Continuity and More

From Michael Reiss, ESPN Boston, "He casts vision as well as anyone I've ever met. He has a great knack for identifying for how you're going to go win a game, painting that picture for the team, and demanding accountability they go and produce that. That's a pretty special thing. It's not common." -- Patriots WRs coach Todd Downing, on Mike Vrabel 

Winning is hard. That's why it's special.

Small town newspapers that flourish do so by "naming names," often and spelled correctly. Most scrapbooks today feature online stories. Young players should be compiling theirs. 

Achieve recognition through the synergy of character and competence. Both show up on and off the field because "how you do anything is how you do everything."

Exemplary coaches teach players to "see the game" and "put their teams in the best position to win." Coach Scott Celli has done that through the years without the ability to recruit anything but local talent.

Between sets, freshmen Dani DiGiorgio, Alisa Dautovic, and Adriana Santoriello were giggling in the back row. That reminded me of the scene from "Trouble with the Curve," where Amy Adams asks the rookie phenom facing the top draft pick if he's nervous. 

Balancing "win today" and "win tomorrow" (years from now) has always been a feature of MVB. Coach Celli has the eye for talent and the knack for developing it.

In addition to the "core offensive attack" of Sabine Wenzel and Sadie Smith, don't sleep on the early season steadiness of right side Elise Marchais and middle Maggie Shoemaker. Both have "waited for their turn" and taken advantage. 

There more "there" there with talent in reserve. Adele Akland is a capable defender and right side Juliet Chevalier showed potential during scrimmages. 

Anna Burns is a key contributor in the defensive rotation and has served well. 

Ella Friedlaender features powerful athleticism who will contribute this season and Emme Boyer, who might be Melrose's "decathlete" if they had one, is out with an injury. Sabrina McArt will be rotating into the middle hitter spot and has potential as what I call, "Jack in the Box" attacking and blocking. 

Freshman Leila Kiggundu is a capable setter with "volleyball DNA" and a rocket serve. 

#	Player	Grade	Position	Height
	Leila Kiggundu	Fr.	S	-
	Anna Burns	Jr.	DS	-
	Adele Akland	Sr.	DS	-
	Elise Marchais	So.	OH	-
	Juliet Chevalier	Sr.	OH, RS	-
	Maggie Shoemaker	Jr.	MH	-
	Emme Boyer	Sr.	OH, MH, RS	-
	Sabine Wenzel	Sr.	MH	-
	Sadie Smith	So.	S	-
	Sabrina McArt	So.	MH	-
	Alisa Dautovic	Fr.	OH	-
	Adriana Santoriello	Fr.	OH	-
	Ella Friedlaender	So.	RS	-
	Daniella DiGiorgio	Fr.	DS	-

Long-term success requires teamwork, across-the-board contributions, and in-season growth with player and team development. Take advantage of every day with grit and a growth mindset. 

Dreams

“If nobody laughs at your dream, it’s not big enough.”

"One Brick a Day"

Continuous improvement: pic.twitter.com/YoG7wBaSbI

— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) September 6, 2025

Practice allows for personal and team growth. Small daily gains produce exponential long-term improvement.

1. Grow communication through practice.

2. Continue to refine service technique and location. Friday's match showed a lot of promise in both. Set specific practice goals. 

3. Hitters, work on your technique. Study video of 'classic' technique, the "best practices" of teammates, and your personal video. Check your footwork, backswing, and armswing examining point of contact (high, extension). 

Scoring Analysis, Second Set

What matters is not only the score, but how you score. Good teams win more points (ACEs, attacks, block-kills) and surrender fewer on errors (service errors, defensive mistakes and errors).

It's imperfect. Better teams make fewer errors and "find solutions" on offense, more often on skill than trickery.

I chose to analyze the second set of Melrose-Wakefield because it was the closest (25-22). 

Melrose "won" 15 of their 25 points and earned 10 via Wakefield errors. Wakefield "won" 11 points and received 11 via Melrose errors. 

Encouraging was Melrose "earning" three of their final four points down the stretch after the score was tied at 21. And yes, there will be "discretionary" points that are a blend of offensive attack and defensive inconsistency. 

