What Kind of Player Are You?

"In the end, once we got him here and once he got in the field, Rob was great. He was great. He had a great career here, but he was a great teammate. Everybody loved him and not because of his (personality) and all that, but just the way he competed and the type of teammate he was. Sometimes the first impression is not always the right one.” - Bill Belichick about Rob Gronkowski via Mike Giardi in Boston Sports Journal

What kind of player are you? 

First, the question should be, "What kind of person are you?" as we place the person ahead of the player. Players are "people" not "assets" or "pieces on the board." You have feelings, families, friends, strengths and weaknesses. That's humanity. 

1. Person > Player

"How you do anything is how you do everything." As Mike Lingenfelter said, "Culture comes from consistency." 

Help at home, excel in the classroom, do your best on the court.

2. Compete

Learn to compete. Ask yourself, "what does competing look like in volleyball?" 

• Focus. Attention is the first price paid.
• Coachability. Listen and do your best to follow coaching.
• Preparation. Develop skill, volleyball IQ, physicality, resilience. 
• Communicate. Excellent teams communicate, which is more than talking. 
• Performance. Execution is vision, decision, and resilient action. 
• Recovery. Maintenance is part of the program. 

3. Teamwork

Put the team first. Encourage others. Be a leader and a mentor. You do not need a title or have to be an upperclassman to lead. Many of the MVB "youth movement" are leaders.

Teamwork doesn't mean silent acceptance of whatever. In his MasterClass, Ron Howard said, "The director is the keeper of the story." Leadership from within the team keeps the story arc moving. Bring energy and energize others. Praise when appropriate and redirect when necessary. 

As Belichick said, the impactful player is about more than having personality - it's competitive character, leadership, and impact. The best players make everyone around them better. 

What kind of player are you?

Lagniappe.  

“My father always used to say, don't raise your voice. Improve your argument.”

— Desmond Tutu

— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) July 13, 2026

Lagniappe 2. Play with force. Power your approach to attack and block. 

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