Somewhere

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely mine. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization. 

Years ago I had a patient in his 30s who hated his job...and loved acting. He said he had done some commercials and dinner theater. He had neither wife nor children but had a dream...to act. I asked why he didn't follow his dream. He said, "My friends say that I'm not good enough." I replied, "Get new friends." He went to Hollywood. I never saw him again. 

Maybe not so many people believe in you. Do you believe in yourself? Are you willing to make the sacrifices and have the resources to follow the dream? It doesn't have to be volleyball. 

Sometimes the dream seems impossible, unfathomable. And yet it comes to pass because you willed it. This is such as story. 

Fight for your dream and sometimes it comes true. 

Lagniappe. Own it. 

A true leader of men! He doesn’t make excuses but instead preaches about accountability starting with himself. A quality of a great leader! pic.twitter.com/Y0aETWAWT5

— Bruce Straughan (@bruce_straughan) January 19, 2026

Simplicity Wears Well

Every leader needs to read this paragraph and this book. It came out today. https://t.co/hKHaZCbrMA pic.twitter.com/hSNqYH4RQc

— Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11) January 21, 2026

I've read a few Jon Gordon books:

• "Soup"
• "The Positive Dog"
• "Training Camp"
• "The Hard Hat"
• "The Energy Bus"
• "You Win in the Locker Room First"  

My favorite is "The Positive Dog." Naturally, it's about the power of positivity. Positivity and belief go a long way. 

What five simple things power student-athletes? 

- Take care of business at home and in school.

- Treasure and treat your body...sleep, nutrition, hydration, recovery.

- Be in great physical and mental shape. 

- Work hard. 

- Don't overcomplicate things. Simple works. 

Four Levels of Mindset from Robert Saleh

All opinions in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any Melrose institution. 

Learn from leaders and other sports. Former Jets coach and 49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh describes four levels of "mindset." The ideas today are stolen from Saleh (the language in the video is not appropriate). 

Commanders

Competitors

Contenders

Survivors

...............................................................................................

Survivors look for the easy way out. They're not about achievement or excellence, but getting by. They find the sustainable path of least resistance.

Contenders are higher on the food chain. They're motivated by external factors - playing time, money, or fame. They do what they can to achieve their specific goals. The do their best only when their minutes, money, or recognition are on the line. 

Competitors have internal motivation to be their best regardless of the situation. "This dude is trying to personal record every day of life"...and has a championship mindset.

Commanders are competitors with an additional quality, "they bring others along with them." Saleh says they created "a standard, a way of life...it's who you are, your DNA."

Programs win with competitors and commanders. Which are you? 

Lagniappe. You have a job to do. My boss in the Navy, CAPT Walsh, would tell us, "Handle it, boys." We handled it. 

Geno Auriemma shares the difference between successful people and everyone else.

"Don't tell me how rough the ocean was, just bring the boat in."pic.twitter.com/o93bpq18KD

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) January 21, 2026

 

Managing Disappointment

You'll learn a lot about your players by watching how they handle disappointment after a loss.

— Coach Mac 🏀 (@BballCoachMac) January 21, 2026

MVB has never had an undefeated season despite winning a state championship, four semifinals, and ten sectional titles. The goal each season is to win the finale. 

Some seasons end with a 'sense' that teams "left everything out there" and others that "there was still meat on the bone."

How do you respond to disappointment? How do you rebound when playing the best available opponent? 

We're either getting better or we're getting worse. We never stay the same. 

Lagniappe. Chessmasters "chunk" positions, mentally organizing attacks and defense by grouping pieces. A pawn can defeat a king.  

Become a Volleyball Expert - A "CPA" Hitter

At some point, you become your own coach, video 'guy', strength and conditioning expert. Part of that demands using exceptional resources like the video above. 

If you have to watch it five times, do so. Take notes in your notebook. Every exceptional player has a journal or notebook. Study and take notes with the purpose of impacting the game. 

Karch Kiraly breaks better "pin hitting" into three parts - let's call them CPA - checklist, preparation, and answers. 

The checklist is primarily knowing the blockers and having a "bail out" plan instead of just slamming into the teeth of an excellent block. "Plan your trade and trade your plan." 

Preparation is simple. Effort. Extreme effort. I've rarely thought that effort was a limiting factor in outcome. 

