How to Stand Out at Volleyball Tryouts
‘Tis the season for club tryouts, so I thought I’d share some thoughts about how to stand out at tryouts to make the team you want. This year I’ve had the pleasure of being a JV coach at a high school, so I can now speak on tryouts from both a player’s and coach’s perspective. Here are some tips for making sure you dominate!
1) Be the hardest worker on the court
This sentence gets used all the time, but it’s true. If you are a player who is always diving after balls, transitioning every time, working hard to close every block, never ever letting the ball drop near you without making an effort, then you automatically are going to stand out. Coaches want players who will put their maximal effort in every single time they step out on the court. If you let balls drop and aren’t transitioning every single time, it conveys a message (even if you don’t mean it to) that you don’t really want to win; you’re just on the court to be there. Go 100% during every play even when you’re exhausted. Coaches love to see it, plus you’ll see huge improvements in your game.
2) Be a leader
Teams with strong leadership do a lot better than teams with no leaders. So, be a positive leader on the court. Talk to your teammates about what you see on the other side of the net. Lead by example by showing your work ethic. Take charge on the court in an encouraging way. Even if you’re not comfortable leading yet, you can always start off leading by example and working your way into a more vocal leader, because both are important.
3) Be okay with making smart mistakes
You don’t need a perfect tryout to earn a spot; some mistakes are smart and aggressive. For example, if the ball lands out of bounds by a couple of inches but you were serving a tough ball in the seam of 2 passers, that is an aggressive mistake. Attempting to hit the ball high off the blockers’ hands but just missing is a smart mistake. These mistakes are a result of you fighting to win, just sometimes it doesn’t always go our way. So let mistakes go, and keep being aggressive.
4) Stay calm and focused under pressure
There was a time at our tryouts in August where we needed to make decisions about a few players who all were on the same level with their technique and skill, so we needed to compare and take stats on how they played. We put them in a pressure situation to evaluate how they performed under pressure and to collect objective data. It became very clear who should be on what team after we did this evaluation. So, when you’re under pressure, take a deep breath and stay poised as much as possible. Focus on your breathing, positive thinking, and relaxing your body when you’re in high pressure situations. You got this.
5) Be a good teammate
Be someone that will make others better and is a positive presence on the court. High five your teammates, cheer each other on, and be encouraging to those around you.
6) Be coachable
Be a player that a coach wants on their team. Listen to their advice, make and maintain eye contact, ask questions, and try to implement what they are saying. Don’t make excuses; listen to what they say and keep working hard.
7) Be yourself
Don’t try and play like someone else to beat them out. You have your own strengths and specialties that make you a good player in your OWN way. If you’re not a player that crushes balls on the 10 foot line, don’t try to be. Mix up your shots, hit deep corners, be smart. Don’t try to play like a player that’s already on the team. The team doesn’t need more of the same player, they need YOU.
8) Stay positive!
We don’t always play our best every time we step out on the court. That’s just the reality of sports. Instead of getting down on yourself if you’re not having as good of a tryout as you would like, focus on what you can control- your attitude and your effort. Although your skills as a volleyball player are important, coaches look at you as a whole person. If you’re having an off day, make up for it by working extra hard and being an amazing teammate. Let those mistakes go so you don’t dwell on them and let them add up.
I hope you find these tips helpful! From playing for 12 years and now experiencing the sport from the coaching side too, I’ve found that these intangibles really separate the good players from the great. Shine on this week and let me know how tryouts go for you!