Juice

"Juice" is a versatile term. At the bottom comes the following: 

power or influence:

My cousin Gianni's got all the juice in this neighborhood.

The beauty of sport arises as players define themselves and their destiny. They have "the juice" more than the school, the athletic department, the fans, the coaches, anybody. 

Occasionally, a team like the 2012 team has overwhelming talent, so much juice enabling overpowering the opposition. 

Success intersects talent, health, and luck. Talent and recognition are not the same. Melrose has four players recognized as league All-Stars and two other experienced seniors (Gg Albuja, Sofia Papatsoris) who often performed at that level. Emme Boyer looked comfortable and productive at opposite in the first playoff game. 

Time will dictate the possible return of Carol Higonenq. In the meantime, some combination of young talent and veterans are available to step up. Bring the juice. 

Lagniappe. MVB travels to Longmeadow that thumped Minnechaug to advance. On to the Sweet 16. 

Give More

AT LONGMEADOW, WEDNESDAY at 6:00

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right. It's what I do." - Paul Rhoades (Harrison Ford) in Shrinking

During a pregame talk years ago, I had an epiphany. Sam Dewey was unavailable at a family event. That made us a huge underdog. There wasn't any rah-rah stuff. I calmly asked the eleven girls to get one more rebound apiece. 

It could have gone a lot of different ways with seventh grade girls. They could crater without Samantha or they could give 'more' and earn an upset win. That Sunday, they gave more and got more, a win against our rival, Stoneham. They were more committed to do more. 

Longmeadow is a solid team with good serving, good coordination of play, good size and skill. In some ways, they resemble MVB. But they're not you. 

Do more, believe more, achieve more. Of course I'm right. 

Welcome to the Major Leagues

Reggie Jackson earned the nickname "Mr. October" because he excelled in baseball's postseason.

Volleyball season has under two weeks left. In the Navy they'd say, "I can stand on my head for that long." 

This week brings the 'Sweet Sixteen' and the 'Elite Eight'. Maybe one or more of you earns the moniker "Ms. Postseason'. 

"Make the big time where you are." Whether you're a coach, a player, in the top division or middle school, make a difference.

For high school players, the postseason is as good as it gets, the Major Leagues. What does that mean?

• The game gets played at higher speed. Be ready for it. 
• Mistakes get magnified. Take mental mistakes to zero. Communicate - no campfires. No foot faults on serves. Be ready to cover blocks. 
• Energy. Focus and fire (intensity) from the opening play. 
• Road warriors. MVB has always played well on the road and neutral venues.
• Stop the bleeding. Don't allow an error to snowball into a series of miscues. 

Be your best self. 

What's your walkup song? 

Lineup Changes, Mudita, and the OGs

When I explained that MVB had some lineup changes for the postseason, someone asked, "how are the OGs doing with that?" OGs derive from "Originals" or "Original Gangstas," terms that came into usage in the early 1990s referring to the Crips street gang.

I'd explain how MVB culture embraces Mudita. "Mudita is the concept of unselfish, sympathetic or vicarious joy one feels from delighting in the well-being of others."

High performance rarely occurs without high performance culture. Culture is the lifeblood of teams. Depending on size and sex, the average adult has nine to twelve pints of circulating blood. Red blood cells are constantly produced and degraded. The average lifespan of a red blood cell is 120 days. The nine seniors on MVB approach the end of their MVB playing careers. And the "young bloods" rise up to fulfill their mission. 

MVB needs both, the OGs and the young bloods. 

Note: Uncle Drew and 'Wes' are Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. 

Jar of Awesome, Plus

 

Ideas surround us. They flow from words, pictures, situations. Since we have tens of thousands of self-talk messages daily, capture a few.

YA (young adult) author Judy Blume has a little metal box called "Judy's Idea Box" where she stores some of hers. The idea might include a character and situation. She transposes them into a notebook and sometimes, like seeds, they grow into books. 

Awesome is in the mind of the beholder. Find awesome in our everyday lives. Happiness researcher Shawn Achor encourages us to invest a few minutes daily identifying gratitude. 

Tim Ferriss gifts an even simpler method. His girlfriend presented him the Jar of Awesome. He replenishes the jar daily. When we look for awesome, we find it. 