Answers. Young hitters seldom have a "portfolio" of solutions to call upon to score. Your offseason mission is to acquire "leverage" of more ways to score. 

• Full force attacks
• Camouflage and tip
• Cut shots. "Thumb down" 
• Fingertips (of blockers)
• Push off the outside blocker

"Figure out" how to do more with less height, less vertical, or less strength and still find ways to score. 

Lagniappe. Study tape. Here's the D1 final. Can you read the hitters, read the block? 

 

Impactful

You won't have your best stuff every day, but excellent players find ways to win without their best stuff.

Having "craft versatility" allows you to attack with more than smashes. Have other arrows in your quiver - tips, cut shots, pushes to the deep corner. And don't let your offense interfere with your defense.

Bob Rotello tells a story about Tom Kite playing with the legendary Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus played the first three holes perfectly, then hooked a shot with his driver nearly out of bounds. From then on that round, Nicklaus buried the driver in the bag and played great golf with his three wood and long irons.

The message is that Nicklaus understood he couldn't use the round to work on his mechanics. He needed to impact the golf course with other clubs. Nobody can focus on the game and their mechanics during a match. 

Your other clubs also include intangibles:

• Focus
• Communication
• Energy - energizing yourself and teammates
• Leadership 
• Resilience

Lagniappe. Working on your habits is working on your results. 

Championship habits always show up before championship results. pic.twitter.com/3UukyKgp8R

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) November 10, 2025

Relationships Are Primary

Seattle Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald - What Players Want

- "Players want to be coached. They want a connection. They want a coach that trusts/believes in them & to teach them the stuff that works. They want to be challenged but you have to build a relationship first to challenge… pic.twitter.com/pBVcxkeV2k

— James Light (@JamesALight) January 18, 2026

Relationships allow mutual trust among coaches and players. The coach wants the team and each player to succeed. How do you measure success for the elite player, the 'average' player, and the less gifted but good player? 

• Respect that the team comes first. And act that way. 
• Demand more from yourself to make the team better. 
• Don't make "trust" or "respect" dependent on playing time. 
• "Block out the noise." 
• Solve problems "inside the boat." 

Lagniappe. You impact the whole. 

If every player on your team behaved like you do, how good would your team be? #DailyWisdom pic.twitter.com/Ec2oJlaazO

— Ball is Psych (@BallisPsych) January 19, 2026

 

This "I" Word, Not That One

Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley on Kelvin Sampson's 17-1 team: "Houston just tries to beat you into submission. And make you want to quit or be somewhere else. The intensity that they play with is probably different than anything that I've played against this year." pic.twitter.com/GYRzGcDnY0

— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) January 19, 2026

"Be easy to play with and hard to play against." - Anonymous

The "I" word is intensity. This appears over and over again in sports and life. 

• "The best teams play harder for longer." - Coach Dave Smart
• "Intensity, immediacy, and intelligence." - Coach Nick Saban
• "Throw her into a room full of wildcats and she comes out with a fur coat." 

"Play with force." Teams that are hard to play against apply constant pressure - pressure on the serve, aggressive attack, and force on the block. 

Play fully engaged, focused all the time. 

• Focused teams communicate. 
• They surrender momentum as easily as pulling teeth. "Stops make runs." 
• They anticipate, reading plays early, to execute better. 

Lagniappe. Excellent video on defensive positioning with lots of emphasis 

on why. 

  

Become the Standard

“Rules are for those who cannot follow direction. Standards are for those who aspire to do special things.”@TimCorbin pic.twitter.com/84HWWufScM

— Bob Starkey (@CoachBobStarkey) January 12, 2026

Players create memories - of the 'guys' who show up every day as competitors, communicators, and great teammates.

When you coach and watch sports for ages, players and plays resonate. 

The 2022 team showed maximum resilience during a postseason match with Billerica with one of the greatest points in MVB history. 

Set 4, Melrose leads 23-22. Ruth Breen slows an attack, Emma Desmond makes a running one-handed save going out of bounds, and Chloe Gentile gets a kill with an athletic adjustment. The bench goes wild. 

The standard happens at the intersection of skill, strategy (including game understanding), physicality (conditioning), and psychology (resilience). 

Become the standard. It's dishonest to say you'd rather have a 2-star player with a 5-star attitude than a 5-star player with a 2-star attitude. Coaches want 5-star players with 5-star attitudes. 

