Signature Wins

Teams come together with consistency, teamwork, and improvement, to capture signature wins. I asked ChatGPT Plus to cobble together a piece highlighting the significance of signature wins. 

Sectional titles always define signature wins, few more inspiring than 2021 at Billerica. Notice how setter Gia Vlajkovic (13) anticipates the first pass and delivers a 'strike' to Abby Hudson to finish the match. Abby gets "on top of the ball" with a kill down the line. 

 

What are “Signature Wins”

In the context of the Melrose Lady Raiders Volleyball blog, a signature win is:

• A victory that goes beyond just a typical match; it has symbolic or competitive weight.

• Often against a strong opponent, one that has been challenging historically, or one that ranks highly in the league or state.

• A win that helps define or elevate a team’s identity, momentum, or reputation.

• Usually non-league or early season, or matches with particular difficulty (travel, strong opponent, tough sets, etc.).

Examples:

• In one post, Melrose beat Frontier (top-ranked in Division 3, with a long period of dominance in that bracket) as a “signature win.” melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

• Another is the 2014 win vs. Newton North (Boston Globe ranked #3), described as “the Lady Raiders Earn Signature Win … ” because Newton North was a State-power. Patch

• In 2019, a “Signature Win, Melrose 3 Westborough 0” is described, noting that Westborough is a perennial Central power and historically a tough opponent. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

Why They Matter for the Team

From the blog posts, signature wins serve several roles:

1. Morale / Momentum
   Beating a team that is highly ranked or strong gives confidence to the players; it signals that they can compete at a higher level.

2. Proof of Progress
   The Lady Raiders use these wins to show growth compared to past seasons. For example, if non-league play was weak previously, a signature win in non-league suggests improvement. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

3. Credibility & External Recognition
   Winning big matches gives the team respect from outside (other schools, the media). It boosts rankings, perceptions, and sometimes seeding or playoff prospects.

4. Defining Moments
   These are matches that often define the narrative of the season: this is a “this is who we are” kind of game. They often mention senior leadership stepping up, clutch plays, etc. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com+1

How to Identify or Create Signature Wins

From what Melrose’s blog suggests, certain factors make a match become a signature win:

• The opponent’s strength and reputation (ranked teams, historical performance).

• Difficulty: strong back-row defense needed, long rallies, tight sets (e.g. deciding set or close scores).

• Key performances from leaders (seniors, captains) in pressure moments.

• Consistency across facets: good offense, strong defense, low errors, etc.

• Possibly occurring at a turning point (early season, non-league, before playoffs).

Examples & Analysis from the Blog

Let me run through a couple in more detail to extract how Melrose frames them:

• Frontier match (2019):
  The blog says Melrose “struggled in non-league play, compiling 2-5” in the previous season, then “yesterday” they beat Frontier, top ranked, with a look to their long dominance, etc. They highlight senior leadership, double digit digs, service performance, etc. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

• Westborough match (2019):
  Noted as “perennial Central power” and difficult historically. Melrose wins 3-0. The description emphasizes “back row” containing the opponent, senior players contributing, assists set to big hit counts, etc. melrosevolleyball.blogspot.com

• Newton North (2014):
  The narrative calls it “the Lady Raiders Earn Signature Win Against Newton North Tigers,” capturing that Newton North is a high-achieving team. The match was hard-fought (went to four sets, not easy victories), and it was Melrose’s first win over that opponent. Patch

What Signature Wins Imply Outside Just the Score

• Confidence Booster: Players believe in their capability when they see themselves beating “good” teams.

• Recruitment / Spectator Interest / Player Retention: A winning program with big wins draws attention and may help attract and keep talent.

• Benchmarking: You can measure how far the team has come: is this the opponent they couldn’t beat previously? Are they closing in on being top in their division?

• Identity & Culture: Having key wins helps shape expectations: hard work, resilience, stepping up in big moments.

Play every match as though seeking a signature win. 

Lagniappe. 

Postseason Game 1: Hingham 3 Melrose 1

"Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."

Hingham ended Melrose's season with a 25-19, 26-24, 22-25, 25-17 victory and moves on presumably to face the #1 seed in the Sweet 16. 

