Volleyball Tryouts for Middle School
7 Tips to Prepare for Tryout Day

Volleyball tryouts for middle school can be stressful.

Preparing mentally is just as important as preparing physically.

Here are some reasons why mental preparation is essential for volleyball tryouts.

Confidence: You got to have confidence to perform well during tryouts. When you feel confident in your abilities, you are likelier to perform your best. Coaches will notice this confidence and will like to see it.

Focus: Volleyball requires a lot of mental focus and concentration. Mental preparation can help you develop the ability to stay focused and present during the tryouts, which can improve your performance.

Resilience: Volleyball tryouts can be challenging, and you may encounter obstacles or setbacks. Mental preparation can help you develop the resilience to overcome these challenges and keep pushing forward.

Visualization: Mental preparation can help you visualize yourself succeeding and performing well during the tryouts. Visualization can help you mentally rehearse your performance and improve your confidence and focus.

Positive mindset: A positive mindset can go a long way in helping you succeed during volleyball tryouts. Mental preparation can help you develop a positive attitude and outlook, which can improve your performance and help you overcome any negative self-talk or doubts.

7 Tips to Prepare for Volleyball Tryouts

Practice the main skills: The most important skills for tryouts are serving, passing, hitting, and setting. You don't need to be as concerned about blocking in middle school. Practice volleyball skills so that you are comfortable performing them at tryouts.

Get good at a specific skill: If you can become really good at a one important skill, this will help you stand out. Coaches will like this and remember you.

Watch videos: Search youtube for tips on how to play. Seeing the game played will help you better understand the game and learn new techniques. The more you understand the game, the easier it will be to play. Also, if you study the game, you'll gain confidence, and your coaches will likely notice.

Get in shape: Volleyball requires a lot of physical endurance. You don't want aerobic endurance. Focus more on power endurance. This means avoid running distances. If you run, sprint instead. Coaches often weed out the weakest athletes by making them perform conditioning drills. So, work on your endurance and strength training to build up your stamina.

Know what positions a team wants to fill: A team can only have a few setters. If you want to set, but you know you can't beat out a better setter, then focus on trying out for other positions. Also, all coaches want players that can serve and pass. So, be aware of how well you serve and pass compared to other players. Passing is difficult for young players. If you can get good at passing, you'll have a better chance of standing out and making the team.

Quickly Move Past Mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes. Coaches want to see players that can continue performing without being negatively affected by errors.

Be a supportive teammate: Coaches will like seeing you play together as a team. Volleyball is a team sport, and teammates must support one another.

Look confident, not stressed: To make the team, you need to perform well at tryouts. Worrying about things will distract you from achieving your best.

Always try your hardest and never show frustration. Coaches will notice your effort. Coaches want players that will push hard because those are the players that are going to make the most improvement.

Volleyball Tryouts What to Expect

Here are 7 things to expect at volleyball tryouts.

This is what volleyball tryouts for middle school look like.

During volleyball tryouts, you can expect to participate in various activities to test your skills and abilities. The following are some of the things you might be asked to do during volleyball tryouts:

Warm-up: You will likely start with a warm-up routine that includes stretching, jogging, and other exercises to prepare your body for the drills and activities ahead.

Skills assessment: The coaches will likely assess your skills. Definitely be prepared to serve and pass. If you can't serve, it will be tough to make the team. You can stand out by passing really well. I wouldn't worry about blocking. Blocking isn't usually something coaches will ge concerned about.

Scrimmages: You may be asked to play in scrimmages against other players to demonstrate your game skills, including teamwork, communication, and overall game awareness.

Testing your Endurance: You may be likely tested on how long you can last. If you can't make it very long without getting tired, then the coach will think you won't last long in practices. Show in shape and don't let it show that when something is difficult. 

Communication: You may be evaluated on your ability to communicate effectively with your teammates during drills and scrimmages. Be social and act likely you get along with everyone. Especially if there are players you know for sure are going to make the team. Be friendly with them. Coaches will notice.

Attitude and effort: Coaches want to see a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn and improve. Show your love for volleyball and your support for teammates.

Stay positive and confident: Remember to have a positive mindset during the tryouts. Focus on doing your best and showing your skills, and keep going if you make mistakes. Coaches are often looking for players with a positive attitude and willingness to learn and improve.

Volleyball Tryouts for Middle School - How to Prepare in the Off-Season

Here are some things you can do during the off-season to prepare for volleyball tryouts for middle school:

Stay active: It's essential to stay active during the off-season to maintain your fitness level. Consider joining a recreational league or playing other sports to keep in shape.

Work on your skills: Use the off-season to develop your volleyball skills, such as serving, passing, hitting, setting, and blocking. You can practice these skills on your own or with a partner.

Watch and learn: Watch videos of volleyball games and tutorials to improve your understanding of the game and learn new techniques.

Attend camps or clinics: Consider attending volleyball camps or clinics during the off-season to improve your skills and learn from experienced coaches.

Strength training: If you workout you'll have an advantage over the others that don't. Builds strength specific to volleyball. This includes jumping for lower body and pull ups and push ups for upper body strength.

Work on mental preparation: Even when you don't have a court or team to practice with, you could be working on the mental parts of the game at home. Watch video and learn as much as you can. The more you know, the easier it will be to prepare for what happens next!

Join a club team: Club volleyball is a great opportunity to catch up or pass your competition because you are playing will others aren't.

Work on your footwork: Just 5 minutes a day will go a long way to improve footwork. 

Overall, volleyball tryouts allow coaches to evaluate your skills and determine if you would be a good fit for the team. So do your best, stay focused, and have fun!

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