I have a Jar of Awesome (above). Most of the entries aren't about me. Remember MUDITA? "Your joy is my joy." Former player Lauren Joyce got accepted into Annapolis. Ellen and I attended a Medal of Honor book event at the Boston Harbor Hotel. Getting an online library card from the Boston Public Library was awesome. 

Some of you need your Jaw of Awesome. What belongs? 

Watching your child's first or last varsity game might. Senior Night could. Celebrating a child's recognition for superior play. Making a great recipe, reading a terrific book, or completing recovery from injury. It's yours. Take it. Embrace it.  

Friday night was awesome to imagine the excitement of parents watching their girls compete. Playing and competing aren't the same. MVB competed Friday. It's way less stressful as a former MVB parent than a current one. 

The sooner you organize your Jaw of Awesome the longer you'll have to enjoy. And someday reminisce about the people and moments that crafted special. 

MVB Graduates Go Places

Befitting the morning after? MVB All-State player Victoria Crovo is nearing the end of her off-shore veterinary training. 

The "V-Rex" is near the middle with long braids. 

More Highlights

"It's not about running plays; it's about making plays." - Coach Mike Krzyzewski

Sustainable competitive advantage means getting contributions from both veterans and young players assuming roles. Freshman Sadie Smith and sophomores Maggie Shoemaker and Anna Burns all earned rotation spots versus Somerset-Berkley. Basketball coach Dave Smart shares multiple points of emphasis: 

• "Every day is player development day." 
• The best teams play harder for longer than opponents. 
• Internal competition drives high performance teams. 

Quality attack by Leah off the second ball. 

The kids are alright. Sadie the Second with a kill. 

Several sharp defensive plays by the Gold Dust Twins aren't enough to deliver a point.

 

Crafty attack by Sofia. 

Emme was effective both blocking and hitting from the right side. 

Sophomore Anna Burns had success serving and defensively.

 

ML12 Playoff Teams

Early on, ML12 have met or exceeded expectations in the volleyball playoffs.

Division 1

•  #13 Winchester advanced beating Andover 3-1.
• #25 Belmont upset Bishop Feehan 3-1.
• #19 Lexington travels to #14 Natick.

Division 2

• #10 Melrose sweeps Somerset-Berkley. 
• #15 Burlington tops NDHingham 3-1. 
• #30 Reading sweeps Worcester South in a preliminary round.
• #27 Woburn beats Chelsea 3-1 in a preliminary round. 

Division 3

• #17 Wakefield sweeps Tewksbury. 

Division 4

• #22 Stoneham is swept by Rockland

"The rubber meets the road in the Sweet 16 for a number of the contenders as lower seeds have to 'punch above their weight'. 

Analysis: It's early, far too soon for any chest thumping. 

Lexington has a tough road contest against a Bay State League stalwart, Natick. Belmont travels to #8 Franklin and Winchester goes on the road to #4 Attleboro looking for upset specials. 

Melrose could be away (Longmeadow) or home if Minnechaug pulls an upset in a West rivalry. Burlington will need another big effort from Grace Seaman and company against second seed Oliver Ames. Reading and Woburn still have to get out of the Round of 32.

Wakefield has a tall order against one-seeded Weston. 

A Few Highlights from Melrose vs Somerset-Berkley First Set

Execution wins.

Making plays, making history. Freshman Sadie Smith makes her varsity attacker debut and gets the first kill of the match with a rainbow. Nobody will ever do that sooner.  

Sofia Papatsoris finds a hole. 

Melrose shuffled the deck to get a different balance of offense and defense. Emme Boyer brings more blocking and hitting and Melrose earns another point. 

Maggie Shoemaker operated at OH2 and delivered her own rainbow kill. 

Sabine Wenzel remains a constant force in the middle. 

Building Your Legacy

Exceptional teams begin with exceptional people. Teenagers don't invest time considering legacy. Nor should they.

Take this thought experiment. List a dozen words that might describe a student-athlete you admire. Here's a starter set:

• Industrious (hard-working)
• Smart
• Excellence
• Reliable
• Focused
• Integrity 
• Humble
• Resilient
• Communicator
• Toughness
• Friendly
• Unselfish

Up the stakes. List five qualities that you would want applied to you. Maybe the "wish" genie will grant them to you. There's no right answer...

- Industrious "Always do your best."

- Excellence - Good results follow from good process.

- Resilient - Nothing goes our way all the time. Bounce back.

- Humble - "Thinking less about yourself doesn't mean thinking less of yourself." 