Melrose hasn't been on the road often to open the postseason. The last time I can remember was in 2005, where Melrose was "home" in Stoneham during school construction. Melrose outlasted the strongest opponent (Central Catholic) they would see until the finals.

Hingham was solid across the board - good serving, good defense, good setting, solid attackers, good blocking. They didn't have a glaring weakness

Melrose did a lot of good things, but was hurt by slow starts that forced them to play "uphill" throughout the match. 

In the second set they trailed 8-1 before mounting a resilient rally from 17-23 to seize the lead at 24-23. But they couldn't close out the set. 

If I can find video, I'll share some tomorrow. 

Three up:

1) Anna Burns - the junior libero had the best game of her career with big responsibilities surrounded by three freshmen and a pair of sophomores at times. 

2) Sabine Wenzel - the D1-bound senior closed out her Melrose career, unofficially with fourteen kills and seven blocks. 

3) Elise Marchais - the sophomore middle had a strong game blocking and was efficient when she had attacks. 

Honorable mention - Maggie Shoemaker delivered a spark with good moments as a "designated server." 

Melrose Notes: Melrose travels. In addition to many parents of current players, parents of graduates (Gary Fowke, Rollie Albuja) made the substantial rush hour drive to the South Shore. 

The "youth" of MVB (five sophomores and five freshmen) competed fearlessly and gained valuable postseason experience. During the remarkable second set rally, Anna Burns, sophomores Sadie Smith and Elise Marchais, and freshmen Adriana Santoriello, Dani DiGiorgio, and Alisa Dautovic were on the court. "They'll be back." 

The team held their heads high and recovered for a team meal at Shake Shack at the Hingham Mall. 

'Waze' directed us hither and you through Quincy, Weymouth, Wollaston and more. We passed the "Original Dunkin' Donuts" franchise in Quincy near the Southern Artery. We did not see that "history" coming. 

"Nothing Is a Test; Everything Is an Opportunity to Learn"

Maybe you feel that the blog oversimplifies the world. Simple doesn't mean easy. 

"Negativity is the poison that we drink some of every day." Strive not to drink less of that. 

Here are a few points from Jonathan Metcalf's "Chop Wood, Carry Water."

The sensai advises the mentee to write down fifteen positives daily. Let's start simpler.

"Worth Statement: My value comes from who I am, NOT from what I do."

"Growth Mindset: Anything that happens to me today is in my best interest and it is an opportunity for me to learn and grow."

"What went well?" (Examples)

- "I was intentional about treating my teammates very well, even when I felt like they may not deserve it."

- "I chose to take a deep breath before every point."

- "I cleared my mind...and remembered to focus on the controllables."

- "I chose to see myself being strong...even when I felt imperfect."

- "I encouraged my teammates by reminding them of what they were doing well."

- "I did a better job of letting negative thoughts fly on by and not give them power." 

Don't worry about focusing on perfection. Focus on doing your best in this moment. 

"To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield." (It may help you to retain if you consider the structure - a variant of iambic pentameter.) Some call it "stylistically heightened." 

Trust the Process

"Chop wood, carry water" means trust the process. Pay attention to detail to become your best version. It's a little book, an easy but powerful read. 

Here are three lessons from Joshua Metcalf's "Chop Wood, Carry Water." 

1. Fall in Love with the Process

Volleyball rewards the player who loves repetition. "Repetitions make reputations." The ones who get better are the ones who can pass one more ball, serve one more bucket, hit one more approach after everyone else has left.

“You don’t rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your training.”

It’s not glamorous, but mastery never is. The best teams build greatness in the gym, not under the lights.

2. Focus on Who You’re Becoming

Points and wins fade - your identity endures. Every serve, every substitution, every huddle reveals your habits and your heart.

“Who you become is more important than what you achieve.”

Are you the teammate who lifts others, the one who stays ready, the one who owns her role? That’s the player everyone trusts - the one who impacts the team.

3. Be Patient with Growth

Progress isn’t a straight line. It’s a climb - two steps forward, one back.
Errors and losses are tuition, not punishment. They shape toughness and perspective.

“Every setback is a setup for growth.”

A strong team doesn’t panic when the ball hits the floor. It resets, refocuses, and returns to work - chop wood, carry water, one rally at a time.

