Switches don't "turn on and off" during games. Prepared teams perform at a higher level than others.
Communication activates, energizes, and intimidates. There's a saying, "silent teams lose."
If a team doesn't communicate in practice they won't talk in games. In addition to Maggie Turner, another excellent communicator last season was Abby Dennison as fans could hear her calling the ball.
Communication can separate success and failure. "I thought it was your ball," reflects chaos. As Eric Kapitulik and Jake MacDonald write in The Program, "chaos breeds chaos. Calm breeds calm."
The authors recommend, "name, command, and volume." Assign the instruction directly and at the right volume to help maintain the line of communication, focus, and calm.
Remember the acronym CLAPP - clarity, loudness, authority, pauses, and posture (body language). The best communicators use more elements.
Lagniappe. A little goofy and it gets the point across.
Talent matters. You don't win 12 national women's titles without exceptional players and special coaching.
But that's not enough. Coach Geno Auriemma emphasizes that the intangibles confirm the decision.
Here are five key points from Timothy Koegel’s The Exceptional Presenter:
Present yourself before your content: Audiences judge a presenter’s confidence, energy, and presence before they absorb the message. How you stand, move, and make eye contact matters as much as what you say.
Be clear, concise, and confident: Great presenters speak with simplicity and purpose, avoiding rambling or overcomplication. Every word should drive the message forward.
Think in headlines: Structure your presentation around clear, memorable points — much like news headlines — to keep your audience oriented and engaged.
Eliminate verbal clutter: Fillers like “um,” “uh,” and “you know” undermine credibility. Koegel stresses the power of the pause instead of filler sounds.
Engage with authenticity: Connection beats performance. Authenticity — being genuinely interested in your audience and message — builds trust and makes your presentation far more compelling.
Perhaps the best team Melrose faced in the 2012 postseason was the Canton Bulldogs, a perennial contender. Watching a full match illustrates a myriad of principles.
How to Remember and Retain Knowledge: pic.twitter.com/SnuAd4IsYx
— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) April 17, 2025
Metacognition means "learning how to learn." Make your learning process active.
1) Focus. Computers don't "multitask," as they rapidly switch between individual processes. People don't have the same capability.
2) Removing distractions (e.g. your phone) is part of the solution.
3) Take breaks. The Pomodoro Technique is 25 minutes on and five off.
4) Space repetitions. Reviewing is better than single viewing.
5) Train analogical thinking. Learn how to relate ideas and solutions across disciplines.
6) Self-test. Ask yourself "what do I know about serving?" Go into as much detail as possible...types of serves, where to serve, and the details of serving mechanics. Review your serve with video.
7) Practice. If we want to improve at anything, use "deliberate practice."
That's not enough. Find volition, commitment to achieve what you want. Commitment means sacrifice - that means investing time to study, to train physically and mentally, and play enough to raise your skills. The sacrifice part means not having as much time for friends, texting, social media, and other pursuits teenagers enjoy.
There's never a guarantee that sacrifice and a sense of urgency fulfill your dreams. It's fair to say that the players and teams who achieved the most paid the price. You have to ask those players what it meant to them.
In 2022, Kaitlyn Chen scored 18 points for Princeton against UConn.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 6, 2025
It caught the eye of Geno Auriemma, who recruited her for her final year of eligibility.
After winning the national title with the Huskies, Chen celebrated with her Princeton teammates:pic.twitter.com/rv7iy6351b
Kaitlyn Chen, a 2024 graduate from Princeton with a degree in medical anthropology, transferred to UCONN for a postgraduate season as she had a COVID eligibility year. In the video above, she celebrates with former Princeton teammates. I don't think you have to ask her if it was worth it.
You have to ask yourself how much work is worth it.
Lagniappe. Often when watching a championship game, you hear the announcers say, "we'll find out which time wants it the most." Both teams couldn't care more. What matters is having done the physical and mental preparation favoring execution under championship pressure. The team that bests maintains it's poise for performance usually comes out ahead.
Are you checking the boxes for MVB excellence? You either choose to invest in yourself or you don't.