- Communicator - The best communicators listen and communicate simply and clearly. 

Choosing a top five doesn't exclude other desirable qualities like being honest, determined, unselfish, or friendly. There's overlap.  

You have a list. How do you make it real?

• Model your qualities (improve process). 
• Track progress. 
• Get a mentor (coach). 
• Commit publicly (or tell a friend). "I'm going to get an A in math." Raise the stakes of commitment and consistency.
• Consult AI (?)

Prompt: As a student-athlete I want to improve my communication. I wish to communicate clearly, simply, and humbly. Can you share five ideas for that?

1. Active Listening: Focus on truly understanding what others are saying before you respond. This means making eye contact, nodding, and asking clarifying questions. When you listen actively, your responses will be more relevant and considerate, which helps you communicate more clearly.

2. Keep it Simple: Avoid using jargon or overly complex language. Instead, break down your thoughts into straightforward points. This doesn’t mean dumbing things down, but rather making sure your message is accessible to everyone involved.

3. Be Concise: Practice getting to the point quickly. In both spoken and written communication, try to convey your message in as few words as necessary. This helps keep your audience engaged and reduces the chances of misunderstanding.

4. Acknowledge Others: Show appreciation for others' perspectives and contributions. Phrases like “I see your point,” or “That’s a great idea,” demonstrate humility and respect, fostering a more collaborative environment.

5. Seek Feedback: Regularly ask for feedback on your communication style from coaches, teammates, or mentors. Use their input to refine how you express yourself. Being open to feedback shows that you’re committed to improving and can help you identify areas where you might be unclear or too complex.

Lagniappe. Create action on the ball requires practice. You can't mentally add topspin or curve. 

Stats Are In - Melrose vs Somerset-Berkley

Stats are in. 

Attacking: 

Sofia and Sabine both delivered 11 kills. Freshman Sadie Smith had a debut with eight kills. 

Serving:

Maggie Turner had 13 service points and an 88 percent serving percentage, higher than I would have anticipated.

Ball handling:

Leah Fowke put up 31 assists, surpassing the 500 mark for the season. 

Serve receive:

Gg Albuja and Maggie Turner both had 11 as Melrose was steady in serve receive throughout the match. 

Melrose Notes: Melrose will face the winner of the Minnechaug-Longmeadow first round match. Longmeadow swept the regular season match with the rematch a tight 3-2 contest. 

Playoffs: Round of 32, Melrose 3 Somerset-Berkley 0

Melrose topped Somerset-Berkley 25-13, 25-14, 25-17 in a home match to move to the round of sixteen.

Coach Scott Celli has never been wedded to convention. With their number two hitter out and a week to prepare, the MVB skipper went to a young lineup including freshman Sadie Smith and sophomore Maggie Shoemaker and both delivered. 

Before the match, Celli predicted the keys to the match would be serve and serve receive, stop the outside hitters, and dominate the middle. Melrose did well on receive and containing the outside. But the offensive attack was versatile and service struggled. 

More to follow. 

Tips for Today

All opinions in the blog are solely my own. Don't blame anyone else. 

"The blog" meanders, offering suggestions not mandates. Remember that it's the strong swimmers that die. The weak don't put themselves into raging rapids.

The Fourth Agreement. "Always do your best." No apologies.

Samuel L. Jackson. "Bring the best version of yourself." 

Media friendly. When interviewed, shower credit upon coaches and teammates. Appreciation never gets old. 

Gratitude. "Thanks is the cheapest form of compensation." - Robert Townsend, 1970 in Up the Organization

Communicate better. Communication spans the spoken, written, and nonverbal universe. Show positive non-verbal communication. 

Don't overthink. Trust your ability, experience, and teammates. 

FAA. Washington Post investigative journalist Bob Woodward kept a sign on his desk, "FAA." That didn't mean Federal Aviation Administration. "Focus, act aggressively." Good advice for authors and MVB. 

"Fall in love with easy." Keep the ball up; put the ball down." 

"The neighborhood." Mr. Rogers advised, "look for the helpers." Play for the girls next to you. Have their backs. 

"O reason, not the need." - Shakespeare, King Lear   Memories, not recognition. Numerals on a banner represent external recognition for work well done. They can't replace your memories. MVB has done so well that it's hard to keep current. They couldn't fit 2022 on this banner. 

Have fun. "It's the best time of the year."