During scrimmages, Melrose struggled at times to generate offense. With a more established rotation and players adjusting to varsity play, they're "figuring it out." 

 

Leading Ladies

Learn to interpret data based on mental models and cognitive biases. Mental models are 'frameworks' to apply. "Sample size" is one key example. Large data sets have more 'gravity' than smaller ones.

One week into the season, Melrose is well-represented among the state leaders with top fives in kills, assists, and digs. Reversed that translates to "pass, set, hit," the object of the sport. 

 

Life Dispenses Lessons. We Choose How to Handle Them.

pic.twitter.com/K4D3TMUMAK

— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) September 5, 2025

Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning shares that three elements inhabit our lives - relationships, work, and suffering.

Suffering is unavoidable - loss of loved ones, health issues, disappointments, relationship struggles.

Learning to cope becomes Everyman's mission. Fundamental unfairness underpins some of it. Remember the word "MUDITA," meaning "your joy is my joy." The ability to be happy for the good fortune of others is a valuable skill. 

You'll probably read The Jungle in high school. Jurgen's proclamation of "I will work harder," is noble amidst societal mistreatment. Sometimes it's all that we can do. We cannot control much of what happens to us. We can control our response. 

 

 

 

Studying Video

Excellent players study the game. "Form begets function." Click through to watch on YouTube, full screen, and adjust the playback settings to 0.25 speed.

The video should start at 1:50:16.

Adriana with a clean first pass. "One bad pass often leads to another." She passes high and to the middle of the court. She is low and her platform is away from her body in good position. Sadie gets to the ball and delivers a "cheddar biscuit" for Sabine. 

Watch Sabine's initial position as she backpedals to about 6 feet behind the ten foot line. Her three-step attack footwork is pristine, excellent backswing (arms extended behind her to about 90 degrees), and launch with great armswing and high contact point. 

Reminder: you can practice your attack footwork and backswing without a court. You can simulate an attack throwing a tennis ball.   

Coachspeak

Disclaimer: All opinions in the blog are solely mine. The blog is not an official publication of MVB or any Melrose institution. 

Coaches wear many hats - teacher, mentor, psychologist, judge, advocate, and more.

Experienced coaches like Scott Celli understand that multiple ingredients go into the competitive cauldron. 

A couple of quotes illustrate this:

1) "Never be a child's last coach." Not playing a lot or at all in early games doesn't make you an afterthought. Think back to the Red Sox and the trading deadline. "They need to trade an outfielder for more pitching." Then two starting outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony go down with injuries. Others have to step up. 

As a player, get ready and stay ready.

Coaches don't always play the six "best" players, they play the six who play best together. Be ready to seize opportunity when it arises. Practice hard with a good attitude. Joy matters. 

2) "How does it feel to be coached by me?" It's human nature to want to be respected and valued. I greeted players by name every day and thanked them at the end of each practice. Coaches work to keep our teams "humble and hungry." We also know that every player and family sacrifices to earn the opportunity to compete for "minutes, role, and recognition." 

Once there was an "orderly progression" in sport from freshman, to JV, and varsity. That never applied as much to girls' sports because girls mature physically and emotionally faster than boys. We played a 7th grade basketball team from Windham, NH that had three girls six-feet tall. I said, "it's cute that the mothers are wearing the uniforms." 

3) "Do or do not, there is no try." Star Wars informed many coaching metaphors. "Mentoring is the only shortcut to success." Ellen disagrees with me. I avoid the word "try." Do your best, listening and being coachable. 

Lagniappe. Acquiring wisdom and perspective young will benefit you through your entire life. Feed the Positive Dog. A story via ChatGPT:

The Two Dogs Story

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. He says:

“A fight is going on inside me. It is between two dogs.
One is evil—anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, and fear.
The other is good—joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, and faith.
The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thinks for a minute and then asks:

“Which dog will win?”

The old Cherokee replies simply:

“The one you feed.”

---

The Shoulder Voices Version

This lesson is sometimes explained with the image of a voice on each shoulder.

