HELP!!!

Question
QUESTION: I'm having tryouts for high school in 47 days and it may seem like a lot but trust me it's not. Iv'e never really played volleyball before except for gym class but i sucked. I really want to get active this year considering that im gonna have a fresh start in high school. I'm not a sporty girl or athletic at all but i really want to give it a shot. I'm okay at my speed but my hight is a little short (5"5) and to say it nicely I'm not neccesarily the "lightest" girl around. I was just wondering if you had any advice for me in what i should do to practice, what coaches look for in a player, and if I need to be lighter inorder to play better. I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!

ANSWER: Hello Laura and welcome to www.AllExperts.com

My name is Coach Tovar

To make sure that all my readers young and old can understand some of my comments, I have chosen to use simple vocabulary words and interpret the rule for this sole purpose.

Well Laura you are not alone. A lot of girls never play sports until high school. With this in mind here is a list of what you can do or points to cover.

If you can buy a volleyball go to Wal-Mart where they sell good beach volleyballs for about $7 dollars.

1. Watch videos on YouTube that teach you how to learn the bump and serve for now. These are the two most important drills you should practice when you come to tryouts.

2. Watch multiple videos on how to learn the bump and serve. Learn from different coaches and choose the most comfortable way for you to learn the skill.

3. Later watch videos on YouTube that teach you how to serve, bump, set, or spike. The set and spike will be taught later by your new coaches but it will greatly help you during tryouts if you have some practice.

4. Watch a volleyball game on YouTube to see what is happening. It will help if you have a friend who can explain what is going on during the game.

5. With some experience on how to serve, bump, set, or spike don't feel you have to be perfect because your new coaches will teach you the finer points of these skills.

6. I would concentrate more on the serve and the bump. These two skills are a must in a game and your chances of being on a team and even playing will depend on these two skills.

7. Tryouts are not based on how fast you can run or even endurance. Tryouts are based whether or not you have the basic skills as in a serve and bump and whether you are coach able. If you are coach able then you will be able to learn the skills that are taught to you by your new coaches.

8. Talk to your friends who have played volleyball, tried out and have made it. Never listen to someone who has made it or who has not and is negative about the whole process. This person's heart might of not been in it.

9. As far as conditioning I would stretch and yes you can go to YouTube for "volleyball stretching". I would use the walk jog and run technique every other day around your neighborhood yard or park. In this exercise you would walk for 2 minutes, jog for 1 minute, and run for 30 seconds.

This exercise will get your body ready for exercise with out overdoing it. Keep doing the walk, jog, and run exercise for a period of 10 - 15 minutes at a time and go longer as you get better ex. (walk 2 minutes, jog 2 minutes, run 2 minutes and so on).

You will be doing some exercises during tryouts so be ready for this. Look up in the Internet "Tips during volleyball try-outs" to see what is expected so you will be more confidence.

10. Do not worry that everyone during tryouts look more experience than you. These players might be placed on higher teams such as varsity levels.

11. Try your hardest and be positive, coaches look at the whole player while you are trying out and acting like you want to quit will diminish your chances of being picked. Chances are that if you try really hard to learn the skill then you will be picked.

12. You can also go to Volleyball Camps. They do charge you for the camps but they will help you with all the skills needed to learn how to play volleyball. Look up on the internet "Volleyball Camps" in your home town ex. "volleyball camps in Houston" .

Good luck and you will make it if you do follow the following advice above.

I hope this answers your question. Please take the time to rate me. Any feedback you can provide for me will be great.

If you need any extra personal advice from me then go to www.volleyballplaystorun.com and go to the bottom of the menu under "Contact Us". You will find my email address. Send me an email if you need more information or visit us again here at www.AllExperts.com

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Coach Tovar


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: tryouts are tomorow and im super nervous. thank you for the feedback. just one more thing. ive been practicing and im pretty good at my serve and bump. what should i eat for breakfeast in the morning and what should i wear??? what time should i go to bed and what time should i get up in the morning. tryouts are at 10:30 am and my parents and grandma are going. should i practice in the morning or the night before or both. should i stretch? should i bring a snack or something. and are coaches gonna be really mean and aggresive at the tryouts. what type of things do they usually ask you to do. is there anything that they like in particular that you do? thanks and i hope to hear by you by tomorow. wish me luck!!!

Answer
Hello Laura and yes I wish you good luck.

Some notes before we start: Many high schools are very different in how they make their tryouts. I have never seen players run for miles in a game of volleyball so coaches who do this are more likely to leave out the heavy players and keep those who they feel are more athletic regardless of volleyball experience. Of course this is wrong but it happens a lot.