Lagniappe

The best volleyball programs aren’t chasing shortcuts. They build steady habits, trust in training, and pride in the unseen work.

When it’s time to play, those habits show up.

Chop wood.
Carry water.
Win the moment. 

Hunting Antelope

Inspired by "The Antelope Principle" at SahilBloom.com

The regular season is over. Everyone's record is 0-0. 

Opposing forces say, "dream big" and "be realistic." That's called cognitive dissonance (CD). CD is the psychological discomfort experienced when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values simultaneously, or when their actions conflict with their beliefs. A classic example is Aesop's fable about "sour grapes," where a fox jumps trying to reach grapes. He can't reach them. So he tells himself that they were sour anyway. 

Bloom tells readers that lions can't survive hunting field mice. Hunting antelope creates problems and opportunity. He writes:

"Hunt antelope. The big, important problems and opportunities that require a much more methodical, thoughtful approach."

This recalls situations and sayings:

• "No guts no glory." 
• "Life is about the management of risk."
• "Match your work to your dreams."
• "A man's reach must exceed his grasp or what's a heaven for?" - Robert Browning
• "Small risk, small reward." 
• "Reach for the brass ring."

But it takes supreme focus. Learn the Confucian proverb, "The man who chases two rabbits will catch neither." 

And it takes execution, attention to detail, and limiting mistakes. You can't foot fault on lines, fail to communicate, be late to the block. Leave no meat on the bone. 

Lagniappe. Take lessons away wherever you can. Listen. Read widely. Challenge yourself to be curious.  

The Postseason Starts Today at Hingham - Chances to Show What You've Got

"Problems are a chance for us to do our best." - Duke Ellington

Melrose travels to Hingham for a 5 PM playoff matchup. 

Life and sport provide us with "no-win situations." The implications of no-win situations include high stakes and "impossible" odds. 

Bill Belichick said, "It's not about collecting talent, it's about building a team. Some players fit better into one system or style of play than they do in another." You don't have to be a 'great player' to do an excellent job filling your specific role. 

The Patriots beat the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams with a "hit and grit" game plan and a second year quarterback destined for greatness. The 2004 Red Sox trailed the mighty Yankees 0-3 in the ALCS...and won. The US won the 1980 Olympic semifinal "Miracle on Ice" against the juggernaut Soviet Union by overcoming 1 goal deficits three times.  

Closer to home, MVB 2003 faced undefeated AC in the Sectional Finals. AC had not lost a set all season and had 'unbeatable' Twin Towers at 6'2". Melrose blended experience and youth to win in straight sets. 

MVB 2022 trailed Billerica, at Billerica, 10-3 in the fifth set of the Sectional Finals...and rallied to win. MVB 2025 has history with that team. Sabine Wenzel was there as a freshman. Elise Marchais's sister Manon was on that team. 

Arthur Conan Doyle spoke through Sherlock Holmes, "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

The impossible becomes the truth with skill, will, and belief. 

Lagniappe. Dismiss the impossible. 

"Vires Acquirit Eundo"

Basketball has a saying, "The ball has energy." Teamwork multiplies effort.

Each day challenges us - putting food on the table, paying bills, doing our best in school, competing in sports.

"Competing and completing" well and ethically has never seemed harder.

The ancients shared wisdom. "Vires acquirit eundo" literally translates to "It gains Strength as it goes."

Shakespeare has a different take on life's pace in MacBeth,

Macbeth's soliloquy, spoken in Act 5, Scene 5 upon hearing of Lady Macbeth's death, is:

She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Shakespeare says life "creeps in this petty pace" and Virgil says we gain strength as we go. It's a matter of perception. 

Let's get an AI consult on "Vires acquirit eundo." 

Volleyball rewards motion. The Latin phrase Vires acquirit eundo - “It gains strength as it goes” - comes from Virgil’s Aeneid, describing how Rumor grows faster and louder as she spreads. In our gym, that idea isn’t about gossip. It’s about momentum - how belief, effort, and communication amplify once a team starts moving in the same direction.

