Mamba Mentality
— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) December 17, 2024
~ via @kobehighlight pic.twitter.com/1aVwQ1mAGg
"With age comes experience, knowledge, wisdom." - Scorpion
Don't fear the journey; embrace it. These rules cross domains. They work for home, school, work, sports, relationships.
Life hacks come from anywhere. Be open and use all our senses and our imagination.
A rubber band. Place a colored rubber band on one wrist. Every time we complain, shift the rubber band to the other wrist. Raising our consciousness to complaints reduces complaining. It's a negative feedback principle. "Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses."
Cellphones. Video is the truth machine. Use your cellphone for "interval training" by recording your play at intervals. Track improvement in skill with a "video record."
Spreadsheets. Spreadsheets allow you to record your physical progress in strength and conditioning. Tracking your bench press has less value than tracking vertical jump (e.g. with a chalked finger) and 17s.
Motivation. What motivates you and other Gen-Z members? Is it a quote, video, song? Find your muse, whatever raises your drive. Inspiration informs a vital task for coaches and leaders.
Music can help players find their best 'activation'. 'Hyper' players may need something calming and lower energy players may respond to more upbeat music.
Learning. Learn every day. Are you a podcast person? The Knowledge Project is one to consider.
Mindfulness. The UCLA Mindfulness site has scripts as short as a few minutes.
Find tools that work for you.
Lagniappe. Everyone can learn to set sometimes.
Short term results come from intensity.
— Tom Crean (@TomCrean) December 15, 2024
Long term results come from consistency. @ShaneAParrish
Seek school-life balance. Yes, when you're studying or practice give it full attention. Then "the score takes care of itself."
Rest and relaxation matter. Physical and mental recovery matter.
Lagniappe. Wisdom arises by processing experience.
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Bill Cowher said, "Trust is something as a coach you have to earn. Trust is unconditional, but trust can be powerful."
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) November 9, 2024
• Trust is what strengthens a team.
• Trust is unconditional.
• Trust is earned. pic.twitter.com/YvKAFdfpqH
Players underestimate the value of trust. Players earn trust with their skill, their work, and their will.
You get on the floor in the big game, in the big moment by earning the coach's trust. He wants you on the court. He needs you on the court.
If you need to be on the court in the moment, earn your coach's trust. Remember the achievement equation:
ACHIEVEMENT = PERFORMANCE x TIME
ChatGPT answer on earning trust:
Earning a coach's trust comes down to consistency, effort, and selflessness. Here are some key ways players can build that trust:
Commitment to Practice
Show up on time, listen actively, and give full effort every day. Coaches trust players who are reliable and don't need reminders to put in the work.
Consistency
Do the little things right every time. This builds a reputation for reliability. Consistent players give their best effort and bring a positive attitude, regardless of how tired or frustrated they might be.
Play Unselfishly
Coaches notice players who prioritize the team’s success over their individual stats. Set your teammates up for success, celebrate others’ achievements, and communicate on and off the court.
Adaptability
Be willing to play any role. If the coach needs you to try a new position or technique, do it with enthusiasm and without complaint. Showing you're open to learning and evolving will make you more valuable to the team.
Game IQ and Self-Reflection
Demonstrate an understanding of the game plan and make smart decisions on the court. Between games, ask questions, review your performance, and show you're working on areas for improvement.
Stay Composed Under Pressure
Coaches need players who can handle pressure and respond to challenges. When things go wrong, stay calm, reset quickly, and encourage teammates to stay focused.
Accept and Act on Feedback
Embrace feedback as a tool for growth. Listen carefully, make adjustments, and then follow up with improvement. Coaches are more likely to trust players who are coachable and responsive to guidance.
Building trust is about actions over time, and the players who practice these principles daily become invaluable to any team.
Lagniappe. Set the middle and backset.
"The magic is in the work." Players and families sacrifice time and treasure to travel, compete, and improve.
Twenty years ago a minority of players played offseason volleyball. That created a mismatch for MVB. Fast forward to 2024 and offseason play is widespread among athletes.
MVB 25 will have numerous "holes" to fill - setter (Leah), "Swiss Army Knife" all-around player (Carol), back row defense and servers (Maggie, Gg, Alex).