Not an all-inclusive list...
1) Skill-building
Everyone writes their story through the sum of daily habits, choices, effort.
What ONE thing could you do to elevate your volleyball profile? Stop, take a breath and discover the path. Then, follow it relentlessly.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911) profoundly affected young Frances Perkins. 146 workers, mostly young women died in a sweatshop fire, locked into the workplace. Perkins became a workers' rights leader, the first woman cabinet member, under FDR. Witnessing an atrocity convinced Perkins to change history.
"After the fire, Perkins was the secretary for the Committee on Safety. This committee led the way to 36 new labor laws, which included restrictions on child labor and working hours, and also providing compensations to workers injured on the job."
Perkins chose to take action to prevent future tragedies through regulation.
Want to become an impactful attacker? What holds you back? Is it your attack footwork, your vertical jump, armswing, timing, swing decision-making? What's your ONE thing?
Need a good pre-game or practice speed session? Here ya go!
— Gerry DeFilippo (@Challenger_ST) April 18, 2025
1. Extensive pogo x30 sec
2. Extensive SL pogo x30 sec
3. Intensive pogo x8 sec
4. Intensive SL pogo x8 sec
5. Split squat jumps x4 each
6. Dynamic KB swings x4
7. Flying 10 sprint x4
8. Band release start x1 each side… pic.twitter.com/Sk4LqyxOcQ
What's possible?
Improvement in vertical jump from dedicated training varies, but here’s a realistic breakdown based on training age, current level, and program quality:
| Athlete Type | Timeframe | Expected Gains |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner (never trained jump before) | 8–12 weeks | 4–8 inches |
| Intermediate (some strength/power training) | 8–12 weeks | 2–5 inches |
| Advanced (well-trained, near genetic ceiling) | 8–12 weeks | 1–3 inches |
Training Quality: Programs that combine strength, plyometrics, technique, and mobility deliver better gains. Think squat mechanics, approach jump sequencing, and reactive plyos.
Training Age: Athletes newer to structured training adapt faster. Those with high training ages need more refined programming to eke out small gains.
Body Composition: Losing excess body fat while maintaining strength can boost jump height even without added power.
Injury History and Flexibility: Limiting tightness in the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine opens the door to better force transfer and safer landings.
Strength Base First: Trap bar deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, and Nordic hamstrings matter. Power comes from strength.
Plyometrics Second: Depth jumps, bounding, and single-leg hops improve rate of force development.
Jump Technique: Many athletes have 1–2 inches “hidden” in poor takeoff mechanics or inefficient arms.
Track and Recover: Overtraining = plateaus. Sleep, protein, and rest days matter.
If you're working with volleyball athletes, a well-built 8–10 week offseason cycle can bring impressive gains, especially in high school and early college players. Want help sketching out a sample jump training plan or assessing where a player might have the most growth potential?
If writing a better origin story matters, start today.
Lagniappe. The quality of passing is a major determinant of attack efficiency.
"Experience is the best teacher, but sometimes the tuition is high."
Sport teaches lessons across domains.
1) Leadership ACE - align, collaborate, empower
Regardless if you’re leading a sports team or corporate organization, leadership comes down to the same thing: Aligning a group of people to the vision and values, having them collaborate as a unit, and empowering them to bring their best selves.
— Allistair McCaw (@AllistairMcCaw) April 21, 2025
2) Bring energy regardless of your situation.
Geno Auriemma said, "Your contribution doesn’t have to be 25 points. But it has to be something.
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) April 20, 2025
"Your number one contribution is the energy you bring."
You don’t have to score to make an impact.
Great teammates bring energy, effort, and attitude. pic.twitter.com/x61zRIvYwY
3) You may know the Pareto Principle, that 80 percent of the benefit comes from 20 percent of the activity. Make a difference by redirecting your energy to what matters most.
Athletes without specific previous jump training can add 4-8 inches to their vertical jump. Highly trained athletes half less room to improve.
A 6 week jumping program
— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) April 21, 2025
Turn your players into human missiles pic.twitter.com/rZlRf19Ar7
Lagniappe. Repost. Plyometric warmup considerations.
