Volleyball Tryout Tips – How to Make the Team
Trying out for the volleyball team can be a stressful experience. You likely don’t know too many if any of the other people in the group, so there probably won’t be anyone there to support you, and then you’re expected to prove that you have what it takes to make the team in just a few sessions.
It can be hard to perform at your best when you’re under this amount of pressure. But don’t fear! Follow these tips to give yourself a head start and the best possible chance of making the team.
Be Prepared
“If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.” Yes, it’s a cliché, but there’s a reason why it’s a cliché – it’s completely true. Volleyball tryouts are stressful enough without being fully prepared. Therefore, you should:
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Eat a healthy breakfast (don’t skip the most important meal of the day!)
- Arrive early
- Perform some stretches to loosen up
- Make sure you have the right equipment, like a the right pair of volleyball shoes and volleyball shorts
You want to get a good night’s sleep so you are full of energy and your mind is alert; the same goes for eating a healthy breakfast.
Arriving early or arriving late – either way you will get noticed! One for all the right reasons and the other for all the wrong reasons.
Arriving early really is a great idea for several reasons, as it lets the coach know that you are serious about making the team, it shows great character and a high level of maturity, and the extra time enables you to loosen up and get your mind focused.
Introduce Yourself
You should introduce yourself to both the other people trying out for the team as well as the coach and any other member of staff.
Smiling and greeting the coach again shows great character and maturity and ensures that the coach will more likely remember who you are, which can be tough for a coach considering the dozens of players he/she will meet over the course of the few days.
You should make sure that you let the coach know a little bit about your volleyball background too, such as how long you’ve been playing and what position you play.
It is also a good idea to introduce yourself to the other players trying out, as it goes a long way in putting your mind at ease.
Don’t Worry About Making Mistakes
It’s inevitable that at some point during tryouts you will make a mistake or two. Making a few mistakes isn’t as important you may think. What is more important is the nature of the mistake and how you respond to making it. modafinil generic available https://www.melbourneosteopathycentre.com.au/ modafinil online polska
For example, if a mistake was made due to you not trying hard enough then that isn’t good and we can guarantee that coaches will remember a mistake like that. It tells the coach that you won’t hustle for the team.
On the other hand, if you make a mistake like shanking a pass, but hustled like you never hustled before to get to the ball, the coach will actually brush this off and appreciate that you seem like a player who will give everything to the team on every play.
As a coach, ask yourself which mistake you would prefer to see?
Be Loud & Energetic Out There
Volleyball is perhaps the sport where your own success depends on your teammates and the overall success of the team the most. Therefore, it is important that you show passion and energy out there in tryouts, so the coach can mark you down as a person who is a natural leader and has passion for the sport.
We don’t mean to say that you should be loud for the sake of being loud. No, rather you should be positive and encourage others.
Be a Team Player
As just mentioned, volleyball is a sport that is all about your teammates. Therefore, you need to show that you are able to work well with others and are really a team player.
Leading on from the last point about being loud and energetic, don’t be afraid to high five other players when they make an awesome play or compliment them in some other way. If you have more experience than others trying out, don’t be afraid to give them some helpful advice either.
Not only does this show great character and maturity, but it also shows that you are a team player – something every single coach looks for in tryouts.
