Hamartia

Other languages contain words that explain life better than an English word. You know MUDITA or "your joy is my joy," happiness for another's good fortune.

Hamartia comes from the Greek, describing a "fatal flaw" that turned the hero's journey from success to tragedy. 

I asked ChatGPT for help"

Here are three examples from sports:

1. Mike Tyson – Impulsiveness: Tyson, one of boxing’s most feared champions, had a career derailed by personal issues stemming from his impulsiveness and lack of self-control. His infamous ear-biting incident in a fight agai'nst Evander Holyfield and later personal problems, including imprisonment, significantly marred his legacy.

2. Lance Armstrong – Arrogance and Deception: Armstrong’s remarkable achievements in cycling were overshadowed by a doping scandal. His hubris in denying allegations for years, coupled with an extensive cover-up, eventually led to his downfall when the truth surfaced. His success became a tragic fall from grace due to his overconfidence in manipulating the system.

3. Tonya Harding – Ambition at All Costs: Harding was a talented figure skater whose ambition and willingness to go to extreme lengths became her tragic flaw. Her involvement in the infamous 1994 attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan led to her being banned from the sport, despite her potential for greatness.

In all cases, their success was overshadowed by a flaw that led to their undoing.

Other causes for a "hero's demise"...substance abuse or alcoholism like so many, or overconfidence, such as General Custer's. At other times, unpredictable injuries or illness such as mental health problems occur. Sometimes, it's "the life," where partying distracts players from the hard work of development.  

Len Bias died from a cocaine overdose, a self-inflicted wound. There is some uncertainty about the death of Reggie Lewis. Drazen Petrovic died in a car accident. 

Teams implode, too. A woman's basketball team that fell apart amidst a gay-straight split. A high school team collapsed when one player "stole" another player's boyfriend. In These Girls Hope Is a Muscle, Madeleine Blais describes the opposite, healing of a toxic relationship between the two superstar players who played for the Amherst Hurricanes. Their rivalry had prevented the team from achieving their destiny.

Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan wrote "Execution" about getting things done in the corporate world. My takeaways were the centrality of 1) people, 2) strategy, and 3) operations... how things actually run. 

What pushes MVB forward has been players and the ability to raise their game against better opponents. Coach Scott Celli will always make adjustments as needed, making every effort to improve all three above. 

Don't let hamartia bring you down. 

Lagniappe. Do players realize what it takes? 

11 traits of the best! pic.twitter.com/qajlBK1mWr

— Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11) September 21, 2024

Copy and Print Idea

Something that @TeamCoachBuzz gave me years ago that I keep by my bed…I believe #TodayMatters and to take full advantage we need to measure the results of the day.#BedtimeAudit pic.twitter.com/sahbBwipld

— Bob Starkey (@CoachBobStarkey) October 3, 2024

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Some concepts are exceptional and merit immediate sharing.  

Down Pat

How much does it mean to you? 

MVB wants to win. Can they reach within and summon more going down the home stretch? 

The End of the Middle

“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

In drama, the heroes and heroines don't blithely go from the eastern shore to the Pacific. They encounter obstacles - storms, mountains, flat tires while the author threshes out the journey. Near the end of second act comes the insurmountable challenge. 

Cinema often shows the struggles (assist from ChatGPT). 

Here are some examples from American movies in the past 25 years where heroes or heroines face seemingly insurmountable obstacles at the end of the Second Act:

1. "The Dark Knight" (2008)
   Batman faces an impossible dilemma: The Joker forces him to choose between saving Rachel, the woman he loves, or Harvey Dent, the hope for Gotham’s future. This moral quandary highlights Batman’s limitations, as he cannot save both, leading to tragic consequences and setting the stage for the film's dark climax.

2. "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018)
   Near the end of the film, the Avengers face the looming reality that they may not be able to stop Thanos. Despite all their combined efforts, Thanos collects the Infinity Stones and wipes out half of all life in the universe. The heroes are left broken and defeated, and the sheer scope of the loss seems impossible to overcome.

