Dictionary

Frustration set in a bit yesterday, as Melrose lost at home, 22-17.

One reality of sports is that the best teams become consistent and the best players on the best teams are the most consistent. However, very few young players are consistent, because they lack the experience, the motor muscle memory, and game awareness to be consistent. That is just a fact.

There were flashes of what we want, a blocked shot by a player 'chasing' a breakaway, denying the sideline so a player stepped out of bounds, some real toughness by a player who fell down and stayed in the game, and so on. The coaches see everything, not just the scoreboard, and certainly not just the scorebook.

I remind players of a player that I played with...as a young player he was awkward and made plenty of mistakes (even more than I did, if that's possible)...he didn't play on the Freshman 'A' team, but the 'B' team.

Years later, in a game against an undefeated team (St. John's Prep) against a high school All-American, he outplayed him (a future Celtics' draft choice), including a blocked shot to clinch the game. In the next game at the Garden, against Lexington, he made ten of ten free throws against a team that had won three consecutive State Championships, to help us win in overtime.

I can't tell you how many times the coach yelled at him (us), saying that we could play better, if we concentrated more and kept working. And my friend, John, got a scholarship to play college basketball. Moreover, I think that he is a vice-president for a huge corporation, Fluor, because he was also a great student and person. Frustration, leading to success.

Remember, the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.