Remember that your first practice try out will be the hardest and it will feel easier the next day because now your body has been pushed to an uncomfortable level. The try out practices usually last from one to three days. Do not be discouraged if you see some excellent players. These players are usually varsity players or players who will be on higher teams.

A great coach chooses players on three things. One - that the player is coach able which means that the players will do exactly what the coaches tell them to do regardless of how the drill feels or looks. Two - the player experience. If the coach feels that the player is good but lacks a lot of the experience then the coach might weigh their options whether to take the time to teach you or not. Three - How quickly can you can learn the skills taught to you. Some players will never get the drill even though they believe they are doing it correctly.

No matter what happens, you should give it your best and never run as fast as the fastest player, always stay with the medium players so you can last the whole try out. Breath slowly in and out after each drill to get the maximum amount of oxygen in your blood system. Many girls pretend that they are not tried and limit the oxygen intake and therefore later pay the consequences.

They are going to ask you what position you would like to try out for. Don't worry about this for now. Choose the outside hitter position or also called the opposite position. In this position you will always have to hit on the left outside side. When you are in the middle you will switch with the person on the left outside position. If you are on the right side you will switch with the person again on your outside left position. You will do this while they serve, your team serves, or while you are rotating in the front row. This will be any easy position for you compared to the other positions. Or you can also ask to be a middle blocker. During a practice game feel free to ask a girl with experience where to go.


I am going to answer all the sub questions you asked.

1.What should i eat for breakfeast in the morning? You can eat a normal breakfast as long as you don't practice 30 minutes before a try out.I would recommend you eat fruits, energy bars and other small food that will give you energy that lasts. You do not want to be super full when you go out to practice. Tryouts will usually consist of two periods with a large break in between unless it's a Saturday practice where they may give you an hour or two lunch break.

2.What should i wear? Even though there are special shoes for volleyball, you should wear shoes that are not that high. Running shoes may do the trick for now. You should wear shorts that stretch or a short with spandex underneath. A shirt without sleeves or short sleeves are better for practice because of the movements needed in volleyball.

3. What time should i go to bed? If you are too excited you will have more problems sleeping than ever. Try to get at least 8 hrs of sleep, turn off all the lights, run through your head the bump and serving techniques by picturing them in your head until you fall asleep.

4. What time should i get up in the morning, tryouts are at 10:30 am? I would be there at 9:45am. You will see players that are stretching out even though the coaches will help you with this. You can see what the experienced players are doing to prepare and you can do the same. They might or might not let any parents in there while you are trying out so be prepared to tell your parents that they might have to leave.

5. Should i practice in the morning or the night before or both? I would practice without the ball and just go through the motions slowly and then do them again with your eyes closed so that your muscles can memorize the movements. Do this before you go to bed.

6. Should i stretch? The coaches will help you stretch through drills they have but I will still stretch when I get there. Look at the players and do what they do.

7. Should i bring a snack or something? Bring a few bottled waters and a small snack just in case.

8. Are coaches gonna be really mean and aggresive at the tryouts? Coaches will not be mean but they might be aggressive. This is for your own good so that they may help you push your self to your best potential so don't take it personally.

9. What type of things do they usually ask you to do?  Each coach is different but they will ask you to run some drills maybe even laps. They will give you basic drills to see how well you can follow directs and so see if you have any prior experience in them. They will make you serve a number of times. This is very important so take your time. They will give you drills where you will have to bump the ball and this is also super important. At the end they will ask you to play in a game of volleyball to see if you know where to go and rotate. There are many drills like these especially fitness drills they will ask you to do. Some tryouts will be really hard and others will be fairly easy depending on the quality and quantity of players. Keep in mind that unlike middle school, you have to earn your spot. If a coach says who wants to do this or that, you must jump into it so that they know you really want to learn. Never be the first in line to do something during try outs. It is better to wait ans see how the drill will look like before you get your turn.

10. Is there anything that they like in particular that you do? I like players who are always looking at me while I am telling them what to do next as well as them getting close to me when I speak. This tells me that they really want to learn and are focused players. I like to see leadership. When I tell the players to line up here, I like those players who run to that line and help me get things started. When the coach starts talking and you see everyone moving closer to the coach, coaches like to see players jog or run to the coach regardless of what other players think. Coaches will usually pick these players as captains regardless of whether they play or not. Never argue with a coach or correct them. Coaches will have a lot on their minds and are looking at many things during a try out so don't ask them any questions about the drills, they will think you were not paying attention. Don't be with a group of girls or clicks, especially the ones that talk while the coach is talking. This will get you in trouble a lot. Some girls who do not make the team usually start rumors about the players and or coaches and later want to try out the next year. This might be a problem for those players because coaches want players who are focused not those that do the opposite to players.

Good luck and let me know how you did.

Juan A. Tovar