Volleyball Tryouts: How to Prepare Your Child

Volleyball tryouts are one- to three-hour sessions where coaches watch players run drills and play so they can pick a team. Coaches look at ball control, but they also watch effort, attitude, communication and coachability. To prepare: practice the basics in the weeks before, show up rested, and agree on your budget and top choices before the day, because club offers often come with short deadlines.

Typical length

1–3 hours per session

Skills tested

Serve, pass, set, attack

Also judged

Effort, attitude, communication

Club offers

Check the club's or region's rules

Decide before tryouts

Budget and top choices

How tryouts work

• School tryouts usually happen right before the season and are run by the school coach. Some schools ask for a medical check or forms before your child can take part.
• Club tryouts or trials are set by each club, sometimes within dates set by the regional federation. Clubs may hold open sessions beforehand so families can look around.
• Registration. Most clubs ask you to register online and some charge a fee. Some require federation registration first. In the US, club tryouts often require a USA Volleyball tryout or full membership, and tryout dates are set by your USA Volleyball region. If your child is trying out for several clubs, budget for each club's tryout fee.
• The session. Players are given a number, warm up, run through skill stations, then play in small games or six-a-side scrimmages while coaches take notes. Some clubs evaluate setters and liberos in a separate group, so tell the club your child's position when you register.
• Offers. Clubs usually make offers by phone or email after tryouts, often with a short deadline to accept (see When an offer comes).

How to prepare

• Practice the basics. In the weeks before, work on serving, passing to a target and footwork. See Serving, Passing and Setting.
• Build fitness gradually. Add some movement and jumping practice, but don't cram. Always warm up first and learn to land softly on both feet, knees bent — see Warm-Up and Common Injuries.
• Gear check. Court shoes, knee pads, comfortable athletic clothes, a full water bottle and a snack. Hair tied back; no jewelry.
• Sleep and food. A good night's sleep and a normal meal a few hours before matter more than any last-minute drill.
• Research clubs. Know which teams your child is trying out for and what each costs. See Youth Volleyball Clubs.

What coaches look for

• Ball control. Can your child pass and serve consistently, even if not powerfully?
• Effort and hustle. Going after every ball, even the ones that seem out of reach.
• Communication. Calling the ball, encouraging teammates.
• Coachability. Listening, trying a correction right away, and asking questions.
• Response to mistakes. Resetting quickly rather than sulking.
• Athleticism and potential. Movement, quickness and, at older ages, height and reach — but younger players are often picked for attitude and learning speed.

On tryout day

• Arrive early so your child can check in and warm up without rushing.
• Let your child walk in on their own. Most clubs ask parents to wait outside or watch quietly.
• Don't talk to coaches about your child during tryouts. Save questions for after offers.
• Keep the ride home light. Ask “What was fun?” before “How did you do?”

When an offer comes

Accepting an offer usually means committing to the whole season, and it may mean paying a deposit. Before tryouts:

• Read the club's (and, in the US, your region's) offer policy and deadlines.
• Decide your top choices and your budget with your child.
• Get each club's written fee breakdown (see Questions to ask a club).

In the US, most USA Volleyball regions set an official tryout window and rules for when clubs can make offers. Offers made before that window are generally non-binding, and some regions penalize clubs that pressure families early. Once you accept an offer in the official period, the commitment usually lasts the whole season. Outside the US, ask the club when it will confirm team places and whether you can wait for other clubs before you decide.

If your child doesn't make the team

Not making a team hurts, and that's OK. Give your child space to be disappointed. Then:

• Ask the coach, politely and later, what your child could work on. Many coaches will share one or two specifics.
• Look at other options: a different team level, another club, a rec league, clinics or private lessons.
• Make a simple skill plan together, like 10 minutes of wall passing a day.
• Remind your child that many good players were cut at least once. Growth and skill can change a lot in a year.

Frequently asked questions