"Always do your best." Being the best version of yourself daily won't come easy. It won't always win or make you an all-star. But it brings peace of mind and dispels regret. 

As Jim Rohn said, "we suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." 

Lagniappe. Timeless..."an accumulation of your thoughts, your habits, and your priorities." 

This advice will change your life. pic.twitter.com/lk91ShlR2h

— Words of Wise | Mindset Coach (@Wordofwise_) January 9, 2026

Don't Be a Magician with a Disappearing Act

Coach Jiri Popelka shares a plea for craft.

Velocity is a tool. Craft is a skill. MVP hitters master both and rely on judgment.

Popelka expounds:

MVP hitters play a different game 🏆

If you want to be MVP of the match, you need a different setting in your mind.

MVP hitters think:

• What information did the block just give me?

• What shot keeps pressure, even without full power?

• How do I stay useful on every ball?

I don't pay attention to pre-game warmups because I've seen hundreds of "warmup heroes" be non-impactful during games.

Why? Because KPH (kilometers per hour) don't automatically transfer to KPM (kills per match). Some of MVB's best hitters were "Slam Mastersons" and others balanced power and placement. Create pressure without maximum force. 

• Power-only hitters are predictable

• Craft hitters are stress multipliers

Every elite hitter carries a portfolio. Some days the fastball wins. Some days it’s placement and disguise. For example, as an outside hitter, what is you attack portfolio? 

• Full attack (line or crosscourt) 
• Cut shots 
• Tooling the outside blocker 
• Tips
• Roll shots 

Those who transform athleticism and game understanding into skill that wins points will have invested time to create opportunity for themselves.  

Lagniappe. "Form begets function." In addition to "live ball" training, you can do "shadow drills" without a gym or teammates. 

Have a Plan to Win Today

Coach John Wooden's UCLA Bruins won ten NCAA Men's basketball championships, including nine in ten years.

It wasn't overnight success. He won his first in his 16th season at UCLA. He is in the Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and a coach. 

In less than a minute, John Wooden explained how to conquer each day better than anyone I've ever heard‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/IYReRIGir0

— Leaders 𝕏 Junction (@LeadersJunction) January 15, 2026

Wooden earned a Bachelor's Degree in English from Purdue in 1928. He was a teacher, coach, and philosopher. His father Joshua had a profound influence on him including some of his sayings.

- "Make every day your masterpiece" was his father's adage. 

- Put yesterday in the rearview mirror, win or lose.

- "Win today" is the message. 

Lagniappe. Turn possible into excellence. 

Bill Belichick shares the 3 things he saw in Tom Brady that made him great.

"His talent was okay. But he was very smart, he loved football, and he worked extremely hard."

"Day after day after day after day, he just kept improving."

Brady came in as the 4th string quarterback -… https://t.co/TeeDOBYcbt pic.twitter.com/qSADdgbXFg

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) January 15, 2026

 

Higher Impact Service

"Life is about the management of risk."

Be a thinker - a volleyball machine that is a fighter. The one area that falls fully under team control is serving. And each serve comes with a balance between reward (the possibility of an ace or hard to return serve) and risk (service error or 'easy to return' serve).

The server chooses among:

• Pace (velocity)
• Spin (topspin, sidespin, no spin)
• Direction (zone, seams)
• Depth (e.g. short or deep)
• Receiver

What are viable options and why? Think first, then read on. 

Think about a Stable of S's. And remember that "setting is your first attack." 

Sideline

Mark Twain is credited with saying, "there are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies, and statistics." Imagine that serving between the receiver and the sideline has the highest chance of scoring. It probably has the highest chance of going out of bounds, too. 

Seams (between zone 1-6 or 5-6)

Serving to seams can create confusion among receivers. Is it mine or is it hers? Better teams communicate (ELO - early, loud, often) and don't get confused. Under pressure or noise, receivers may make errors). 

Short

Short serves barely "clear the tape," seeking sanctuary near or inside the ten-foot line. This can happen with short serves (e.g. Brooke Bell) or high topspin (Karen Sen). This stresses the back row defender to make a play on the ball or a credible pass. The risk is service error failing to clear the net. I'll argue that in a "gotta have it" point, the risk dominates. 