• On one shoulder is the negative voice, whispering doubts, fears, and criticism.

• On the other shoulder is the positive voice, encouraging, hopeful, and constructive.

Every day, we decide which one to listen to—and by doing so, we “feed” that dog.

---

Why It Resonates

The power of the story is in its simplicity:

• Focus – attention is food. The more time and energy we give to negative thoughts, the stronger they grow.

• Choice – we can’t silence the negative voice, but we can choose to strengthen the positive one.

• Growth – consistently feeding positivity builds resilience, confidence, and peace.

It’s a reminder that our mindset isn’t fixed; it’s cultivated by the daily choices of where we place our energy.

Statistics Game 2

Stats are in. 

Highlights: 

Sabine had 22 kills with another big contribution. 

Dani led in digs and serve receive as liberos often do. Alisa and Adriana also had double digit serve receives. 

Sadie had 24 assists. 

Attitude

"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem." - Captain Jack Sparrow

Years ago a rookie asked who is "the big lefty" on the mound in a Spring Training game. Someone answered, "That's Steve Carlton, the Cy Young winner." Lenny Dykstra replied, "I'll stick him." Facing a challenge didn't deter his confidence.

Bring your confidence game because "success is a choice." Tryout memories abound. 

A tiny sixth grader came up to me before tryout and said, "Coach, I am really excited to be here." Be excited, not anxious. 

Stand out. A tall sixth grader showed up with knee high, rainbow socks. Be memorable. 

Know your job. Be detail oriented. Listen actively. Pay attention. Be coachable. 

Nonverbal communication counts, too. A young girl, Zoe Overlan, made the best eye contact I have ever seen in a young player. Be engaged. 

Coaches see everything. Imagine that you have "coaches eyes." You want high-energy players, high-effort players. Be the hardest worker. 

Control what you can control - attitude, choices, effort. 

Summary:

• Be excited.
• Be memorable.
• Be coachable. 
• Be engaged.
• Be the hardest worker.

Lagniappe. Repost. Attitude is everything. 

 

Game 2 Highlights and Commentary

The regular season transforms Melrose from "evaluation" mode to "execution" with ongoing evaluation.

Teams learn about themselves and about making adjustments during "live" play.

Melrose's initial lineup has senior Sabine Wenzel flanked by two sophomores (Sadie Smith and Elise Marchais) and a trio of freshmen (Alisa Dautovic, Adriana Santoriello, and Dani DiGiorgio). Every day is a learning experience for the youngsters.

Melrose opened with an outside attack by Sabine off of great passes from Adriana and Sadie. The best way to watch is to toggle back and forth between the 'thumbnail' and the full screen video highlight. 

 

The first set was fairly evenly played early. It's not all about height. Right side Elise Marchais capitalizes on an overpass to put Melrose up 13-9. 

 

Do the math. Maggie Shoemaker attacks from the middle and goes the Pythagorean "long way" to the corner for a winner. 

Melrose scored often with the serve. At 21-18, Adriana earned an ace and forced a Wakefield timeout. After the TO, she dropped in a second ace. That sequence put the brakes on any Wakefield comeback. 

Melrose opened the second set with a 3-2 lead on this long rally and Sabine smash. 

Wakefield fought to an 8-11 lead before Melrose rallied with a trio of points including this Santoriello tip. 

Melrose trailed 16-18 but stayed poised...leading to a rally to even the score at 21. Watch the end of the set with these MHS-TV sequences. Sabine kills and an excellent service run from Alisa Dautovic ("Dot V") sparked the rally. 

 

Wakefield started set three with a 4-5 edge when Maggie evened the score with middle craft. 

At 13-11 Melrose started to pull away. Sabine delivered a kill to make it

14-11. A Santoriello kill widened the lead to 17-11 and Wakefield was on the wrong side of Momentum City. This was close to a knockout blow. 

Commentary: Game 2 proved to be another excellent team win, spearheaded by another monster game from Sabine, fluid setting from sophomore Sadie Smith, and improved serving from the roster leading to a lot of service points. 