View on Threads
Most people overestimate talent and underestimate consistency and discipline.
— Allistair McCaw (@AllistairMcCaw) April 19, 2025
Remember that our habits are votes for the person we wish to be.
"We make our habits and our habits make us."
"Always do your best." Nobody regrets doing their best.
"Good artists borrow, great artists steal." - Picasso
Bill Belichick is one of the great coaches in history. He's difficult and demanding. That's how his teams win.
Bill Belichick was asked:
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) April 19, 2025
"What are your main principles for success?"
He gave 4 rules. Simple. Clear.
These principles work in football, business, and life.
Here's what he said and why it matters:🧵 pic.twitter.com/ngpDbmEAwT
1. Do your job. You have to know your job to do it. And then you have to do it to allow others to do theirs.
2. Work hard. "The magic is in the work."
3. "Attention to detail." Sweat the small stuff. Footwork, arm swing, platform skills, hand positions blocking and hitting.
4. Team first. Impact winning. Make everyone around you better. Be a great teammate.
Choose to do what must be done and avoid what must not. That applies at home, in class, on the count, and in all relationships.
'Don't use your talent and be average.'
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) April 18, 2025
"You have to have talent.
I can't give a player talent.
That's something you inherit. It's a gift.
Don't use your talent and be average.
Your talent is a gift - don't waste it.
Average doesn't win. It's excellence." pic.twitter.com/woE8NJaT2M
"Learn a few quotes while young. "That which we are, we are, and if we are to be any better now is the time to begin." - Tennyson
Coaches can't make anyone a great player. Coaches show players the path and players decide whether that is for them.
Everything is a choice.
And MVB? Nine seniors graduate. New faces must remember who they are. It seems that a new version always has familiar faces linked to successful sisters. Anna Burns (Ava), Maggie Shoemaker (Anna), and Elise Marchais (Manon) are three examples.
MVB '25 has the call to "remember who you are," a worthy theme to pursue.
Lagniappe. Block timing and armswing...
Ways To Increase Your Intelligence pic.twitter.com/rV9s4qE4co
— ImprovementYou ⚜️ (@ImprovementYou) April 11, 2025
What organ uses the most energy? You're right...the brain. Coaches help develop both competence and character.
That distills to players "taking care of business" every day at home, school, and extracurriculars.
Acquire more tools to raise academic performance. Choose a few from the above list:
1) Think backwards. A "premortem examination" looks at what can disrupt a plan. Imagine a lemonade stand. What could blow it up? Higher costs for lemons and sugar, permitting (if needed), bad location.
2) Recall. Self-testing is a proven methodology along with spaced repetition (study over time instead of cramming) and the Pomodoro Method (25 minutes on, five minutes off).
3) Teaching like the Feynman technique. Physicist Richard Feynman advised studying a problem by naming it, describing it, researching, and then simplifying and sharing it.
You can use other techniques on the list. Devote time to improvement by capturing and deploying more tools.
Lagniappe. An MSU serve-receive drill... handle topspin and become a more consistent passer.
3 Drills Every Kid Can Be Doing To Make Themselves a Better Athlete. pic.twitter.com/xHREkyU2DX
— Joey Bergles (@JoeyBergles) April 18, 2025
Focus on at least one of these elements daily:
Lagniappe: Do five minutes a day and transform yourself.
All opinions within the blog are solely those of the author.
*Inspired by a Blinkist review
Swing a cat and you'll often hit someone reading a leadership book. That's because leadership matters at every level of society.
Positive Communication for Leaders by Mirivel and Lyon discusses key elements within teams.
Leadership isn't just for Coach Scott Celli and his staff. Captains and team members must lead together and "foster a culture of appreciation and respect."
Greetings A warm greeting by name helps human connection. As a coach, I worked to greet each player by name each practice or game. Within the team, the same practice has value. Greeting creates inclusion and appreciation.
Questions Cultivate a "culture of curiosity" within teams. Ask positive questions. "Why was your serve effective today?" or "what skills did you improve today?" Develop a mindset of discovery within your sport and yourself.