Let me know about offseason accomplishments. "Gas up" your game.
Here's a summary of avocado nutrition facts.
Average calories in an avocado - about 300 (depends on size)
Recipe:
2 slices whole wheat toast (unsalted butter if desired) @ 160 cals
1 avocado @300 calories
Garlic salt
Halve and peel avocado (easier to slice)
Toast bread
Apply and spread sliced avocado
Sprinkle (rain) garlic salt
Principal benefits:
1) Filling with high fiber, may promote ideal weight
2) Low glycemic index (the avocado, not the toast)
3) Healthier monounsaturated fat
Caloric intake depends on both the size and volume of the avocado spread, number of pieces of toast, and use of unsalted butter. If more protein is desired, topping with a fried egg is an option.
Steal ideas wherever you can. Tara Sullivan profiles the Bill Belichick to North Carolina story in Sunday's Boston Globe.
Her observations play across a variety of sports. Here are excerpts:
▪ Do your job, a mantra he lived by, reminds players to focus on their own responsibility and not be caught up with what others are doing.
▪ Put the team above yourself.
▪ Collaborate. Teamwork comes first.
▪ Pay attention to details and be prepared in everything.
▪ Find and attack your opponents’ weaknesses, something Belichick made a career out of in the NFL.
▪ Be flexible in your game-planning.
▪ Impact young men by teaching discipline and structure.
These principle work across sports from high school to pro sports. Certainly these elements apply to Coach Scott Celli's goals creating players and teams with competence and character.
Lagniappe. The coach shows a technique to engage the pec major to improve "length-tension relationships" to improve hitting velocity.
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What kind of player do you want to become? To become exceptional, embrace coaching.
That means sometimes accept hard conversations. Those include skills that need development, decisions to improve, self-care including training, rest, nutrition, and recovery.
The most important question, "what can I do to become my best?"
The sooner we read and write better, the longer our chance to share quality. Prioritize excellence. Try these pearls from Gary Provost including his first chapter outline and a paragraph about vocabulary.
Hi – I'm reading "100 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Updated): Proven Professional Techniques for Writing with Style and Power" by Gary Provost and wanted to share this quote with you.
NINE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING WHEN YOU’RE NOT WRITING
1. Get Some Reference Books
2. Expand Your Vocabulary
3. Improve Your Spelling
4. Read
5. Take a Class
6. Eavesdrop
7. Research
8. Write in Your Head
9. Choose a Time and Place
"The only way to make your vocabulary more accessible is to use it. If you want all those short but interesting words waiting at the front of your brain when you need them, you must move them to the front of your brain before you need them." - from 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing
You're all in on better volleyball. Fantastic! Pledge to invest time and effort in communication - written, verbal, and nonverbal.
Want more ideas?
Fall in love with the mental side of the game. Exceptional play demands exceptional game knowledge. Volleyball is a thinking person's sport.
Jared McCain on the mental side of his preparation:
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 13, 2024
“Watching film, meditation, visualization, recovery, reading, it all helps me become a better basketball player. I’ve been in love with the mental side.”
(Via @KyleNeubeck 🎥)
pic.twitter.com/z6EwWztiJp
Graduation creates opportunities. Make the open job your job. Volleyball is a thinking person's sport. Skill includes decision-making and execution. The setter is the quarterback of the offense and an important defender.
Leah "isn't walking through that door." Someone will emerge as the next excellent MVB setter. But it's not just the setter, it's the coordination among the setter and the attackers with different types and different timing of attack.
Kara Lawson said, "If you want to be great, you have to start somewhere."
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) November 30, 2024
"You develop into your greatness...To me, it starts with competence."
Greatness doesn't happen overnight.
It's built on hard work, consistency, and resilience.
Here are 5 Essentials for Greatness:🧵 pic.twitter.com/E9rtz5u2ki
Society needs more voices from strong women.
Excellence is hard. Grueling. Your parents work hard every day to create opportunities for you. There's no guarantee. And you have no 'manual' for excellence.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says, "you can't skip steps." Keep grinding day after day and eventually results come.