Momentum Is Real

Momentum in volleyball isn’t imaginary; it’s earned. A clean pass, a solid set, a decisive swing change fortune. One good sequence feeds another. The bench rises. The energy doubles. Every play becomes fuel for the next one.

The message: we gather strength by playing the next point, not the perfect one.

Keep the Ball Flying

“Vires acquirit eundo” is volleyball’s ancient version of “keep the ball flying.” When we serve aggressively, pursue every ball, and talk through mistakes, the game gives something back - rhythm.

Motion creates confidence. Confidence creates conviction. And conviction wins long rallies.

Leadership in Motion

Leaders don’t wait for energy; they create it. A captain’s fist-pump, a coach’s calm timeout, a teammate’s quick “next ball” - everything moves us forward. Our culture thrives on that action.

Melrose Volleyball earned its legacy the same way: one rally, one rep, one season at a time. Each generation adds its own layer of strength — by going.

The Lesson

When a match tightens, we remember the phrase:

“It gains strength as it goes.”

We forge our momentum. Generate strength through effort, communication, and trust. Gather strength and become more.

 

Tennis, Anyone? No. Tennyson!

What moves you? 

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
     We are not now that strength which in old days
     Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
     One equal temper of heroic hearts,
     Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

     To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. - Tennyson, Ulysses

No season is easy. Opponents work, too. 

The concluding lines from Tennyson's epic Ulysses acknowledge that he and his force are not the same as those who "moved heaven and earth." 

“Temper” evokes both “disposition” and the process of tempering steel — strength refined by fire and time.

Tennyson's final line is epic. "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield," defines the spirit of the competitor. 

The Sweet Science of Volleyball* - "You Hang It, We Bang It"

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of MVB or any Melrose institution. Written with AI collaboration.

Boxing has long been called “The Sweet Science,” a phrase coined by British writer Pierce Egan in the 19th century to describe the elegant strategy behind the brutality.

Good boxers don’t just hit hard - they think fast, move precisely, and turn chaos into choreography.

Volleyball, though nonviolent, informs its own sweet science - a game of angles, timing, deception, and discipline. It rewards intelligence as much as athleticism, composure as much as aggression.

1. Footwork and Balance

Boxing begins with the feet. So does volleyball. A stable base makes everything possible - defense, setting, and attack. In both sports, the athletes appear effortless, mastering economy of motion.

Balance before power. Poise before reaction.

2. Reading and Anticipation

Boxers study opponents’ shoulders, eyes, and rhythm. Volleyball defenders read setters’ hands, hitters’ hips, and approach angles.

Anticipation separates the reactive from the proactive. Film work, pattern recognition (chunking), and constant learning sharpen this edge. Great players have early recognition, seeing sooner what ensues.

“The fight is often won in recognition, not reaction.”

3. Rhythm and Tempo

Boxers dictate pace. So do setters. Both know when to speed things up, when to slow them, and when to surprise.

A team that controls tempo - with quicks, tips, and tempo changes - keeps opponents off balance.

Composure under pressure and variety under control define high-level play.

Control the cadence, control the match.

4. Defense into Offense

Boxers win by “making miss and making pay.” Volleyball teams win by digging hard swings and converting in transition.

Great defenses don’t just survive - they counter. Covering, digging, and then striking back with precision transforms effort into artistry.

David Ortiz says, "You hang it, we bang it."

5. Composure

A boxer’s defining test comes after being hit. A volleyball team’s test is your response after an error, a bad call, or a run of points against you.

Calm breeds clarity; panic multiplies mistakes. Breath, posture, and belief are part of the skill set. Excellent teams manage their emotions as well as they manage their rotations.

Poise is a skill.

6. The Coach is the Corner

Between rounds, a boxer hears one clear voice — the corner.
Between rallies, a volleyball team listens to one clear message — the coach.

Time-outs are the coach’s corner. The best offer truth and calm in equal measure. Corrections matter, but tone determines whether they land.

Great coaching balances challenge and care.

7. Hit and Don’t Get Hit → Score and Don’t Error

Boxing’s law of efficiency - “Hit and don’t get hit” - has its volleyball version:

Score and don’t err.

Each unforced error is a self-inflicted punch. Every efficient rally win tilts the odds. High-performance teams don’t seek perfection - chase fewer wasted possessions.