3. "Frozen" (2013)
   In this animated film, Anna faces an insurmountable obstacle when she learns that her sister Elsa has accidentally frozen her heart, and only an act of true love can save her. With time running out and no clear solution, Anna’s situation seems hopeless, especially as her trust is betrayed by Hans.

All of which brings us to the MVB 24 journey. The goal remains a deep playoff run. Early progress hits a snag, a defeat to Winchester. Along the way, another rut, as senior Sofia Papatsoris gets dealt an injury from Cruel Fate. Momentum builds and Melrose goes to Lexington, the conquerors of Winchester, and earns a 3-1 win. Opportunity arises with a visit from defending State Champion Westborough. The Rangers, playing the role of the Joker, Thanos, or the tragic Elsa, knock Melrose down. 

What's next? How do our intrepid Melrosians meet the obstacles ahead both in the regular season and the playoffs? 

Reality differs from fiction as both Coach Scott Celli and the players author the coming narrative. 

1) The team didn't fall off a proverbial cliff. They lost to the top-ranked club and has areas to clean up. When you play your absolute best and lose, where do you go from there?  

2) MVB has a week off before the next game. That allows for needed practice and potential return from injury for Sofia. 

3) "Mean reversion" is common. When a teams plays exceptionally well, they are likely to play 'average' the next outing. The same goes for the next game after some struggles; they more often play well. 

Sometimes, you awaken and the dream becomes the story. Go ask Alice.

Lagniappe. A lower toss with high consistency of contact permits for better serving. L.P. Mainville shows why. 

Calculations - Power Rankings

In the wake of Westborough, I think the Power Rankings will be:

Margin of victory = 22/12 = 1.833

Strength of schedule ~ 14.8/12  = 1.23

Total ~ 3.06 which is likely to leave MVB at about 11th 

Bracketology:

It's early and all of the likely opponents in the round of 16 are more than a $50 cab ride. 

11 faces 22 in the first round and that winner is likely to face #6

If Dogs Could Talk - The "Gift of Speech"

Traveling a country road, a young man came upon a sign, "Talking Dog, $25." He followed a path to the doorstep and remarked about the sign, inquiring whether he could see the dog. The Master said, "sure, suit yourself." The young man asked the dog, "what's your story?" The dog replied, "as a puppy, I learned I had the gift of speech. Naturally, I was taken away, trained by the CIA, and had a career in espionage, infiltrating and gathering intelligence...as a dog. But I got old and they retired me to the country." The young man asked, "how can you sell this dog for almost nothing?" The Master explained, "He's such a liar, he never did any of that."

Each of us has a story, true, embellished or contrived. The origins of canine conversation may arise from Cervantes' Exemplary Novels (1590-1612) including The Dialogue of the Dogs.

These are not meritless, recognizing human nature. Scipio says to his canine colleague Berganza, "Be wary with your tongue, for from that member flow the greatest ills of human life."

Cervantes creates metaphorical flocks (e.g. teams), overwatched by dogs (captains), tended by shepherds (coaches), and vulnerable to predators (opponents, wolves). Sometimes the shepherds themselves failed in their duties, plundering the sheep themselves, while blaming wolves and the sloth or cowardice of the dogs. 

Over our lives, just as Shakespeare's 'players', we have different roles - sheep, dogs, shepherds, masters. The more skills we acquire, the better to perform our roles. 

That is not the only talking animal story. Some of you know Jon Gordon's The Positive Dog, a heartwarming tale about the value of positivity. 

A man goes to the village to visit the wise man and he says to the wise man, I feel like there are two dogs inside me. One dog is this positive, loving, kind, and gentle dog and then I have this angry, mean-spirited, and negative dog and they fight all the time. I don't know which is going to win. The wise man thinks for a moment and he says, I know which is going to win. The one you feed the most, so feed the positive dog.
-- Jon Gordon

Work like a dog. Be great in your role.

Defeat at the hands of the top team in Massachusetts offers challenges and opportunities. There's not one area to improve but a week before the next match to improve efficiency in all areas to make more plays. 

Lagniappe. Rule nuances.  

Stats Are In - Melrose vs Westborough

Stats are in. 

Attacking: Carol Higonenq led with nine.

Assists: Leah Fowke added 20.

