Ownership

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

"Practicing hard is a choice. Watching extra film is a choice. Lifting weights, being coachable, and going to class are a choice. Your choices here are going to force me to either play you, or sit you on the bench. You’ll get exactly what you want." (Pat Summitt) pic.twitter.com/xHvmkWVqi3

— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) March 3, 2026

"You own your paycheck." Your paycheck includes your minutes, your role, and your recognition. "Control what you can control" - attitude, choices, and effort. 

Long ago 12 year-old (future billionaire) Mark Cuban wanted a new pair of sneakers. A neighbor offered surplus boxes of trash bags that he would sell Mark for $3 dollars per box. Mark went door to door and sold them for $6. He earned the money and got the sneakers. The rest is history. 

“The only time you look into someone else’s cup is to check if they have enough. (not to check if yours is fuller).” - New York City therapist 

Some outstanding MVB players start out at one spot and relocate to another. Alyssa DiRaffaele moved from the front row to libero. She helped the 2011 team reach the State finals. Gia Vlakjovic moved from setter to outside hitter and helped MVB win a pair of sectionals. Sadie Jaggers moved from the middle to outside and had a memorable season as a "Triple Crown" winner. Be open to positional change for the good of the team if that arises. 

Take ownership of what matters - helping the team succeed, making everyone around you better, leading, and being your best version every day. 

Lagniappe. Study Alyssa DiRaffaele 

Lagniappe 2. Repost. The 'obvious' point about topspin is that you must 'hit' above the equator of the ball...also, you don't need a gym to practice your toss. 

Lagniappe 3. Quotes from "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

"It’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate." At its core, leadership raises standards for both individuals and teams. 

"Discipline equals freedom." When we are disciplined in doing what we must do when it must be done, we earn more freedom from high performance. 

"The most fundamental and important truths at the heart of Extreme Ownership: there are no bad teams, only bad leaders." Good leadership helps teams perform to the best of their ability. Teams perform above the level of their "talent" when they embrace leadership, coachability, and teamwork.