Excellence is economy: control what you can control.

8. The Inner Game: Will and Beauty

Both boxers and volleyball players master monotony - "repetitions make reputations."  Thrive inside fatigue, tension, and pressure.
Self-mastery comes first.

The Sweet Science isn’t just skill; it’s serenity.

Lagniappe

Amor Fati - love your fate.

Love the grind, the long rallies, the setbacks that test resilience.
Each obstacle is instruction, not punishment.

And remember, as writer Ryan Holiday reminds us, “The obstacle in the path becomes the path.”

Build on Your History

Jay Wright said, "No matter how bright the spotlight gets, we are all part of something much larger than ourselves."

That’s culture.
That’s connection.
That’s team.

📌Bookmark it - Here are 7 characteristics that define GREAT teams: pic.twitter.com/S558Ec8wn8

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) October 28, 2025

Everyone seems to talk about culture. Culture is the ecosystem of a team. It's the dynamic of working together, sacrificing together, and experiences together.

The best cultures are driven by team leaders. "We can do this" or "we can do this better." 

Daughter Paula called the playoffs, "the best time of the year." She and her sister played in 31 volleyball and basketball postseason games for Melrose. Everyone has to "get their feet wet" with their first. And every team has the same stakes.   

Scrimmage

What motivates you? Coach Saban simplifies.

Melrose scrimmaged Arlington Catholic in preparation for the playoffs. Scrimmages add value in multiple dimensions:

• Allows work on fundamentals with low stress and low stakes
• Creates a "high participation" setting where everyone plays
• Gives opportunity to show "high compete" levels.

The postseason turns on consistency and aggressiveness with a minimum number of unforced errors. 

Several positives stood out: 

1) The energy level was high both on the floor and the sidelines

2) Service was intentional, pressuring the defense

3) There were far more good "dos" than negative "don'ts."

4) Reserve players gave a good accounting of themselves

Melrose notes: Congratulations to Sabine Wenzel (Freedom Division co-MVP, All-Conference, All-Star) and Sadie Smith (All-Star)

Congratulations to juniors being recognized at the National Honor Society ceremony: Anna Burns, Maggie Shoemaker, Kayla Ton. 

Trick or Treat? First Round Game on Halloween at 5:00 P.M.

Melrose (17) travels to Hingham Friday (Halloween) to face the 16th seed at 5:00 P.M.

The Drive/Travel app Waze projects (as of now) a drive of almost one hour and forty minutes to Hingham High School for a 4:45 P.M. arrival.

Some workers may opt to leave early on Halloween which will only make traffic that much worse. 

Bracketology: The Known Unknowns

There are known knowns. MVB is in the playoffs and will go on the road in the opener.

There are known unknowns. The matchups are unknown and previous seasons and performance do not matter.

And the unknown unknowns? Teams will struggle and teams will rise up and surprise people. The same goes for players who will "seize the moment." 

Power Rankings are out:

Surprisingly, beating Watertown dropped MVB 0.03 points and raised the ranking to 17. That means Melrose goes on the road to face number 16, Hingham High School (corrected).

The brackets tell us more: 

There is zero utility in worrying about anything except your next game in a single elimination tournament. 

 

Scrimmage Today - Every Day Is an Opportunity to Grow

Melrose scrimmages AC today at 4:00 at home. 

Coach Scheyer on Duke’s team identity. It’s built around 3 concepts:

1. Connection
(Building trust, being honest, active listening, communicating on the court)

2. Kaizen mentality (改善=Japanese word Kai 改 meaning change 善 for good & better) Focusing on each day being your… pic.twitter.com/mlgggZPB0P

— Blue Devil Voices (@DukeEchoes) October 27, 2025

"Every day is player development day." - Coach Dave Smart

"It starts when you 'cross the red line'." - Coach Urban Meyer

"Every day is showtime."

Lagniappe. Build your highlight reel. You become your belief...edits from ChatGPT Plus:

🏐 The Volleyball Highlight Reel

In Ten Minute Toughness, performance psychologist Jason Selk encourages athletes to build a “highlight reel”—a short mental movie they play daily to strengthen confidence and focus. It’s simple, but it works, because it teaches the mind what right feels like.