Softee

Ms. Softee is the weakest receiver. 2500 year-old advice comes from General Sun Tzu, "Utilize strengths. Attack weaknesses. Attacking the "weak sister" defender is just smart. 

Setter

Attacking the setter creates "out of system" play...pass-set-hit...becomes setter-secondary-attacker. 

Lagniappe. Sport is symmetry. If we attack weaknesses, defenses seek to bolster them. 

Bonus video.

 

Bonus Recipe: Desperate Cinnamon Rolls - Memories from the early 1960s

Bonus recipe for regular readers - "Desperate" cinnamon rolls. Why desperate? Because they're ready fast when you need them! 

No yeast, no rise, and ready in a jiffy. This reminded me of pie crust leftovers from my grandmother when I was a boy...she rolled and filled the extra dough and baked.  

Recipe from ChatGPT Plus (could probably use 1/3 cup of brown sugar instead of a half) 

Why this works

• No yeast

• No rise time

• Soft, biscuit-like texture

• Cinnamon-forward (your preference)

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ¾ cup milk

• ¼ cup melted butter

Filling

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 2 tbsp cinnamon (don’t be shy)

• 2 tbsp softened butter

Optional glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1–2 tbsp milk

• Splash of vanilla

Steps (15 minutes prep)

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Mix dry dough ingredients, stir in milk + butter.

3. Roll into a rectangle.

4. Spread butter, sprinkle brown sugar + cinnamon.

5. Roll tight, slice.

6. Bake 20–25 min.

7. Glaze warm.

Enjoy! 

Checking In with Yourself

https://t.co/zMjrmuBssf

— Thad Wells (@ThadWells) January 14, 2026

Bringing your best version takes work. Your best is the mix of your condition and rest, your soreness, your mental state, and checking in publicly.

If all your teammates were getting eight hours of sleep nightly and you were getting six, you are not competing on a level playing field.

Robust training and recovery are needed for high performance. Make it a priority. 

Lagniappe. There's work to do before you make plays. 

Seven Words

Simplify your story. What MVB narrative are you writing? Only you can provide that answer.

Key Point 1. You define your destiny.

You start with a blank slate. 

• What are your goals? 
• What advances your goals? 
• How do you track progress? 

Key Point 2. You are not alone. 

• "Everyone benefits from coaching." - Sean McVay
• "The only shortcut to excellence is mentoring." 
• "Look for the helpers." - Mr. Rogers

Key Point 3. Make your story great.

• Be memorable. Winning is memorable. 
• Your light reflects off your teammates. 
• To lead is to serve. 

The best players keep it simple. They see the game. They make good decisions. They execute the plays. They make others better.

Use no more than seven words. What are your seven words? Now write. 

Lagniappe. Form begets function. 

 

  

Playing Time

Gregg Popovich said, “It’s your job to make me play you.”

Playing time is earned.

A victim mindset says…I didn’t play because coach doesn’t like me.

A winning mindset says…I didn’t play because I haven’t earned it yet.

Don’t be a victim.pic.twitter.com/6iGZp3Xhe4

— Greg Berge (@GregBerge) January 14, 2026

Everyone wants more playing time. How do you get it? There are no secrets.

• Make the players around you better. 
• Earn Coach Scott Celli's trust. 
• Impact winning. 
• Trust the process - preparation, practice, execution.
• Be ready for every opportunity.

Without exception, everyone gets opportunities. The players able to take advantage of them earn more opportunities. Player performance sets the lineups. 

Rhetoric*

*Adapted from my basketball blog. 

All opinions expressed within the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose Organization

"No lines, no laps, no lectures..." - Brian McCormick

Coaches teach life, sport, and more - even language. Rhetorical devices are language tools of persuasion. Everyone uses them. Everyone can use them better. McCormick's quote stresses efficiency - getting more done in the time alloted. 

Coach Scott Celli asks players to give "shout outs" recognizing a teammate for extra effort or focus. During the Belmont game last year, a parent said that in their family, "there are only two seasons - volleyball season and offseason volleyball." 

Tricolon

McCormick's quote uses tricolon, three words or phrases used to grab attention and make an impression. You know Caesar's "I came, I saw, I conquered" or MacArthur's "duty, honor, country."

"Play hard, play smart, play together." I've heard that credited to Morgan Wootten 

"Vision, decision, execution." I've chosen that as another version of "see it, choose it, do it." 

