Girls’ Club Volleyball

[JMA1125]

Hello- I figured among all the volleyball fans here there would be a few experts on club volleyball who could answer some questions for me.

My daughter (middle school) will be trying out for several clubs next month. She played on a local club’s A team last season and would like to return to that club but wants to try out for a few others, just to keep her options open and to gain experience with tryouts.

Some questions I have are:

Should she attend all the tryouts each club has or only one?

If she can only make it to one of a club’s tryouts is it better to go to the first or second one?

If she attends a club’s first tryout and does great should she skip the second tryout?

If she’s interested in a particular club is it necessary/helpful that she attend their pre-tryout clinic? I hope not because most clinics conflict with other clubs’ tryouts.

Should she specify what position she wants or leave that open? (she’s an outside hitter)

Any other tryout advice?

Thanks for the help. I had no idea how stressful tryout season could be. I’m just trying to determine the best strategy for all of this.

 

[Gonzo]

Hello- I figured among all the volleyball fans here there would be a few experts on club volleyball who could answer some questions for me.

My daughter (middle school) will be trying out for several clubs next month. She played on a local club’s A team last season and would like to return to that club but wants to try out for a few others, just to keep her options open and to gain experience with tryouts.

Some questions I have are:

Should she attend all the tryouts each club has or only one?

If she can only make it to one of a club’s tryouts is it better to go to the first or second one?

If she attends a club’s first tryout and does great should she skip the second tryout?

If she’s interested in a particular club is it necessary/helpful that she attend their pre-tryout clinic? I hope not because most clinics conflict with other clubs’ tryouts.

Should she specify what position she wants or leave that open? (she’s an outside hitter)

Any other tryout advice?

Thanks for the help. I had no idea how stressful tryout season could be. I’m just trying to determine the best strategy for all of this.

If she can attend both tryouts she should. I'd suggest identifying the 2-3 non-school clubs she's interested in and zero in on those. Attending or not attending the pre-tryout clinics isn't a big deal. Tryouts is where she'll make the bigger impression. Not sure if specifying position is necessary or not, obviously if she's a hitter they'll see that at tryouts. The talent level she'd be playing with likely will be elevated so who knows they might move her to middle hitter. That's where my daughter plays.

 

[cyclonespiker33]

Hello- I figured among all the volleyball fans here there would be a few experts on club volleyball who could answer some questions for me.

My daughter (middle school) will be trying out for several clubs next month. She played on a local club’s A team last season and would like to return to that club but wants to try out for a few others, just to keep her options open and to gain experience with tryouts.

Some questions I have are:

Should she attend all the tryouts each club has or only one?

If she can only make it to one of a club’s tryouts is it better to go to the first or second one?

If she attends a club’s first tryout and does great should she skip the second tryout?

If she’s interested in a particular club is it necessary/helpful that she attend their pre-tryout clinic? I hope not because most clinics conflict with other clubs’ tryouts.

Should she specify what position she wants or leave that open? (she’s an outside hitter)

Any other tryout advice?

Thanks for the help. I had no idea how stressful tryout season could be. I’m just trying to determine the best strategy for all of this.

If she can only go to one tryout, do the second one. If she does great at the first tryout but doesn't get a bid, go to the second one.

The clinics aren't all that important, they're more of an advertisement for the clubs.

If she wants to play outside hitter, say that. During the tryout, they'll break into groups anyway for their preferred position.

 

[Cyfan1965]

If she is really interested in the club go to both tryouts. If you are going to go to a clinic research which ones teach footwork from the ground up. They might not be the most successful club (usually are but). Once you hit 14 or 15 and you have not learned proper footwork and you get in a pressure situation you WILL REVERT to old habits. Once they are ingrained they are next to impossible to shed. Every clinic our club does they make the girls (no matter what age) do footwork for 1/2 hour in their position or positions. The older girls get annoyed with it but when you go watch them at a HS game they do it right more often than not. I don't watch basketball but I have heard that Kobe used to do simple things at the start of practice and he is a pro so.....

I see the same mistakes over and over again from girls who learned or didn't learn good habits early. Prime example if our HS team is up 7-10 points and we are rolling everything is fine. The hitters transition well, the explode with their arms etc etc but once it is close or the chips are down they revert to old habits. Rabbit steps, no drop step or bad cross step, turn wrong way just random inefficient wasted movements. You can tell before they ever get to the ball its in the net or its long.

It is a great time and my daughter has made friendships for life.

 

[JMA1125]

Thank you all for your replies- this is all really helpful. Another question I have is, how do you determine which club is the best? We will look at fees and travel schedule as that will play into it, but what questions should I ask to find out which club is the best fit? What questions should I ask about instruction, philosophies, etc.? I never played volleyball so don’t know how to determine these things. Of course, this is assuming she’s fortunate enough to get more than one bid. If she only gets one the decision is made for us. God forbid she doesn’t get any bids

 

[Cyfan1965]

Thank you all for your replies- this is all really helpful. Another question I have is, how do you determine which club is the best? We will look at fees and travel schedule as that will play into it, but what questions should I ask to find out which club is the best fit? What questions should I ask about instruction, philosophies, etc.? I never played volleyball so don’t know how to determine these things. Of course, this is assuming she’s fortunate enough to get more than one bid. If she only gets one the decision is made for us. God forbid she doesn’t get any bids

If you want to message me and tell me where in iowa? I know enough about most of the coaches at different clubs in eastern Iowa and some in central Iowa-

 

[cyclonespiker33]

Thank you all for your replies- this is all really helpful. Another question I have is, how do you determine which club is the best? We will look at fees and travel schedule as that will play into it, but what questions should I ask to find out which club is the best fit? What questions should I ask about instruction, philosophies, etc.? I never played volleyball so don’t know how to determine these things. Of course, this is assuming she’s fortunate enough to get more than one bid. If she only gets one the decision is made for us. God forbid she doesn’t get any bids

I would be able to help you with reputability for central Iowa clubs but that's about it.

Sometimes practice schedules play a big role into it.

It will probably be hard for you to find out, but you'll want your daughter on a team with a good setter.

 

[Cyfan1965]

FYI....

Our club has every player picked do a conflict sheet. They schedule practices accordingly. If you can't make your practice in a particular week because of a band performance or the like then you go to another teams practice.

 

[JMA1125]

I’m not sure I did it right but I sent DMs. Thanks again.

 

[Cybirdy]

Feel free to message me as well, I can try to answer some questions as well. We have some knowledge of the metro area clubs. Our daughter played club ball for the past 4 years, starting in middle school. Honestly one of the most important things in volleyball is team chemistry. Granted that type of thing can not be judged until girls get together. Our most successful year we had an excellent coach who brought out the best in our daughter and a team of girls and families who all got along great.