High Hopes

"Do you get headaches, Sir?" "No, Son, I give headaches."

Coaching isn't running the Submarine Service, like the Admiral interviewed above. Mistakes under the water can kill people and compromise the safety of the United States. Coaching isn't that.

Coaching is a relationship business. That doesn't mean that vision, decisions, and execution don't matter. They do. But coaches shouldn't give headaches, manufacture PTSD, or nightmares. Coaches add value, craft confidence, and encourage excellence. If we're not doing that, we're doing it wrong. And Coach Scott Celli and his assistants do it right. 

Communication builds trust. Trust forges loyalty. Loyalty can't be about being a starter or a star, because not enough positions exist on the floor for that.   

You've seen the Galton Board before. If you're on the far right of the distribution, you're exceptional. But every MVB player lies right of the median of the distribution. If every player were in the top 20 percent of ML12 volleyball, only six players could start. A few others carve out a regular role. 

Don't allow ego, your self-respect and self-worth be a function of your minutes, role, and recognition. Value effort, commitment, energy. Never allow yourself to be obsessed with a cult of external validation. 

Do what your situation requires. Reality dictates to us. In college, I worked four hours a night three nights a week flipping burgers, scooping ice cream, and selling beers for the then princely sum of three dollars an hour. Why? I needed the money. Would that additional time studying have added value? Maybe, but we control attitude, choices, and effort. No excuses. 

You have five more weeks to prepare for tryouts. Give it your best shot. 

Consistent "best effort" shuts out cracks for regret.