Be process-focused. Student-athletes do what they don't want to do today to achieve so they can do what they want in the future.
Some of you work out with a teammate. You don't need a gym to work on your footwork, your athleticism, your resilience.
Coach Lawson preaches competence. Moreover, great student-athletes thrive on competence and character. Character shows up as attitude, commitment, determination, energy, persistence, teamwork.
"Greatness stays with a man." The foundation you build today stays with you.
There's a saying that the biggest jump players make is between the first and the second year.
MVB 25 will rely on skilled vets and talented youth seeking to make the jump.
When players return in the fall, they're not freshmen or sophomores, they're sophomores and juniors. Step up and make a difference. There will be JV players who become players in '25.Bill Belichick on player development:
— Savage (@SavageSports_) December 12, 2024
🎥: @CBSSportsCFB
"Tom Brady was a 4th string QB his rookie year ...Gronkowski didn't do too much his rookie year ...Edelman played QB in college ... developing players is something we believe strongly in"
👀
pic.twitter.com/SS5BxWwVvW
This might be the most important volleyball article you'll read.
Watch upper level soccer and commentators like Ian Darke say things like, "that was an ambitious try." That means "low reward" as in, they can't score from there. How about ambitious do?
Here's another set of quotes from the article about Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's sidekick.
"Professionals win points. Amateurs lose them.
Professionals play a winner’s game – they win by being better than their opponent. The outcome is mostly within their control.
In a professional game, each player, nearly equal in skill, plays a nearly perfect game rallying back and forth until one player hits the ball just beyond the reach of his opponent. This is about positioning, control, and spin. It’s a game of inches and sometimes centimeters. This is not how amateurs play."
Exceptional teams win the points. They can't rely on the opposition giving them points. In the developmental settings of practice, scrimmages, and offseason play, craft ways to score more points.
Return to first principles of 'scoring points'.
1. Service, completely under your control.
2. Blocking. The great Melrose teams always had "blocking power" that not only denied outside hitters points, but translated into points. Obviously, Sabine has been an impact blocker with athleticism and size. If you want a big role on MVB 25, become the next impact blocker.
3. Attacking. Every season, 300 plus kills have to be replaced, this year mostly from Carol Higonenq and Sofia Papatsoris. Shockingly, only one MVB team ever had three players with 200 plus kills, 2005. Another way to earn the job is to "be that guy." The kills can come from the middle, the pin hitters, and sometimes from "pipe attacks." If I had to project who could become a back row attacker, I'd speculate on Elise Marchais, purely a guess.
Nothing in the blog comes down on stone tablets.
To become an exceptional team, become exceptional at winning points.
Lagniappe. Pipe attack...
Skill, timing, athleticism.
Leah Fowke, one of the elite setters in MVB history, earned selection as a Boston Herald All-Scholastic.
During her career she amassed more than 1,000 assists, played on four Middlesex League champions, was twice ML12 All-Conference, played on two sectional champions, and earned MAVCA All-State selection.
Congratulations, Leah!
Dan Campbell said, "It starts over with the work. There is no complacency. There is no entitlement. We go back to work, and that is the focus. Because, if you don't work, it doesn't matter."
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) December 10, 2024
It means doing the work.
It means competing every day.
How The Best Compete:
1. They… pic.twitter.com/l08eH5DnPf
The best teams distill their approach to this.
All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. Caution (language in video)
What does a championship mindset look like?
— Greg Berge (@gb1121) December 10, 2024
Listen to Joe Mazzulla 👇
The reporter says, "But words have power?"
"If you allow words to take your personal power, then yes." - Joe Mazzulla
The only person who can put pressure on you is yourself.
Pressure is man-made. pic.twitter.com/u4ApYfDhC2
As a child you heard, "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Principles change slowly over millennia.
Among The Four Agreements is, "Do not take anything personally."
The ancient philosopher Epictetus said it another way.
Warren Buffett's investment partner Charlie Munger shared their secret.
It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.
Yes, teams need skill, strategy, physicality, and resilience. But they need to limit mistakes.