Compliments Everyone loves compliments. It's an art at home, school, and extracurricular activities. Does the twelfth players on the team feel as much a part of the team as the star player? That happens not just through coaching but within team members themselves. Have you congratulated "stay ready" players on their hard work helping to improve your play? Be specific when delivering compliments. "Way to attack the seam on your serve."
Encouragement Opportunity to seize a role always exists at MVB. High performance carves out more court time, a bigger role, and recognition. Roles are always available. Who is the designated server for MVB 25? Most spots are open for the skilled, determined competitor. Even if you start on JV, that doesn't mean you can't become a varsity contributor, like the three freshmen in 2024.
Deep Listening Listening is a critical skill, the capacity to engage and process. "Being fully present is the first step." I always remember a tiny sixth grader at basketball tryouts approaching me a minute before the session began. "Hi, my name is Naomi and I am really excited to be here." She established a presence in just a few seconds. She was the kind of player I would have wanted to coach.
"1, 2, 4, All" Make this a key point. 1 is individual reflection. 2 is paired sharing of ideas. 4 informs small group discussion. And all is inclusiveness within a team or organization. All means all, regardless of experience, prior contribution, or graduating class. Team leaders have a responsibility to support a culture of inclusiveness.
What are you doing to today to grow your leadership?
Lagniappe. This quote from "Originals" by Adam Grant, came from a Lucy Stone speech in 1855. Empowerment comes from within and outside. Don't allow others to disappoint you.
"The last speaker alluded to this movement as being that of a few disappointed women. From the first years to which my memory stretches, I have been a disappointed woman. . . . I was disappointed when I came to seek a profession . . . every employment was closed to me, except those of the teacher, the seamstress and the housekeeper. In education, in marriage, in religion, in everything, disappointment is the lot of women. It shall be the business of my life to deepen this disappointment in every woman’s heart until she bows down to it no longer."
Lagniappe 2. Have you watched a baseball game recently and heard the term "exit velocity?" Better exit velocity creates higher probability of hits (less time for defenders) and extra base hits. Red Sox minor leaguer Roman Anthony has an astonishing 'hard contact' rate of over 38 percent. Attackers want hard contact and direction ("hit 'em where they ain't").
"Habits are votes for the type of person we wish to become." - James Clear
If you're Ambitious But Lazy,
— Deep Psychology (@DeepPsycho_HQ) April 14, 2025
Open this before you regret.
1. pic.twitter.com/z1ub5E5bA5
Two books I often recommended were The Positive Dog and The Compound Effect. What we do transforms us. Another great read is James Clear's Atomic Habits. Make good habits easy and bad ones harder.
Choose a few "practices" from the above. Pick, stick, check. Pick a habit, stick with it, monitor it. "Don't miss twice."
Ideas:
Extra effort? "Do five more."
Mindfulness. Take three minutes to "search inside yourself."
Struggling with something? Simplify and try again.
Lagniappe. Four minutes worth your time. Don't overcomplicate it. You don't get ten seconds to serve. MVB 25 will succeed in serve and receive this fall. Serving resembles pitching. Chasms exist between throwing and pitching purposefully.
— PickandPop (@PickAndPopNet) April 14, 2025
You never know when your opportunity to make a difference will arise.
All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. Nothing within is the official opinion of any Melrose Department.
Hi – I'm reading "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World" by Adam Grant, Sheryl Sandberg and wanted to share this quote with you.
"...when I looked at the evidence, I was dismayed to discover that even today, speaking while female remains notoriously difficult. Across cultures, there’s a rich body of evidence showing that people continue to hold strong gender-role stereotypes, expecting men to be assertive and women to be communal. When women speak up, they run the risk of violating that gender stereotype, which leads audiences to judge them as aggressive."
In other words, organizations often see men as assertive and women as "witches." Do the right things, the right way, all the time.
Sport helps women's empowerment adding value to society and your community, regardless of your role.
Everyone leads, directly or indirectly.