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🎬 What It Is

The highlight reel combines visualization and identity. It has three key parts:

1. Past Successes – Picture two or three moments when you played your best. Maybe it was a clean block, a perfect serve-receive, or a match-saving dig. Feel it—the sound of the gym, your teammates’ reaction, your composure.

2. Future Ideal Performance – See yourself executing today’s goals: calm in serve-receive, communicating on every play, swinging aggressively, celebrating together after long rallies.

3. Identity Statement – A brief phrase that defines who you are when you compete at your best:

   “I am a calm, confident, relentless teammate.”
   “I bring energy, precision, and trust to every point.”

Run this “film” in your head for three to five minutes before practice, before matches, or as part of your nighttime routine.

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🧠 Why It Works

The brain doesn’t perfectly distinguish between vivid imagination and lived experience. When you see yourself succeed—feeling the rhythm of your approach or the steadiness of your platform—you’re building neural reps of success. Over time, this:

• Strengthens confidence through repeated success imagery.

• Improves focus by rehearsing process, not outcome.

• Builds emotional control, grounding players before competition.

It’s the same mental wiring elite athletes use to prepare under pressure.

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🏐 Practical Application

Encourage players to build personal highlight reels around their role:

• Setter: visualize smooth tempo, quiet hands, precise decisions.

• Libero: picture serve-receive angles, controlled digs, leadership.

• Hitter: see yourself calling for the ball, reading the block, attacking fearlessly.

• Server: feel your breath, your toss, and the ball’s path to the deep corner.

Each repetition reinforces not just what they do—but who they are when they do it well.

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💡 Coaching Perspective

You can frame it as mental conditioning: “We train our bodies daily. Let’s train our minds the same way.”
Teams can also create a shared highlight reel—video clips set to music showing great teamwork, defense, and celebration—to anchor the team’s collective identity.

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🪞Final Thought

The highlight reel is not fantasy—it’s direction. Instead of replaying mistakes, players practice mastery.

“Confidence is remembering your strengths louder than your doubts.”

When athletes learn to visualize their best selves, they don’t just imagine greatness—they become it. 

 

Persistence is a Superpower

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On!' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

― Calvin Coolidge 

The Coliseum was built between 70 A.D. and 80 A.D. It stands today. "Persistence" comes via Latin roots, "per" meaning through and "sistere" to stand. It means "to stand through" challenges or adversity. 

Edison's lightbulb meant tolerating hundreds of failures. The Red Sox 2004 championship meant 86 years surviving far and near misses. The MVB 2012 title happened after state final losses in 2005 and 2011. Success seldom follows a straight line or short time. 

What images come to mind when you think of persistence? 

• The Grand Canyon where water defeats stone
• The man who took down a mountain by hand
• The Energizer Bunny keeps going and going...
• Cliff Young won the Australian ultramarathon in 1983 at age 61.
• The US Miracle on Ice, coming from behind three times to beat Russia
• Canadian Coach Dave Smart teaches, "Excellent teams are capable of playing harder for longer." 

Persistence is more than a state of mind. Persistence transforms ordinary to excellent and excellent to exceptional. Persistence is action. 

Mindset - Persistence is my identity. 

Affirmations - "I outwork my opponents." "I do not quit." "I am relentless." 

Visualization - "I see myself reaching my goals." 

Actions - Inspiration becomes perspiration. Live Dan Pink's "Do five more" - make five more calls, read five more pages, do five more sprints.  

From Ryan Holiday, "The Obstacle Is the Way"

Lagniappe. Learn from Brian Tracy's The Power of Self-Confidence: Become Unstoppable, Irresistible, and Unafraid in Every Area of Your Life (2012).

Here are key points via ChatGPT Plus:

1. Confidence is built, not bestowed.

Tracy rejects the idea that confidence is innate. It’s a skill formed through discipline and repetition.

• Confidence grows from competence — doing the hard work, practicing fundamentals, and stacking small wins.

• “You can’t feel secure about what you haven’t mastered.”
  Takeaway: In sport or leadership, the antidote to doubt is preparation. Confidence isn’t a feeling you wait for; it’s the residue of deliberate effort.