Elise Marchais was sneaky good at right side and the frosh trio of Dani, Alisa, and Adriana along with Anna Burns held up well on serve receive. 

Coach Scott Celli explained that the team is playing with poise and confidence beyond their collective experience at this point. There's a lot of room for growth and Melrose faces more iron in Reading and Burlington next week. 

Game 2 (First Look): Melrose 3 Wakefield 0

Melrose put forward a solid offensive and defensive effort at the MVMMS, defeating undefeated Wakefield (2-0) by scores of 25-20, 25-22, and 25-18 (full details to follow). Melrose lifts its record to 2-0. 

A big crowd was on hand from Wakefield to support Coach Kayla Wyland and their team. 

Sabine Wenzel had two large hands in the win with over 20 kills. Melrose served well, probably registering upwards of ten aces, a bunch from freshman Adriana Santoriello. The defense was solid with improved blocking. 

Melrose notes: Faces in the crowd featured Melrose career kills leader Emma Randolph, a Clemson graduate engaged in Environmental Engineering. Emma was an All-State Middle who helped lead her team to a Finals appearance. She was on hand with her Dad, Ray. Pitt and Melrose parents Amanda Jaggers and Nancy Fowke were in the crowd. Their daughter Sadie and Leah are former Melrose All-Staters. 

Sabine a Globe PotW

Sabine Wenzel dropped 30 kills on Belmont to earn a nod as a Player of the Week.

What We Won't Hear

Historically, volleyball teams have 'pregame hype music'. Most of the time, the crowd isn't so familiar with the music.

Coach Scott Celli is a Springsteen fan, so at least throw him a bone.

Here are some additional 'anthems' 

Dramatic entrance theme: 

Upbeat music:  

Ready for the Takedown? 

Geronimo... 

TBH... even the "clean" versions of many contemporary "anthems" suggested by AI are...questionable 

GameDay - Melrose Hosts Wakefield at 5:30 in Home Opener

Melrose opens the home schedule Friday at the MVMMS, hosting Wakefield in Melrose's Freedom Division opener.

Former Melrose star Kayla Wyland coaches Wakefield. 

Melrose features a Boston Globe "Player to Watch" Sabine Wenzel who racked up 30 kills in the road opener at Belmont. Having graduated nine seniors, Melrose has its youngest club ever with four sophomores and four freshmen. 

Wakefield returns to MIAA Division 2 status for volleyball in 2025. 
 

Craft a Winning Philosophy

"We make our habits and our habits make us."

What kind of person, student, athlete do you want to become? James Clear, author of Atomic Habits teaches that habits are votes for whom we want to become.

• Choose exercise if you want strength and conditioning.
• Choose enough sleep (ideally eight hours) to perform your best.
• Hydrate and eat better to become healthier. 
• Study more to improve your knowledge and grades. 
• Give more effort to excel. "Do five more." Read five more pages, lift five more minutes, make five more calls in business. 
• Develop a morning routine. "Win the morning, win the day." 

Carve out "thinking time." What do I need now to diagnose and solve this issue in life? 

Three key points on the highway to success: 

1) Think deliberate practice. Practice with focus and attention to detail. 

2) Be intentional. Have a goal every time you step in the classroom, the weight room, or the volleyball court. 

3) Edit. If you miss your exit, get off the highway and back on track. "Do more of what works and less of what doesn't.

Lagniappe. If you're the best in the gym at what you do, act like it. 

You say you want to win?
You say you want to play?
You say you want to be great?

Then act like it.

This game exposes the lazy.
It punishes the entitled.
And it forgets the average.

You don’t get greatness on your terms.
You get it when you’ve earned it. pic.twitter.com/AJWBTditpI

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) July 20, 2025

Stats Are Up for Game 1

Coach Scott Celli uploads statistics to Maxpreps.com

Here are the statistics. 

Highlights and interpretation:

Attacking - Sabine had 30 kills and the other 16 were spread among six players. 

Serving - an astonishing 95% serving percentage, likely the highest in several years

Adriana had 11 service points on 18 serves and Anna had 11 on 21 serves.