"Teamwork. Improvement. Accountability."  Asking team members to remember laundry lists of values can be a "fool's errand." In his MasterClass, Navy SEAL team leader Jocko Willink tells the story of a team member who asks for three things to remember, "because I can't remember more than that." 

Metaphor

Metaphor compares two dissimilar things to highlight similarities. 

"Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson   Jackson expresses a core value similar to "force multiplier" or a team can be greater "than the sum of its parts." 

"The ball has energy."  Willing passers create not only better angles and better shots but goodwill. Players have less incentive to pass or to move if they believe they won't get the ball back. 

"The ball is a camera."  If you want the ball, then you must get in a position where the ball (the passer) can see you. The camera metaphor emphasizes the value of playing without the ball. 

Chiasmus

Chiasmus mirrors words, phrases, or ideas in reverse order, often an A-B-B-A pattern. Kennedy's 1961 inauguration featured, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." 

"Do more to become more. Become more to do more." Encourage players to embrace their roles while working to grow them. 

"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." - John Wooden   Better coaches and players have specific plans to create advantage when facing tough opponents. Belichick shared Sun Tzu's Art of War advice, "Utilize strengths; attack weaknesses." Trader Linda Bradford Raschke reminds investors to "Plan your trade and trade your plan." 

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” - Phil Jackson   This reminds all of us of the famous line, "the strength of the wolf is the pack." 

Some lines do heavy lifting.

Dean Smith said, “A lion never roars after a kill.” Smith's quote applies multiple metaphors - the lion is the winner, the kill is victory, and roaring symbolizes boasting or taunting. He messages his team to "Act like you've been there before."

Studying effective players, coaches, and their language helps us to become better communicators and influencers for our teams. 

Lagniappe. Adversity is our companion. We cannot wish it away.

Nick Saban said, "There can be no great victories in your life unless you overcome adversity."

"You can’t be a great competitor unless you overcome adversity. That's mental."

The best aren't fearless - they just keep showing up.

They choose toughness, persistence, and grit. pic.twitter.com/ybVBSwHbSv

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

Lagniappe 2. “There is seldom just one cockroach in the kitchen. You know, you turn on the light and, all of sudden, they all start scurrying around.” - Warren Buffett

Good teams have solid organization, training, and discipline. Less effective teams seldom have "one cockroach." There are usually correctable issues with preparation and training leading to execution problems. 

 

Convictions into Action*

*Inspired by On Character, by Stanley McChrystal

Hope is not a plan. 

"Convictions set the direction of our intentions, but discipline provides the impetus to move. Without the discipline to adhere to them, our best beliefs are just opinions—and everybody has some." - Stanley McChrystal in On Character: Choices That Define a Life

Like planting a tree, there's no doubt that the best time to do better was decades ago. The second best time is now.

As young people, first, what do you want? Second, if you know what you want, what will it take to access that? Then, are you willing to make the effort and sacrifices to get that? 

You have full ownership, mirrored by choice. You alone can make the commitment and exercise discipline. 

Character (Your Personal House)

Character Equation:

CHARACTER = CONVICTIONS x DISCIPLINE 

restated

CHARACTER - BELIEFS x ACTION

Your build your "house". 

CONVICTIONS (select your own)

• Learning creates a blueprint (for personal and group development)
• Share (be a good teammate not a selfish one) - starts with family
• Coaching drives performance ("Everyone benefits from coaching.")

DISCIPLINE 

• Set high standards, chased by daily actions.
• Show up every day. "Always do your best." 
• Do the right thing not the easy thing.

How do you "build your house?" 

Richie McCaw, created by ChatGPT Plus

1) Start with a blueprint. Think about what you want. 

2) Write it down. If you want to be the best libero in the state, write it. Writing is reality. When Richie McCaw was eight years old, his uncle had him sign a paper, Richie McCaw, G.A.B. (Greatest All-Black...New Zealand rugby team)

3) Track performance. "Winners are trackers."

Lagniappe. Attack better; monitor your performance. 

 

Bonus Post - The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ever

Regular readers pick up bonus recipes. Here's the best grilled cheese sandwich ever:

Ingredients: quantity depends on volume

Sliced sourdough bread (can substitute)

• Uncooked spinach
• Cream cheese
• Sliced tomato
• Mozzarella (shredded)
• Feta (crumbled)
• Mayonaisse 
• Dijon mustard
• Garlic

Create a mayo spread with about 2 tablespoons of mayo and tablespoon of Dijon

Wash and wilt the spinach in olive oil over medium heat about 2-3 minutes with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Combine the wilted spinach with cream cheese. 