This reminds me of James Kerr's book, Legacy, about the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team. Have a "blue head under control, focused, all-in. The "red head" is angry, emotional, and prone to lose control.
Having coached for 31 seasons, I’ve come to see that high school football teams typically fall into one of two categories.
— Jim Shapiro (@jimshapiro) November 12, 2024
First, there are the teams led by coaches and fueled by players who have been taught to pursue and play the game the right way. These teams are built on a…
Love and respect for the game and teammates create sustainable competitive advantage. It also 'plays' at home, school, work, and elsewhere forging value for your leadership and character.
Being "built to last" is no small thing. Attention to detail serves you well for a lifetime.
AI Take:
Being a good teammate is rooted in fostering trust, collaboration, and shared success. The top three factors include:
Accountability and Dependability
Communication and Support
Unselfishness and Commitment to the Team
THIS is the difference between playing hard and competing… pic.twitter.com/dMURzYDBEM
— PGC Basketball (@PGCbasketball) December 9, 2024
Coaches love competitors. Be that guy.
Sean McVay said, “Winning is a habit; let’s make it ours.”
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) December 8, 2024
You build winning habits by committing every day to the details others overlook.
• It means competing.
• It means owning the process.
• It means not just settling for average.
5 Habits to a Winning Mindset:🧵
1:… pic.twitter.com/zUI4JqPkON
Define yourself as the player you want to be.
Bring a great attitude every day.
Compete relentlessly.
Be detail-oriented in all things.
Imagine an older 'self' writing your younger self about how much you learned over the years to apply now.
The recent "Volleyball Banquet" reflects continuity over decades. Players have ownership of the experience. We spot MVB alumnae and alumni parents in the stands as part of continuity.
"The blog" represents a small piece of the puzzle. It connects across the MVB legacy of the past three decades. Themes appear and reappear, original and stolen.
You are part of something bigger than yourself. MVB players have a responsibility as Legacy author James Kerr writes, "to leave the jersey in a better place."
Character matters. Represent yourself, your family, and your team with high standards at home, school, and extracurricular activities.
Be somebody. In Professor Adam Grant's book, Give and Take, he describes three types of styles - givers, matchers, and takers. The people who do the best and worst are 'givers'. But the people who do the best are ambitious givers. Want to be great and work to be great. Leah Fowke was an athletic, quiet young woman who let her play do the talking as she grew into a big role after being on a pair of sectional champions.
I'm neither here to carry water for any player nor to create expectations or pressure. One theme at the 'Banquet' was "reloading not rebuilding."
Nobody cries for Melrose graduating nine seniors. Everyone should and will want to beat MVB into the ground. Returning and new players should want to "drink the tears of our opponents."
We are what we repeatedly do; therefore, excellence is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle's wisdom endured because it produced. Excellence in planning, preparation, and performance comes at a price. The magic is in the work.
Own your brand. Sara Blakely says, "obsess the product." Bringing the best version of yourself becomes a habit. Habits are born from a cue, craving, response, and reward.
"Man does not live by bread alone..."
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium or large onion diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup flour
2 cups Half-and-Half
4 cups water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 large head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup carrots, sliced
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
Preparation:
Wash and chop vegetables
1) Sautee chopped onion and garlic in melted butter for 3 minutes
2) Add Half-and-Half and flour to initiate a modified roux for about 2 minutes
3) Add salt, pepper, and paprika to your specification
4) Add hot chicken stock (water and bouillon)
5) Add broccoli and carrots, simmering for about 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally (some people steam the vegetables to soften, it's not needed)
Some people favor using an immersion blender on 3/4 of the broccoli and saving some florets for the end. I don't think that's needed.
6) Finish with shredded cheddar
I generally let it sit for half and hour off heat before serving.
To me, this is equal or superior to "restaurant quality." I consider it GOAT quality. It would also keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator, although it will NEVER last that long.
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Don't expect linear results. That's not how life works.
Billy Donovan on the importance of good relationships with your teammates
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 6, 2024
“You have to love your teammates…It can’t just be sharing a jersey with people in a locker room…It has to be what are my teammates going to tell their kids”
(Via @GatorsFB 🎥)
pic.twitter.com/BENAO2gvWX
Play for the girl next to you. Never had any broken lamps in the house when the twins practiced bumping and setting to each other. That was lucky.