With a limited "margin for error" while the team increases its offensive efficiency, minimizing service errors was critical. 

Ball Handling - Sadie Smith was credited with 37 assists, an outstanding total for her first varsity setter start. 

Serve Receive - Three players had double digit receptions, Dani, Alisa, and Anna. Dani had a high total of 33. 

Digging - Digs help save points although it's not a 1:1 relationship. Four players had double digits - Dani, Sadie, Alisa, and Adriana. A good sign with players contributing across the board. 

Special Feature - Tortilla Recipe

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely mine.

As Ty Law once said about his contract, "A man's gotta eat." Regular blog readers receive periodic recipe ideas, adjustable for your taste and food intolerances/allergies.

Here's one that I'd call a quesadilla variant begging to be tried. We're big avocado fans which applies.  

View on Threads

Gratitude

Before each game as you line up on the endline, close your eyes and take a moment to remember the people who helped you.

We hear the term "self-made person." That is never the truth. Many people are fortunate to have family who helped them. Beyond family there is your community. Maybe you had an injury that a physical therapist helped with recovery. That doesn't mean that you didn't work. But you had help.

Shawn Achor recommends the "21-day Gratitude Challenge." Each night, write down three things for which you are grateful. After three weeks, review your list of 63...that's a lot for which to be grateful.

"Gratitude makes happiness," not the other way around.

Coach Dick Bennett and others have distributed handouts with what I call - PUSH - T initiatives. 

P - Passion (or purpose), why you do what you do.

U - Unity, accomplish more together. 

S - Servant leadership...achievement is born from service. 

H - Humility - Thinking less about yourself doesn't mean thinking less of yourself. 

T - Thankfulness - want what you have. Appreciate what you have. 

Creighton Coach Greg McDermott shares a gratitude message. 

“Don’t lose sight of the people who help you get to where you are”

Really good message

pic.twitter.com/nRx7s8IWsy

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) September 4, 2025

Musings About Game 1

Watch the video at your leisure and think about it. Leading is service, serving our people. 

Congratulations on a remarkable comeback. History measures teams by their ability to exert and to handle pressure.

Trailing 2-0 on the road, it would be easy to "mail it in." I've seen teams do that across sports and it's not pretty. 

Coaches want teams and players to reflect our personality, our teaching, our will to do "whatever it takes" to win. 

"Success leaves footprints." Aggression, skill, and consistency separate the most successful teams. 

Sabine Wenzel put up 30 kills last night. That tied the all-time Melrose record. I hope it's on film because that's special. Melrose needed big numbers and she delivered attacks and block-kills, especially at key points in the match. 

Years ago our middle school girls suffered a tough loss and Leonora Ivers tried to take responsibility. Bella Federico, a great kid, put her arm around Leonora and said, "we win as a team and we lose as a team." That stands out as a moment of empathy. 

Players sometimes "wait their turn" and get rewarded for their patience. That was "Shoe" last night, a 'second generation" (not really) player following in her sister's footsteps. Maggie was a difference maker, a stabilizing force. 

Sample size. There's a saying, "One swallow doesn't make a summer." Years ago Melrose basketball won their first game and freshman Leonora Ivers keyed the victory. They lost the next 19. "Stay humble, stay hungry." You don't even get 24 hours to savor the win. 

In the video (below), the coach notes the importance of program stability, coaching longevity. That's true in sports and in business. Businesses that fail have a leadership revolving door including the accounting department, they "chase" fads instead of having a winning product or service, and they carry excessive 'debt'. There's always a price to pay for everything. 

You 'learn to win' over time. That carries over to school, your family, your relationships (win together), and everything you do. 

Maybe you didn't get in the game last night. That doesn't mean that you didn't contribute. Practicing hard, having a great attitude, working to make yourself and your teammates better matters every day. That's what exceptional teams do. They "prove it" every time they "cross the red line" onto the court. 

Lagniappe. Learn how to win. (Repost) This is an important video. 

 

DNA of MVB

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. 

Every high school student learns that DNA is the blueprint, the core genetic plan, for organisms. Chimpanzees share about 98.8% of their DNA with humans. 

