queen of Talk. She alone is not enough.
Lagniappe. Communication is a skill.
WINNING TEAMS TALK AND TOUCH
— Ganon Baker (@GanonBaker) April 23, 2024
This is an ELITE LEVEL SKILL!
IF YOU HAVE IT, YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO JOY AND WINNING 🏆
Celebrate - Communicate
Direct - Correct
GET A WORD!
YOUR WORDS CREATE YOUR WORLD 🌎
🏀 GET AFTER IT 🏀 pic.twitter.com/1yQ2RY5FoL
Excellence intersects skill, game understanding, physical and mental toughness.
Look at the past three MVB "Triple Crown" winners - Elena Soukos, Gia Vlajkovic, and Sadie Jaggers. All had exceptional athleticism - quickness, vertical jump, strength (attack). Nobody becomes elite as an 'average' athlete.
Keep training simple:
— Keith Ferrara (@keithjferrara) April 20, 2024
- Sprint to get faster
- Jump to get powerful
- Lift to get stronger & build resilience
- Condition to repeat outputs over & over
- Play your sport to build task specific skills
You don’t need gimmicky drills.
You need consistent & well planned training.
Conditioning requires leaving your comfort zone. You have to go harder for longer with sprints, jumprope, or 'stadiums'. You don't have a cycle ergometer system to measure maximal oxygen consumption (complex measure of fitness). You can do a Cooper 12-minute run test and see how far you run in twelve minutes. You can do this on a track or a treadmill (easier).
Lagniappe.
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