"Process-Driven Excellence" - The Eye of the Tiger

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. This is not an official publication of any Melrose institution. Don't blame 'them'. This is a "blended" post created with the MVB blog and ChatGPT Plus. 

MVB stands on the cusp of the 2025 season with a 'new' team with 14 eager student-athletes. More than half the team is fifteen years old or younger, demanding patience during growth. Control what you can control - intensity, immediacy, intelligence - the eye of the tiger. 

1. Build and Exploit Advantage

• Create advantage. Serve purposefully, target opponent weaknesses, and read tendencies to gain the upper hand.

• Exploit advantage. When you earn a good pass, a blocker tip, or a weak serve, capitalize with confident set‑and‑spike execution.

• Rinse and Repeat. Excellence is earned through repetition and a relentless habit of pushing gains into wins. (Melrose: Create advantage. Exploit advantage with execution. Repeat.

2. Do More of What Works—and Less of What Doesn’t

• Analyze your team's patterns: What passing formations yield the best consistency? Where do unforced errors cluster?

• Lean harder into your most effective systems, and prune or adjust the rest.

• Embrace what's proven and adapt as the game evolves. (Melrose: Do more of what works, and less of what doesn’t.

3. Embrace Effort, Focus, and Mindfulness

• Commit to “always doing your best,” regardless of score or opponent—a mindset drawn from The Four Agreements. 

• Focus on presence: listening to coaches, being acutely aware on court, and helping the person next to you improve. Do more of what success demands... be coachable... play in the moment.) 

4. Reset with DOT B: Your In-Game “Restart Button”

• After every point—whether won or lost—pause, take a cleansing breath, and shift focus to the next play.

• This micro-reset technique enhances composure, clarity, and consistency under pressure. (Melrose: DOT B—stop and take a cleansing breath to refocus on “next play.”) 

5. Accountability and Reflection: Stay True to the Process

• Foster a culture where every player takes ownership: for serving, passing, communication, positioning.

• Debrief regularly—what worked? What needs tweaking? Use video, data, and honest team conversations.

• Measure success in process milestones—side-out percentage, serve quality, error reduction—not just in wins.