1. On one-side of bread put the mayo spread 

2. On the other side add the spinach/cream cheese spread

3. Fill the ungrilled sandwich with tomato, shredded mozzarella, and feta crumble

Grill the sandwich in butter for about three minutes on each side. Covering the pan may help melt the cheese better. 

The flavor profile is terrific...but it's a bit messy. 

Patriots Team Building - The 4 Hs

View on Threads

Team building is part of team culture. Many of you have played together for years. That doesn't mean that you've shared your 4 'H' experience. 

Here are the H's that Coach Mike Vrabel had players share: 

• History - most pro athletes don't grow up privileged. There's a saying in basketball about many growing up on 'the wrong side of the tracks'. 
• Heroes - Anybody could be your heroes. Women have been underrepresented in "Hero Culture." "Make friends with the dead," because only about seven percent of people ever born are alive today. Three women to consider are Eleanor Roosevelt, Frances Perkins (the first woman cabinet appointee), and Arlene Blum, an adventure who led the first all-woman team to climb Annapurna, one of 14 Himalayan peaks over 8,000 meters. There's an app - HERSTORY. "The Herstory app (often titled “Lessons in Herstory”) is a free educational augmented-reality (AR) app designed to bring women’s stories into history education by revealing important but often omitted women alongside traditional textbook content."
• Heartbreak - adversity is our companion in life. Sometimes we have to push through when things aren't working for us. "What is the lesson?"
• Hopes - your hopes and dreams are uniquely yours. Dream big and work even bigger. 

Control What You Can Control - Being a Great Teammate

A former player of mine told me about a friend and teammate. She said that the young woman was barely playing despite having won a state championship in high school, earning a scholarship.

The player told her that regardless of her minutes, her attitude wouldn't change. She would give her best effort at practice every day. 

Control what you can control. 

Control your attitude, choices, and effort. Being a great teammate impacts the team, your teammates, and you. Attitude, choices, and effort impact winning and demonstrate character. Reputation is what others think of us. Character is who we are. 

The overall "roster level" of volleyball skill has improved over time. The amount of playing time available has not.

Being a great teammate - punctual, prepared, studying the game plan and opponents, being in condition, practicing hard, supporting teammates - is a choice. Everyone cannot be a great player, but everyone can be a great teammate. 

Here's an AI take from the writings of Jeff Janssen, sports culture expert:

Jeff Janssen’s writing on team culture and “Most Valuable Teammates” boils down to a handful of repeatable behaviors—the stuff that shows up every day, not just in speeches. Here are five top attributes (with Janssen-style language and examples):

1. Team-first mentality
   Great teammates consistently put the group over ego—asking, “How can I best help us win?” rather than “How do I get mine?” janssensportsleadership.com

2. Role ownership and dependability
   They know, embrace, and execute their role with consistency—bringing reliable effort, readiness, and professionalism so coaches and teammates can trust them.

3. Positive energy and encouragement
   They build people up in concrete ways—compliment hard-working teammates, reinforce good habits, and keep the group emotionally steady.

4. Accountability with courage
   They’re willing to challenge unmotivated teammates and confront selfish behavior—peer-to-peer standards enforcement is a hallmark of “championship cultures.”

5. Care and connection (especially when someone struggles)
   They notice teammates who are struggling and respond like a leader—comforting them, staying respectful, and strengthening trust inside the locker room.

Lagniappe. Volleyball, like basketball, has offense, defense, and conversion from offense to defense. "Ball watching" instead of getting to spots, reading the play, slows down preparation and reaction.

 

Protecting Your Mental Toughness

Adversity is your companion. It challenges you. It changes you. It strengthens you or it beats you.

What "mental toughness qualities" have MVB standouts shown? 

• They rose up to meet challenges, even against boys (Burlington, 2005).
• They did not quit even when their backs were against the wall (too numerous to count).
• They won as underdogs on the road.
• They competed and won a sectional with young players (2010). 
• Top players competed under the weather and still put forth great effort. Sadie Jaggers played the "Jordan Game" in 2023. 