Sports fans know that organizations have a unique DNA as well. It means understanding identity (who you are) and performance (how you play). 

Twenty-three years of MVB watching reveal certain truths:

1. The quality of MVB and the competition in the ML12 and around the state constantly evolves and improves. Each of us is either improves or gets worse. We don't "stay the same." Stability matters. 

2. Developing "antifragility" is critical. Antifragile systems continue to survive and thrive under adversity. Evolution is an antifragile system. Depth makes teams antifragile. 

3. The best teams win more points and make fewer mistakes to surrender points to opponents. They don't beat themselves. Positive points arise from serves, attacks, and block-kills. 

4. The best MVB clubs had excellent talent and dominated serve and serve receive. "Part-time roles" like designated server have "silent impact." Perhaps the best rotational server was Cassidy Barbaro. 

5. Sustainable competitive advantage requires a steady influx of emerging talent. Younger players bring energy and enthusiasm and push more experienced players to "up their game." The Class of 2029 has a group of hungry players who will challenge for roles sooner rather than later. 

6. Change is inevitable. Today's lineup will change during the season as players compete for roles. 

Lagniappe. Learn how to win. 

Game 1: Melrose 3 Belmont 2

In one of the toughest and most memorable opening matches in memory, Melrose traveled to Belmont and sank the Marauders 20-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19, and 15-10 in a thrilling come-from-behind win.  

Melrose started its youngest lineup ever with senior Sabine Wenzel, sophomores Sadie Smith and Elise Marchais, and an all-frosh back row initially with libero Dani DiGiorgio, and outside hitters Alisa Dautovic and Adriana Santoriello. 

Melrose started slowly with a quick 5-0 deficit leading to a timeout from Coach Scott Celli. Melrose rallied back to tie at 8-8 and then slumped to 11-17 leading to a second timeout. Melrose couldn't generate much offense early and Belmont, a strong defensive team kept the ball in play more consistently than Melrose. 

The second stanza started similarly with Melrose trailing 1-5 out of the box, leading to another timeout. This triggered a rally to 9-12. But the air came out of the balloon and Melrose fell behind 11-19 before limping to a second set six point setback. The hitting started to look a bit better toward the end of the frame. 

Coach Celli changed up the lineup in the third stanza bringing on junior middle Maggie Shoemaker. The combination clicked early and Melrose went up 13-7 as Sabine started to heat up. Belmont took a timeout and rallied to trail by one at 14-13 with the teams trading points down the stretch. The Marauders closed to 22-21 but Melrose closed the set strong with a Sabine tip to lead 24-21 and a Shoemaker ace iced the set. This set the stage for the comeback. 

Belmont didn't have a meaningful lead again. Melrose went up 6-4 and got a key kill from Dautovic to lead 10-8. From 13-10 Melrose gradually inched their lead up, highlighted by Sabine smashes en route to a 25-19 win. 

Both wins and margin of victory matter for playoff seeding and Belmont looked determined to change their fortunes. But Melrose had other ideas, leading 4-2, 6-3, and 8-4 at the switch. The Marauders didn't go away, getting as close at 11-10 before Melrose ran the table to earn the 15-10 clincher with Sabine in the front row down the stretch. 

Melrose Notes: For an exceptional 2025, Sabine Wenzel, a D1 commit to East Texas A&M, has to be the best player on the court. For most of the match she was, especially during the comeback. 

Emme Boyer was out with an upper body injury. It is unknown when or whether she will return, creating both danger and opportunities for her teammates. 

Sadie Smith had some spectacular digs off Belmont smashes in addition to her steadiness replacing All-State setter Leah Fowke. Sadie makes plays and rarely makes mistakes. 

Freshman Dani DiGiorgio had an excellent first outing in the demanding position of libero. She has an excellent serve, received well, and handled "out of system" plays capably. She cut off numerous tips to short circuit Belmont's short game. 

The comeback rolled simultaneously with Maggie Shoemaker's appearance in the middle. In addition to added blocking, she had several kills and solid serving. 

Elise Marchais was solid both offensively and defensively on the right side. Sabrina McArt and Ella Friedlaender both contributed. 

