I wrote this piece about the local volleyball program. Excellence is no accident.
Years ago a former Middlesex League coach described Melrose Volleyball as a "legacy program." They're solid year after year. Why?
1. "Success leaves footprints." - Kevin Eastman
Consistent leadership outperforms whether it's high school sports or the pros.
2. "Technique beats tactics." - Gregg Popovich
The best teams are the most consistent at core skills - serving, serve receiving, digging, passing, attacking and blocking.
3. "Fight for your culture every day."
The UNC Women's soccer team has won over twenty national titles. There's a sign in the locker room, Excellence is our only agenda Teams struggle when individual agendas take precedence over team success.
4. "Coaches are the most selfish people in the world. We put the players on the field who give us the best chance to look good." - Bill Parcells
The players who absorb information and do what the coaches teach, the way they teach it, at the right time, will be on the court or the field.
5. "The magic is in the work."
Consistent work wins. Outwork your opponent in practice, during the off-season, in games and good things happen. That works in the classroom, at your job, and on the court.
6. "Silent teams lose." - Kevin Eastman
Consistent communication is vital.
7. "The best teams force players to prove their value." - Mike Lombardi in Gridiron Genius
Each year players have to prove they earn their position. Seniority systems based on age or years played don't reward merit and underachieve.
8. "My ego demands the success of my team." - Bill Russell
Everyone decides which is more important, winning or individual achievement. In the stock market there's a saying, "price makes news." So does winning.
9. "We make our habits and our habits make us."
Consistent habits cultivate winning performance. 49ers Coach Bill Walsh said it another way, "Champions behave like champions before they’re champions." Act like the person you want to be to become that person.
10. "Discipline determines destiny."
Take care of business at home, in the classroom, and on the court.
Continuous 2v1 drill that we use to warmup called "Cardinal". The faster the ball moves, the easier shot you will get. pic.twitter.com/fymzNp7X6M
— John Leonzo (@John_Leonzo) April 6, 2020
Lagniappe (something extra). Drill from John Leonzo
Lagniappe 2. "Be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all." - Kevin Eastman
"4v4 Touch" is a drill that we use to work on using advantages once they have been created. Essentially it is 4v4 shell until coach blows whistle. At the whistle, on ball D must touch spot behind ball handler, and ball handler must drive it - from there it is live play pic.twitter.com/Y78Eqgbh8n
— John Leonzo (@John_Leonzo) May 28, 2019