The key isn't more motivation - it's being aware of yourself, your mindset, and your actions.

Here are 6 traps that break mental toughness: pic.twitter.com/4jHfYQEiNW

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) November 11, 2025

1. Do hard well. 

2. Choose to succeed. Success is a choice.

3. Deserve to win. Age does not define you.

4. Set high standards.

5. See yourself as a champion before you are one.

6. Trust and believe in each other.  

Lagniappe. What separates the best from other players? It isn't what you might think. 

What the top 5% of tennis players all have in common pic.twitter.com/FnMBGaT8Lk

— Mindset Machine  (@Mindset_Machine) January 7, 2026

Plumbing the Depths of History

“Arnold’s effectiveness lay in (1) flexibility & tactical sense, (2) calm under fire, (3) ability to inspire loyalty & confidence in men through force of personal example.” - from “Once an Eagle” by Anton Myrer - did you know that Benedict Arnold, synonymous with traitor, was once an American military hero? 

"Once an Eagle" is a must read for aspiring military officers. The novel serves as a metaphorical manual for leadership.

As you matriculate through school, ask yourself what makes you effective as a leader and what makes you worthy of followers? 

Everyone can lead. You don't need a title to lead. Titles by themselves do not establish leadership. 

What words do you associate with leaders? Some examples:

• Character
• Competence
• Culture
• Communicator (organization, preparation, positivity)
• Connection

What's your "leadership growth" plan? 

In the Boston Sunday Globe, Nicole Yang reveals that Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel asked each player to share his 4Hs - history, hero, heartbreak, and  hopes. What are your 4Hs? 

Lagniappe: ChatGPT Plus extracts and shares leadership concepts from the MVB blog.

Here are six leadership lessons that show up repeatedly on the Melrose Volleyball (MVB) blog—written as actionable “do this” points for high school athletes.

1) Lead where you stand (distributed leadership)

MVB stresses that great teams aren’t just “captain-led.” They’re player-led: athletes hold standards, model habits, and own the process—every day, not only on game night.

Try this: Pick one “non-stat” leadership job per week (energy, communication, bring a teammate along, reset after errors) and own it.

2) Model excellence with consistency

The blog emphasizes that leadership is visible in the boring stuff: punctuality, effort, positivity, showing up daily, and “how excellence looks” (attention, listening, posture, communication).

Try this: Be the same person in warmups as you are in the fifth set.

3) Use a “North Star” to filter choices under stress

MVB frames a North Star as a behavior filter, especially when the scoreboard is ugly or emotions are loud: it keeps you aligned with values and prevents the “easy wrong” choices.

Try this: Write a 1–2 line North Star (team + personal). When you feel rattled, ask: “Is my next action on-brand?”

4) Culture is what you accept—so choose what you tolerate

One recurring theme: culture beats slogans. It’s built by what the group permits (effort, respect, gratitude, humility, unity). Leadership means protecting the culture daily, not occasionally.

Try this: If something is slipping (negativity, eye-rolls, loafing), address it early—calmly and specifically.

5) Make teammates better (mentoring + specifics)

The blog calls out leadership as mentoring and lifting others—upperclassmen teaching “this is how we do it,” and leaders focusing on specific ways to raise the group’s level.

Try this: Each practice, help one teammate with one concrete thing (a serve routine cue, footwork, a confidence reset).

6) Build antifragility: learn from stress, don’t fear it

MVB pushes “antifragility”: teams grow stronger by embracing process, adaptability, resilience, and “self-organizing” leadership—players solving problems, holding each other accountable, and learning from losses without blame.

Try this: After a loss or rough practice, write: (1) what happened, (2) what I controlled, (3) what I’ll do differently next time.

 

Apologies - Both Unoriginal and Original Thinking

All opinions expressed in this blog are solely mine. It is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization. 

Writing daily during the season is easy. During the 'offseason' I take a cue from "Finding Forrester," and use other people's words to launch into a few of my own. "The blog" recently crossed the '5200' threshold, which is not to mistake quantity for quality. None of us can separate our values independently from our experience. 

Dr. Fergus Connolly, Human Performance expert, shares his expertise often on linked in, as well as in several exceptional books. 

What coaches seek is high performance. Dr. Connolly shares that efficiency is not the same as execution, although they can be linked. 