Make memories. Bump and set to each other all offseason. Practice your platform and perfect your footwork with a teammate taking cellphone video. Memories last a lifetime.
People presume a right to privacy. Health care records need releases. The Bill of Rights provides some relief against illegal searches. But if you're an athlete, on the field or the court, you're in the fishbowl.
And you fry if you hang with the wrong people, take an underaged drink, get involved in a fight, engage in domestic violence, or strike out in class with an academic suspension. The fishbowl follows you.
Character matters. "The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." Character isn't a judicial "presumption of innocence." If the world sees a 'screwup', then you wear the hard-to-shed mantle of guilt.
"Reputation is what people think you are; character is who you are."
'Everyone' has a cellphone. Even if you aren't drinking underage, if friends with Red Solo Cups surround you, you're damaged. Post offensive commentary on social media and those bytes may bite you. An insensitive "joke" may brand you as racist, sexist, or homophobic. Maybe that works if you run for office, but not if you run on your local team.
"Professionalism" starts early in life. Our actions at home, in school, and in public may go unnoticed if we're an anonymous part of the crowd. But high profile athletes in the fishbowl don't have that luxury. Be respectful. Be thoughtful. Don't be a jerk.
Lagniappe. Constraints add value to practice.
One of my favorite things to do in practice. So underrated for building cardio with the basketball in players hands. https://t.co/5QMwRzu6el
— Chris Steed (@steeder10) December 2, 2024
Lagniappe 2.
You learn a lot when you Coach.
— Greg Berge (@gb1121) November 24, 2024
After three decades of coaching, here are 28 of the most important things I have learned.
Maybe they will resonate with you.
28 Lesson Learned.
1. Coaching is all about relationships. Work to build relationships with your players.
2. Play the… pic.twitter.com/HCxL6v7yeT
"Just because a guy is gifted athletically doesn't mean he wants to be great.
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) December 4, 2024
All he wants to do is survive."
Average is default.
But greatness?
That’s a choice.
Greatness isn’t found in your DNA—it’s found in your decisions. pic.twitter.com/e1eUmiPMGK
Greatness is high performance over extended time. Every MVB great worked at their craft.
Athleticism and size are often foundational, often gifted. Skill and resilience are less so.
Doing the work, the grind, the daily effort separated the recent All-State players - Elena, Gia, Sadie, Leah.
Nine seniors graduate the program and a group of "high potential" athletes return. Greatness is your choice.
Lagniappe. Three or four step approaches often 'split hairs'. Study YOUR video if you're an attacker. If you have some great clips, post them on Hudl or your page and put them in your mental "highlight reel."
Every elite MVB player benefits from physical training. Power for vertical jump and arm swing, lateral quickness to block and defend, and stamina for long matches impact success.
Leah Fowke was an excellent setter in 2023. Maturity and weight training helped forge an impact blocker and hitter in 2024.
Train with intent. It's not about having a big spike touch; it's about having a big spike. A bigger bench press increases the chance of getting off the bench.
~ via @LewisCaralla pic.twitter.com/RcjskXo9UW
— Coach the Coaches (@WinningCoaches) November 21, 2024
Compete in the classroom, in the weight room, and on the court.
Lagniappe. Win the serve battle.
MVB's annual rite of passage honored MVB 24 with an evening celebration in Saugus. As previously, Rosaria served an excellent buffet dinner.
The MVB experience remains an important tool attracting players into the program and encouraging a standard of excellence.
Varsity players received recognition with letters, bars (returners), and stars (captains), as well as individual recognition.
ML12 All-Conference (top 6):
Make an agreement with yourself to improve habits.
1) Have a glass of water the first thing in the morning.
2) Start with 10 breath (slow breaths) mindfulness that will take about a minute.
3) Get a minimum of seven hours of sleep every night.
4) Commit to improved eating.
5) Make an exercise habit "easier" by having your gym gear available and plying your habit while doing something enjoyable (e.g. listening to music or watching your favorite show).