"Every storm runs out of rain." - Maya Angelou
Adversity comes and goes. Often the key is to focus to prevent a drop of blood from becoming a torrent. Just as one bad pass can lead to another, a shanked receive can become a series of mistakes.
Focus allows players not to "double down" on errors. Watch any basketball game and see players take a bad shot or commit a turnover and then compound the mistake with a foul.
In "Legacy" author James Kerr shares a secret of the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team. Keep a "blue head," calm in the face of adversity, instead of the frustrated, angry out of control "red head."
Top players recover instead of experiencing system failure, emotional meltdown. Play fueled by emotion not ruled by it.
Leadership requires you to bring teammates into that posture, too. That's not "it's okay" or "don't worry about it." Say "refocus" or "next play." Leaders carry on and carry their teams.
Lagniappe. Leading with a "blue head."
— Henry Ford
Supposedly, a Ford engineer visiting a poultry processing plant came up with the idea of the assembly line. There's no assembly line turning out volleyball players in Melrose. If there were, what would belong?
Restated, how would you build a special player?
1) The "competitive cauldron." Legendary soccer coach Anson Dorrance believes that competition drives excellence and has daily player performance rankings. How did I improve today?
2) Skill development. "Every day is player development day." Improve something every day.
3) Athleticism. Athleticism, strength and conditioning, make you a better player and a more confident player.
4) Confidence. "You can only be as good as you believe you are." Do the work to earn belief. The Yiddish chutzpah reflects audacity which can be either good or bad. The Romans said, "fortune favors the bold."
5) Practice. Play a lot. This develops skill, game understanding, experience, and fosters "intuitive play" as players 'read' plays instinctively.
6) Teamwork. An African proverb says, "we can go faster alone but farther together." Choose teamwork over selfishness.
7) Mentoring. Along the way to becoming your own coach, learn from all the teachers and coaches around you.
8) Standards. Goals are aspirational. Standards reflect performance. Raise your standards. "Champions do extra."
9) Do a 'software' upgrade. What makes that player, coach, or team effective? What one thing will make me better?
Lagniappe. Don't guess. See.
"One group is tasked with writing three good things about their lives; another group has to list twelve good things. Everyone expects the twelve group to be happier: the more blessings you count, the better you should feel about your circumstances. But most of the time, the opposite is true. We’re happier after we list three good things than twelve." - Adam Grant in Originals
A lot reduces to three, including the rhetorical technique of tricolon.
"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." - Mark Antony in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
"...duty, honor, country." Douglas MacArthur in his famous West Point address
"Teamwork, improvement, accountability."
"Dig, set, kill" became "pass, set, hit."
Score with "serves, attacks, block-kills."
Win with three dynamic hitters, a middle and two outsides are common although Melrose had two excellent middles last season.
There's something magical about three.
Lagniappe. Use it in your presentations.
"We all have a thousand excuses for why we don’t achieve our goals in life. There is one reason: because we failed to prepare properly. There are no excuses." - Erik Kapitulik, The Program
Being part of MVB means commitment to "not average." Excellence requires "more," more time, more discipline, more effort, and more will. Average players never make an MVB roster.
Think about professional athletes. Most were the best player on their team for most of their lives. Even if they outworked others, they still have limits.
Consider former Celtic Henry Finkel. He averaged 27 points a game in his senior year at Dayton, was selected an All-American, and became a second round NBA draft choice.
He was a journeyman center in the NBA, traded to the Celtics in 1969. Later, he was understudy to Dave Cowens, helping the Celtics to an NBA championship in 1974. During his nine year NBA career he averaged five points and four rebounds a game. He is a champion.
Excellence is hard. Do hard better. You're not average.Don’t do the easy wrong; do the hard right.
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) April 7, 2025
You have to go against your nature.
It’s not in everybody’s nature to get up every morning & work.
When we don’t have a challenge, we are not our best. That’s what drives us." -Geno Auriemma
📽️@WDWconvo pic.twitter.com/cFDO5Isnuz
Leadership QOTD: pic.twitter.com/Cd1jT1SiNX
— Allistair McCaw (@AllistairMcCaw) April 8, 2025
Choose to lead, regardless of your age or status.