Visiting a team's practice can "unlock" ideas about efficiency. For example:

• Ralph Labella and I visited the UCONN women's practice which has high tempo, assisted by at least six managers. They track everything. I couldn't tell whether practice was taped. I expect it was. 
• Brad Stevens discussed the value of attending Patriots' practices during the Belichick era. Ellen and I attended a Celtics' practice and saw the importance of assistants as they led the practice as the team prepared for the Raptors. 
• I scripted practices according to what "need" areas I perceived for our young players. The practice was organized to be at least 50 percent fundamentals (ballhandling, shooting, player development) and lesser portions on team offense and defense, handling defensive pressure, scrimmages and "special situations" like out-of-bounds plays and after timeouts (ATOs)

As a player, think about potential need areas for the team, for you individually, and how your skills fit into that picture. 

MVB 26 will look 'different' than MVB 25 with challenging competition at virtually every position. The fiercest competition may arise from the "scoring" slots - service-generated points, pin hitters, and individual/combination blocking. If getting and staying on the court drive you, those roads need navigation. 

Lagniappe. Student-athletes learn leadership from those closest to them (family, peers, teachers/coaches) and from reading. Here's an AI (DeepSeek) post about leadership lessons from "Once an Eagle." Select as many as you feel resonate with you. 

Coach Ellis Lane shared enduring principles with us - family, school, basketball. 

Anton Myrer's epic military and leadership novel, Once an Eagle, is a foundational text for many military officers and business leaders, framed as a lifelong contrast between two archetypes: the selfless, strategic Sam Damon and the ambitious, political Courtney Massengale. (Note: to be labeled a Massengale is a career-crippler in the military.) 

The top ten leadership principles, drawn from the virtues of Sam Damon and the failings of Courtney Massengale, are:

1. The Mission and Your Men Come Before Yourself. This is the novel's core, captured in the famous quote: "There is only one rule, one immutable law: of the mission and the men... the men come first, and the mission must always be accomplished." A true leader serves both, sacrificing personal ambition for their fulfillment.

2. Lead from the Front. Sam Damon consistently shares the hardships and dangers of his troops. He believes you cannot understand the reality of a situation or earn genuine respect from a position of insulated comfort. Presence builds trust.

3. Master Your Craft. Be a technical and tactical expert. Damon studies logistics, terrain, history, and the minutiae of soldiering. Competence is the foundation of credibility. Massengale, by contrast, is a master of "the system" and theory, not the gritty reality.

4. Moral Courage Over Political Savvy. The book's central conflict. Doing the right thing is more important than doing the career-advancing thing. Damon repeatedly chooses integrity over promotion, even when it costs him. Massengale's political maneuvering ultimately leads to catastrophe.

5. Know the Terrain (Literally and Figuratively). Damon's legendary ability to read a map and the actual ground is a metaphor for understanding the true reality of any situation—the human terrain of your team, the market, the enemy. Don't rely on reports from afar.

6. Simplicity and Clarity in Orders. Damon's operations are built on clear, achievable objectives understood at all levels. Massengale's plans are often complex, aesthetically pleasing on paper, but brittle and incomprehensible to those who must execute them.

7. Take Care of Your People. This goes beyond basic needs. It means knowing their names, their families, their capacities, and fighting for their welfare. Damon's men follow him because they know he sees them as human beings, not tools.

8. The Power of Decisiveness in the Face of Uncertainty. "A tolerable plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week." Damon understands that inaction in a crisis is often the greatest failure. He gathers what information he can, then acts.

9. Humility and Continuous Learning. The truly strong leader is never afraid to admit a mistake, learn from a subordinate, or adapt. Damon is a constant student. Massengale's fatal flaw is his arrogance and inability to accept criticism or blame.

10. The Long View: Build for the Future. True leadership is about stewardship—leaving your organization, your unit, or your people better than you found it. It's about developing the next generation of leaders (like Damon does with individuals like Bowdon), not just building a personal monument.

In Essence: The novel argues that authentic, enduring leadership (Damon-style) is rooted in character, competence, and selfless service, while the counterfeit (Massengale-style), though often successful in the short term, is built on ambition, politics, and personal aggrandizement and ultimately fails when tested. The title itself is the final lesson: in the long moral arc of history, the cunning of the serpent (Massengale's emblem) will always be subordinate to, and defeated by, the courageous heart of the eagle (Damon's emblem).