Anna Burns was solid in the back as a defender and also had key serves during the comeback. 

Both freshman outside hitters gained confidence over the course of the match. They were difference makers in the fourth and fifth sets in particular, with more aggressive play and a blend of different types of serves. 

Melrose opens at home Friday, hosting Wakefield. 

Height Is Only One Component of Effective Attacking

Cuba's Mireya Luis was one of the greatest volleyball women of history. She led the Cuban National Team to three Olympic Gold medals.

How tall was she? 175 cm or about 5'9". She practiced jumping as a child "picking fruit" out of trees. She was estimated to have a vertical jump of 42 inches. 

The following video features her spectacular athleticism including a powerful armswing. 

The 'take home' message is that athletic explosion plays. 

First Lines - Opener at Belmont 5:30 P.M.

First lines matter, like first impressions. "Call me Ishmael," wrote Dickens in Moby Dick. "My beat is death," opens Michael Connelly's The Poet. "All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in a different way," penned Tolstoy in Anna Karenina.

Melrose volleyball tips off at Belmont today at 5:30. 

Write a compelling first line. Writers want to share worthy stories. Your tryouts, practices, scrimmages were first drafts. Nothing registers as much as the regular season...until the postseason...when that comes.

I'm working off childhood shame. Growing up, I seldom almost never saw girls' sports, family or otherwise. Before Title IX, girls sports played second fiddle if at all. Girls' sports and girls everything didn't count. Whatever you imagine, it was worse.

Volleyball has become a thing, nationally and locally, women with elite skill and athleticism. Every play decides a point. 92,003 fans attended a 2023 Nebraska volleyball outdoor match. Caitlin Clark can only dream about those eyeballs. 

The first text yesterday read, "One day to go!" That wasn't about the Patriots-Raiders home opener. 

You remember your first varsity game forever. Excitement sears experiences into your memory like nothing else. Give it your best shot. That is all anyone can ask. 

Lagniappe. Gratitude makes happiness. When you lineup before the game, take a moment to think of the one person or two people who most made this possible.

 

Attitude Lessons from Jay Wright

Jay Wright literally revealed the ONE thing you control when nothing goes your way. pic.twitter.com/xSnLj3PrmZ

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) September 2, 2025

Hold an ACE - attitude, choices, effort. We control all.

The 12 year-old said, "I will be valedictorian someday." She proved accurate. "See it (your destination) and believe in it." 

We don't control much in life. We control how we respond. Shank a ball or miss an attack? Move on. Bear down. Stay positive. "Next play."

Commit to "always do your best," by being prepared mentally and physically, being coachable, and putting team first. 

Do what others may not. Hydrate, get eight hours of sleep, take care of your body. 

“Thanks, Coach!" A Parable

Sometimes we have to "try easier." There's the story of how to pick up a bird. Hold it too loosely and it flies away. Hold it too tightly and you can crush it.*

In running sports, some coaches teach athletes to run as though "holding a potato chip," as clenched hands don't add speed.

Here's a thread that might appeal to coaches. Click through to read. Breathe. 

View on Threads

*Most birds have hollow bones to make flight possible. Penguins who "fly underwater" do not. Emus, ostriches, and the cassowary (a lethal bird), all flightless "ratites" have solid bones. (I was the only student in an Ornithology class in college.) 

"Process-Driven Excellence" - The Eye of the Tiger

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. This is not an official publication of any Melrose institution. Don't blame 'them'. This is a "blended" post created with the MVB blog and ChatGPT Plus. 

MVB stands on the cusp of the 2025 season with a 'new' team with 14 eager student-athletes. More than half the team is fifteen years old or younger, demanding patience during growth. Control what you can control - intensity, immediacy, intelligence - the eye of the tiger. 

1. Build and Exploit Advantage

• Create advantage. Serve purposefully, target opponent weaknesses, and read tendencies to gain the upper hand.

• Exploit advantage. When you earn a good pass, a blocker tip, or a weak serve, capitalize with confident set‑and‑spike execution.