Nick Saban with one of the best definitions of self-discipline:
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) March 24, 2025
(🎥@Elitesportsos) pic.twitter.com/PLPuNfoEaL
"Here's something I know I'm supposed to do that I really don't want to do...can you make yourself do it...here's something you know you're not supposed to do...can you keep yourself from it."
Quotes don't make players. Actions do. Make choices that promote success.
"We make our habits and our habits make us."
"Discipline defines destiny."
"Leave your comfort zone."
I heard it a thousand times. "There's nothing to do for us in Melrose." Don't make bad choices because you think you have none.
Are you playing to win or playing not to lose? #DailyWisdom pic.twitter.com/JuwS2pnceJ
— Ball is Psych (@BallisPsych) April 7, 2025
Historically, MVB is at its best against better competition. It's never perfect. "Chase perfection."
Every match has potential for growth. Even opponents who are not as strong present an opportunity to work on something - serving to zones, setter dumps, hitting off fingertips or try for tools at the pins.
Step up in the moment. Against Lexington last year, Emme Boyer made a number of game changing plays. Leverage that experience, carrying it forward to 2025.
Lagniappe. Play with purpose in your offseason volleyball. Have intent to improve every practice and every match.
"The mental to the physical in basketball is four to one." - Coach Bob Knight
Ask players about their strategies to fortify their mental game.
Entrepreneur Sara Blakely shared in her MasterClass that her father asked the children each Saturday dinner, "what have you failed at this week?" Failure is our companion on life's journey.
Kelvin Sampson said, "The first step on the ladder of success is always failure."
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) April 8, 2025
Growth starts when you stop avoiding failure - And start learning from it.
"Immature people don’t understand that there is going to be failure."
(@PawdSlamaJama) pic.twitter.com/sPWo8ciCPw
Examine a few well-known techniques:
1) Visualization. See yourself succeeding. In "Ten-Minute Toughness," Jason Selk proposed a three minute mental "highlight reel."
2) Mindfulness. Most professional athletes and teams have a mindfulness program. Mindfulness reduces stress hormones, increases focus, and decreases anxiety and depression.
3) Self-talk. We behave as we believe. Train ourselves to deliver positive thoughts, positive identity and performance statements.
4) Body positioning. Expansive body positioning is controversial. Studies by Amy Cuddy show that increases in testosterone and decreases in cortisol (stress hormone) occurred after two-minute expanded body positioning.
Actionable: a three minute "body scan" from Chat GPT
A three-minute body scan can be a powerful tool for athletes to enhance performance, recovery, and mental focus. Though often associated with mindfulness practices, a quick body scan is particularly useful in sports because it helps athletes develop body awareness, reduce tension, and improve movement efficiency. Here’s how:
A short body scan encourages athletes to check in with their physical state—where they feel strong, where they feel tight, and how their body is positioned. This awareness helps with injury prevention by identifying small discomforts before they become significant issues.
By systematically relaxing different muscle groups, athletes can release tension built up from training or competition. A brief scan can promote muscle relaxation and circulation, aiding in recovery between efforts.
Athletes often carry unconscious tension in areas like the shoulders, jaw, or lower back. A quick scan helps detect these inefficiencies, allowing them to move with greater ease and coordination.
A body scan doubles as a mental reset, helping athletes clear distractions and direct attention to their bodies before a game or practice. This can be especially useful in high-pressure moments.
By pairing the scan with controlled breathing, athletes activate their parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress and fostering composure.
Find a quiet space (or use it courtside or in a locker room).
Close the eyes (if possible) and take slow breaths.
Move attention from head to toe (or vice versa), scanning for tension, discomfort, or asymmetry.
Release tension where needed, adjust posture, and refocus.
Finish with a deep breath and a moment of intention-setting.
With your children, when they disagree, be thankful. Don’t expect them to agree with everything. Decision making is lonely, suggestion making is simple, anybody can make suggestions. Decision making when it affects others is difficult. You have to do it with courage. pic.twitter.com/X2EkaQBMGu
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) March 28, 2025
