All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. This is not an official publication of any Melrose city department.
As a student-athlete competitor, you want people to 'respect your game'. Earning respect implies having physical and mental toughness, ability, and yet often one who is less appreciated. For the Celtics, it might be a guy like Derrick White, although it's hard to be 'unappreciated' while hauling in over $20 "extra large" per season.
The phrase that comes to mind is "get after it." In basketball it's been called the "floor polishing award" and in baseball, "dirt dog." Others refer to the quality as "hard hat" or "lunchpail guy" with analogy to physical labor.
It varies by sport. For example, Cleveland had a shortstop Omar Vizquel, not an offensive force but dominating defensively. He won eleven Gold Gloves and is the MLB career leader in fielding percentage.
Melrose had a lot of these players through the years. Two examples include Jen Cain and Rachel Johnson. Cain played 'all-around' and was the best Melrose player never named All-State. Johnson was part of "The Great Wall" of Johnson and Kayla Wyland whose blocking helped contain outside hitters across the state. Johnson had a 'quiet' 450 career kills for MVB.
MVB 24 had an abundance of "Dirt Dog" types - the Gold Dust twins in the back, Leah Fowke, Carol Higonenq. Leah certainly isn't underappreciated with All-State honors and choosing between Maggie and Gg would be like picking your favorite child.
That presents Carol as the "Respect Her Game" selection. Coming off a major injury that erased her 2023 season, Carol would be anyone's nominee for "Comeback Player of the Year." She was second in attacking with 148 kills and third in both digs and serve receiving. And she played with undiminished joy every second she was on the court.
Respect her game.
Lagniappe. Boost psychological resources.
Renowned Sports Psychologist, Bob Rotella, says:
— Greg Berge (@gb1121) November 20, 2024
“When you’re having fun, you’re much more likely to feel like a talented athlete.”
Getting into a rhythm and flow can only happen when you quiet the mind.
How do you quiet your mind?
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