Themes

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. 

Dream big. Some eighth or ninth graders may think, "I'll do whatever it takes to make the team." Years ago a young Michael Jordan told Carolina assistant Roy Williams, "I'll work as hard as any Carolina player before me." Williams said, "You have to work harder than that." 

Making the team, finishing the homework, or passing a test don't measure up to "being the best version of yourself." Work harder. 

"How you do anything is how you do everything." Process. Process. Process. Coach Nick Saban, the greatest college football coach in history asks, "Are you investing your time or spending it?" Coach Sonny Lane's most important share was the word, sacrifice. Put the team first while raising your technique, tactics, physicality, and resilience. Achieve individual excellence within the team concept. 

"Control what you can control." Many names resonate among MVB history. You've heard the names Brickley, Bell, McGowan, Crovo, and others because they did the work. You can't control how many kills or assists you get in a team sport. You control how hard you study, how hard you practice, how you eat, sleep, and recover after workouts.

Legacy will emerge from some of the returning names - Wenzel, Boyer, Ackman, Burns, Shoemaker, Marchais, Friedlaender, Smith. Other names will emerge from driven 'unknowns'. The sun is going to shine. Time will tell how brightly. 

Lagniappe. Good teams practice well. Buffalo Bills' coach Sean McDermott provided clarity, "That's what it gets back to in terms of earning the right to win. How we meet, how we talk, how we workout, how we practice when we do practice, how we play - that's the standard we're trying to get to every day."

Lagniappe 2. You need strong hands and upper body along with first step quickness to hand pass well.