10 Tips for High School and Club Tryouts

10 Tips for School & Club Team Tryouts
 
by Barry McLean
 
Tryouts for volleyball can be a stressful situation, even for the most confident athlete. Players from your school or across the City are thrown into a competitive environment where your every move is scrutinized by coaches, the same coaches who will eventually determine whether you are selected to join a team or the club. However, tryouts can also be very exciting and an excellent opportunity to discover new volleyball techniques, meet new friends and test your skills against other athletes in your age division. Tryouts are an important tool to help you realize your potential as an athlete in volleyball. Earning your position on a high school or club team is a significant achievement.
The following ten tips will help guide you through the tryout process;
 
1) Get a good night sleep! Before you go to bed, visualize yourself at the tryouts the next day. Picture yourself with all the other players and how you stand out in comparison to them. See yourself making the perfect pass to the setter , hitting a perfect kill shot down the line , and setting the perfect ball for the kill. Let your subconscious overflow with thoughts of you succeeding with the skills that the coaches are looking for. The next day you will be ready and the difference will be noticeable.
 
2) Wake up early! Show up for the tryouts early and start warming yourself up with some moderate stretches and exercises even before you step foot on the courts. Drink plenty of fluids and be ready to play hard. Theres an old saying, the early bird gets the worm, and in this case, it may very well be true. Coaches love it when their players get in the gym early, and those who straggle in just on time or a few minutes late impress no coach.
 
3)Always run everywhere on the courts during the tryouts. Make it a goal to be the first one to run over to the coach when he/she calls you in. Coaches love an enthusiastic player who hustles everywhere and dislikes the opposite. So, dont be a straggler.
 
4)  Always greet the coaches with a cheerful smile. Doesnt it give you a good feeling when you are welcomed with a warm smile? Treat others, as you would want them to treat you.
 
5) Always look directly at the coaches when they are speaking. This shows respect and eagerness to listen, learn, and cooperate.
 
6) Never talk when the coaches are speaking. This is somewhat disrespectful and coaches will consider this rude. Besides, how can you possibly be listening to the coach if youre talking yourself?
 
7) Be encouraging and communicate well with others. If somebody else you see makes an error say, youll get it next time or nice try. This shows coaches that you are a good team player and that you don?t let things bother you or let you get down on yourself or others. Be supportive.
 
8)Talk talk talk. Quiet players don’t get noticed while players who are constantly talking and communicating with one another are immediately identified. He/she talks really well on the court, coaches will say. Call for the ball, call for the set , call for the hit , and call the ball in or out. Either way players who talk well, lead well and show confidence.
 
9) Confidence is very important. Players who are confident about their game and with others around them are players that coaches are looking for. In order to look confident, show yourself in a state of good physiology. In other words, carry your head high and dont worry about making mistakes. Mistakes are a part of volleyball its important to realize that mistakes are an opportunity to learn. Many athletes commit an error and do not know how to deal with it effectively. For example, keeping your head up after hitting a ball out or missing a serve shows not only your team, but also the opposition that you can handle mistakes and that you are confident on your next opportunity you will be successful. Remember, frustration is a sign of learning and elite athletes accept frustration as part of the learning process. Only then can athletes move forward to be their best!
 
10) Most important - have fun! Volleyball is one of the greatest games that you will ever play. The life experiences that we learn from this sport are invaluable. So see the tryouts as fun but challenging and good things will happen.
 
Good luck!