You Are the Standard

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

*Post constructed with AI assistance and then edited extensively.

Prompt: Create a post using my basketball and volleyball posts, in my voice, about "becoming the standard." That means regarding leadership, communication, adding value, and living with empathy.

Teams talk about standards. 

Work hard. Be a good teammate. Compete. Communicate. Lead. “What does your standard look like?”

Can people see the standard when they watch you?

Leadership isn't a title gifted by a coach, captain's vote, or seniority. Leadership appears as behavior repeated often enough that other people begin to trust it.

You arrive early. You know the job. You communicate. You compete whether you're starting, sitting, winning, losing, tired, or frustrated. 

Eventually people notice. You don't talk about the standard. You become it.

Leadership

Leadership begins with responsibility. Great leaders don't ask, “What's in it for me?” They ask, “What does the team need from me?” and "What does the game need from me?"

Sometimes that's twenty points or fifteen kills. Sometimes it's defending the opponent's best player, taking a charge, or chasing a ball into the bleachers.

And sometimes leadership means accepting fewer minutes with full-throated support of the teammate who replaced you. "Attitude reflects leadership."

Feelings are real. So are responsibilities. Leaders learn the difference. Nobody needs perfection. Everyone needs reliability. Coaches need guys they trust. 

Communication

Teams cannot achieve without communication. Basketball and volleyball are invasion games played at speed. Information expires. Rapidly. 

“Help!”

“Short!”

"Mine!"

Calling the play three seconds late announces the rain after everyone is soaked. Communicate early, loud, and often. And communication extends beyond the court.

Listen. Ask questions. Tell teammates what they need to know...in a way that demands their attention. And realize that sarcasm, criticism, and humor echo. The question isn't merely what you intended. The question is how you made the other person feel. 

Great communication creates shared understanding.

Add Value

Every player should ask: "How do I make this team better?"

Stars add obvious value. The offensive engine scores. The setter directs the attack. The libero reshapes impending disaster into a playable ball. Anna did that late in the Newburyport game playing a ball that ricocheted off the ceiling. 

Contribution isn't limited to stars. Raise the practice tone. Become an elite communicator.

Maybe you're the first teammate off the bench to celebrate someone else's success. Maybe you notice someone sitting alone. Maybe you see parts of the scouting report that matter more. 

Maybe you're the player who hits the floor every time without hesitation (Dani). That inspires others to do the same. 

Talent has value. So do energy, preparation, toughness, encouragement, and reliability.

Empathy

Empathy gets less attention. Intangibles usually do. We can't fully know the baggage that teammates carry into the gym.

A teammate may struggle academically. Her parents may be divorcing. Sometimes a teammate doesn't get enough calories. Someone she loves may be sick. She may have lost confidence, sleep, a friendship, or something more important than basketball.

The distracted player may not need a lecture. She needs someone to care.

Empathy isn't lowering standards. It's understanding 'team' while maintaining standards.

Coaches sometimes confuse hardness with strength. Players sometimes confuse indifference with toughness. Neither is required. Demand excellence and treat people with dignity and respect.

The best leaders do.

Become That Guy

Culture is not what appears on the locker-room wall. Culture is what happens when coaches aren't around. Standards work that way.

Want a team that communicates? Communicate.

Want toughness? Compete.

Want unselfishness? Pass the ball.

Want accountability? Own your mistakes.

Want empathy? Pay attention to people. 

The strongest standard is not what you demand from somebody else. It's the consistent behavior which others choose to repeat. Standards can hurt. They leave floor burns and hoarseness and exhaustion. 

Standards define seasons. Don't point toward the standard. Become the standard.