Digs: Leah Fowke led with ten. 

Serve Receive: Maggie Turner had 21.

Serving: Melrose had only 18 service points and over 91% serve percent. 

Game 12: Westborough 3 Melrose 0

Crowds and fireworks surrounded the Middle School in search of an upset. But not tonight. Melrose hosted top-ranked Westborough and the visitors dominated 10-25, 22-25, 12-25. Melrose falls to 10-2. 

Westborough demonstrated the power and precision according their undefeated status tonight dominating in every aspect of the match. 

The Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School showcased two of Massachusetts' legacy programs, in a battle where the Rangers continue to hold the upper hand. 

Despite graduating all-everything Quinn Anderson, the Rangers had plenty of residual firepower. The Rangers are led by Georgia Tyrell, averaging 4.7 kills/set while the team has a stunning hitting percentage of .220. They have a service aces/errors ratio of 116/101 showing they are "going for it" on many serves, demonstrated by a serving percentage of 86%. 

Volleyball "positive" scoring arises from aces, blocks, and attacks and Westborough controlled the match throughout. In the first set Tyrell scored early and often. Melrose won an officiating controversy at point 9, trailing 6-3 only to see the Rangers run off a seven point run to put the set out of reach. Sabine Wenzel and Carol Higonenq both had a few first set kills but it wasn't enough. 

Melrose took the early edge in the second set leading 8-3 leading to a Roger Anderson Westborough timeout. Westborough gradually assumed control of the set before Melrose narrowed the score to 20-22 forcing a Ranger timeout. Melrose knotted the score at 22-22 but an error and two Westborough points won the set. 

Melrose trailed early in the third set 7-15 leading to a timeout. Emme Boyer had a few kills in the frame but MVB couldn't generate consistent attacks. MVB never was able to seize momentum as they couldn't generate attacks, blocks or more than a couple of aces in the match and Westborough moved to 10-0.

There was no single issue that resulted in a Westborough win. They won on offense, defense, serve and serve receive, and at the net. Melrose didn't play its "A game" and Westborough is largely responsible for that. 

Culture, Continuity, and Construction

Pat Riley said, "A culture is simply a shared vision of what it is you want to do to get to where it is you want to go."

Your culture is reinforced daily. It's reinforced by:
• How you act.
• What you tolerate.
• The standards you uphold.

( 🎥 The Why with @DwyaneWade) pic.twitter.com/8CM9gAWdXi

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) September 29, 2024

MVB doesn't solely describe the players on varsity. They get the most attention having earned and 'matriculated' through the system.

Many athletic programs exist in a school. The ones with consistent leadership, coaching, and development maintain or grow interest and those 'trees' bear fruit. 

You don't have to be the fastest or the strongest to find your way into volleyball. Athleticism and height help. But what matter most are competitive character and mental toughness. Those fuel desire for improvement and impacting the game. Of course, it's not just MVB but all competitors. 

Coaches want players who reflect their athletic and personal values - commitment, desire, effort, leadership, sacrifice, toughness. 

When fans see the JV players, they see bright future possibilities. Although we are not 'post COVID' in an epidemiologic sense, COVID damaged student-athletes across several classes; players and teams emerge from those doldrums. 

"We Win Together and We Lose Together"

From Beyond Basketball, Mike Krzyzewski

Volleyball is a team sport. Errant attacks, missed serves, and shanked balls belong to the collective effort. The team always owns the outcome. 

Focus on doing your job within the context of the team. Play hard, play smart, play together, and have fun. 

Lagniappe. Lead. 

~ via @JanssenLeader pic.twitter.com/ZhBcA12lcL

— Coach the Coaches (@WinningCoaches) September 16, 2024

Time Changes for Tonight

Westborough transportation issues:

JVa/JVb -  6 PM

Varsity - 715 PM  

The Eyes Have It

"The eyes are the window to the soul." What do you see? 

MVB crafted a reputation for excellence, not perfection, over the past three decades. None of that matters when you take the court tonight. Banners don't matter. Polls don't matter. Blogs don't matter. 

Character matters. 

Are you going to be the toughest dog in the fight?