• Rinse and Repeat. Excellence is earned through repetition and a relentless habit of pushing gains into wins. (Melrose: Create advantage. Exploit advantage with execution. Repeat.

2. Do More of What Works—and Less of What Doesn’t

• Analyze your team's patterns: What passing formations yield the best consistency? Where do unforced errors cluster?

• Lean harder into your most effective systems, and prune or adjust the rest.

• Embrace what's proven and adapt as the game evolves. (Melrose: Do more of what works, and less of what doesn’t.

3. Embrace Effort, Focus, and Mindfulness

• Commit to “always doing your best,” regardless of score or opponent—a mindset drawn from The Four Agreements. 

• Focus on presence: listening to coaches, being acutely aware on court, and helping the person next to you improve. Do more of what success demands... be coachable... play in the moment.) 

4. Reset with DOT B: Your In-Game “Restart Button”

• After every point—whether won or lost—pause, take a cleansing breath, and shift focus to the next play.

• This micro-reset technique enhances composure, clarity, and consistency under pressure. (Melrose: DOT B—stop and take a cleansing breath to refocus on “next play.”) 

5. Accountability and Reflection: Stay True to the Process

• Foster a culture where every player takes ownership: for serving, passing, communication, positioning.

• Debrief regularly—what worked? What needs tweaking? Use video, data, and honest team conversations.

• Measure success in process milestones—side-out percentage, serve quality, error reduction—not just in wins.

 

Coaches Simplify the Complex

Coaches "mine and refine." There's one imperative to "win today" and another to "win tomorrow." Make the complex simple. 

Return to the concept of "Coaches' Eyes." What one observer sees has limited overlap with another. UCONN Women's Basketball coach Geno Auriemma brings an assistant with him to scout. He says, "If you have to ask whom we're scouting, then we're in the wrong gym." The standout player distinguishes herself from the opening tip.

Venn Diagrams created by ChatGPT Plus

Performance and potential are not as distinct as indicated on the left or as static as the one on the right.

For example, for argument's sake, freshman Victoria Crovo was the best player on the court in a Sectional Championship loss. Performance erupted across the "potential" space. The V-Rex brought a special ferocity to the floor. 

Roster building, coaches look for both. It's an acquired skill and Coach Scott Celli has a proven track record. 

The player with potential needs to commit to an ascending arc to solidify or enhance her opportunities. Every player gets daily opportunity ("Every Day is Showtime") to grow the performance circle and to increase the overlap. 

Lagniappe. EDIR5 explain, demonstrate, imitate. Repeat x 5. Study some top servers in MVB history. 

1. Alyssa DiRaffaele delivered 'sliders' that moved down and away from receivers. She applied both topspin and sidespin to craft excellence. 

2. Cassidy Barbaro served more like Leah Fowke...hard and often barely clearing the net.  

3. Brooke Bell was the Mike Cuellar (old-time Orioles southpaw) of volleyball, who could deliver 'rotten grapefruit' over the net. Do you know how hard it is to return rotten grapefruit? She was the mistress of the short serve. 

Lagniappe 2. Boost performance. 

High-performing programs don’t happen by accident.

They stand out because of:

1. Relentless commitment
2. A clear culture of excellence
3. Leadership passed on from year to year
4. A competitive daily environment
5. Tradition & legacy bigger than self

That’s the blueprint. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/NzPrdWLjDn

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) August 30, 2025

Avoid the Killer S's

Avoid the Killer S's - selfishness, sloth (laziness), and softness. Play for the girl next to you. Support your teammates. Bring intensity, immediacy, and intelligence to the court. Go to the floor to keep the ball up. 

Culture is the totality of the 'ecosystem' of a team. The Greeks used terms ethos (character), logos (reason), and pathos (emotion). 

In a classic television show, "Star Trek," the Science Officer is half Vulcan (a culture of logic) and half human, and he works to suppress his humanity with fascinating results.

 

Egocentric (self-centered) behaviors are common in young children, adolescents, and less mature adults to the detriment of teamwork. 

Make your ego dependent on the success of the team. 

Lagniappe. Excellent video from Coach Martin...