2. Self-esteem is the foundation of performance.

Tracy defines self-esteem as “how much you like yourself.” High self-esteem fuels risk-taking and resilience.

• Every time you act in line with your values, self-esteem rises. Every time you betray them, it falls.

• He encourages daily affirmations of identity (“I like myself”) — not as fluff, but as cognitive conditioning.
  Coaching parallel: Athletes who connect effort to self-respect, not external validation, recover faster from setbacks and criticism.

3. Thoughts shape emotions, emotions shape actions.

Tracy builds on the cognitive-behavioral loop: what you think determines how you feel, and how you feel determines how you act.

• Replace self-defeating internal dialogue (“I always mess up under pressure”) with constructive self-talk (“I’ve prepared well — I can handle this”).

• “You become what you think about most of the time.”
  Lesson: Thought management is performance management. Teach athletes to talk to themselves, not listen to themselves.

4. Courage precedes confidence.

Many wait to feel confident before acting; Tracy flips that.

• Action breeds confidence; hesitation breeds doubt.

• Every small act of courage — speaking up, taking a shot, owning a mistake — strengthens the “courage muscle.”

• He writes, “Move boldly in the direction of your dreams, and confidence will follow.”
  Application: In coaching, create low-risk reps where players act decisively. Reward courage, not just outcomes.

5. Goals, clarity, and purpose multiply confidence.

Tracy insists that clarity is the single biggest driver of confidence.

• People with written goals and plans project certainty; people drifting without direction radiate uncertainty.

• Confidence thrives on alignment — knowing what you want and why it matters.
  Practical step: Write, visualize, and review goals daily. Confidence comes from seeing progress toward a chosen aim, not waiting for validation from others.

In essence

Brian Tracy’s thesis:

“Confidence is not believing you’ll always succeed; it’s knowing you can handle whatever happens.”

Confidence = clarity + competence + courage + consistency.
It’s teachable, trainable, and renewable — the same way you build skill, culture, or trust.

Lagniappe 2. Via Sun Tzu in The Art of War, "Every battle is won before it is fought." 

ML12 Honors Dispensed and State Stat Leaders

Melrose athletes earn league honors.

Freedom Division Co-MVP

Sabine Wenzel

All-Conference (Best 6)

Sabine Wenzel

ML12 All-Stars

Sabine Wenzel

Sadie Smith

State Statistical Leaders 

 

Sabine is the regular season kills leader.

Sadie Smith finishes the regular season among the top ten. 

Wild in the Strike Zone

Analogies cross domains. Consider baseball or softball. You may know Ted Williams' graphic about getting your pitch. "Middle, middle" is where hitters prosper. 

Apply the mental model of "inversion." Think about the strike zone from the pitcher's perspective. Former Red Sox pitcher Gary Peters was struggling. Reporters asked him why. He answered, "I'm wild in the strike zone." He meant, "I'm throwing too many fat pitches, good to hit."

Hitting is timing. Pitching is disrupting timing.

In volleyball, you only have "total control" during serving. If you throw nothing but strikes "down the middle" at the libero with the same speed and direction, she has a higher "batting average." 

That's why disruptive service - seams, sidelines, short ("Killer S's") are effective, because you're working the strike zone as the pitcher. 

Here's a repost of Melrose's two most dynamic servers. No jump serve. No big windup. Simple, repeatable technique.

1. Alyssa DiRaffaele blended topspin and sidespin "sliders" that created nightmares for opponents. 

2. Cassidy Barbaro served more like Leah Fowke...hard, with downward (topspin) movement and often barely clearing the net.  

"Every battle is won before it is fought." - Sun Tzu in The Art of War 

Teams that use service smarter create advantage. Don't practice serving. Practice creating advantage. 

Manifest Winning Attitude

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Selflessness isn't 'natural'. Everyone has their best interest at heart. How does team leadership "show up?"

• Put the team first. 
• Support each other on and off the court. We don't know what is going on in others' lives.
• Communicate. 
• Mentor young players. Others have been there for you - Elena, Gia, Sadie 1, and Leah
• Represent the team well off the court.
• Energize others. 
• Spread belief. "We got this." 

When the best player, perhaps in the history of baseball, can do it, you can, too.