Introducing Kids to Club Volleyball: What Parents Should Know Before Tryouts
The gym doors were propped open with a folding chair, and the smell of floor wax drifted into the parking lot. My daughter, ten, stood beside me with borrowed knee pads and a water bottle she’d already refilled twice. We were there for a club volleyball tryout, mostly because she’d liked rec league and I figured this was the next step. I didn’t know much about club volleyball except that it sounded more serious.
Inside, the bleachers were full of parents holding phones and coffee cups. Three coaches sat at a table with clipboards. About forty girls were warming up, passing balls back and forth. My daughter looked at the crowd and said, “What if I’m the worst one here?” I said something forgettable like, “You won’t know until you try.” Then she shanked her first pass into the wall. A few minutes later, she got one good dig, and a coach said, “Nice hustle.” In the car, she said, “That was hard.” Not “I loved it.” Not “I hated it.” Just hard. I asked if she wanted to go back the next day. She said, “Maybe.”
That maybe is probably where most families start with club volleyball. It’s not like signing up for Saturday morning soccer. Club volleyball for kids can mean tryouts, team selection, two or three practices a week, weekend tournaments, travel, uniforms, and a fee schedule that can make you blink. It can be a great fit for a kid who wants more skill work and competition. It can also be too much too soon, especially for elementary-age kids who still need free time and sleep.
Before you commit, watch a practice. Not a tryout, not a highlight video. Ask the club if you can observe a regular session for your child’s age group. You’ll learn more in twenty minutes than from any brochure. Are the coaches correcting players kindly? Are kids standing in long lines? Is there a lot of shouting? Do the older teams look exhausted or engaged? If your child is new to volleyball, ask about developmental or pre-club programs. Some clubs run six-week skills clinics with no tryout. That’s a lower-pressure way to see if your kid actually likes the sport.
Also ask specific questions before you sign anything. How many players are on a roster? How many teams per age group? What does playing time look like for beginners? What tournaments are required, and how far are they? What exactly is included in the club fee, and what costs extra? Uniforms, warm-ups, travel, hotel, coach stipends, and facility fees can add up. Ask about refund policies and payment plans. Don’t sign the same night after a tryout, even if the coach is friendly. Take the paperwork home, read it, and talk to your child when everyone is calm.
Our first tournament was a Saturday in a crowded convention center. We arrived at 7 a.m. with a cooler, folding chairs, and a bag of snacks. My daughter sat on the bench for the first set. I felt a tightness in my chest I didn’t expect. She played back row in the second set, missed a serve, then later got one over. Her team clapped. She didn’t smile, but she watched every point. On the ride home, I bit back the urge to coach her. Instead I asked, “What was one thing that felt good?” She thought for a minute. “That dig in the second set.” I didn’t ask about the missed serve. She brought it up later anyway, and we talked about it then.
That small habit has helped us. Kids often shut down when they feel interrogated after a game. “Did you have fun?” can sound like a test, especially if they spent half the match on the bench. Try asking about a specific moment, a teammate, or what the coach said during a timeout. If they say “I don’t know,” let it go. They’ll talk when they’re ready, usually after a snack and some quiet.
Club volleyball also brings practical logistics. On practice nights, we started keeping a bin in the car with extra socks, granola bars, hair ties, and a spare water bottle. Homework gets done before practice or not at all, so we set a rule: bag unpacked, water refilled, then homework at the kitchen table. Dinner is often sandwiches or something from the slow cooker. We skip one optional tournament when the schedule gets heavy. The coach is fine with it. My daughter sleeps in on Sunday and plays better on Monday.
The money side is real. Club volleyball can cost several hundred to several thousand dollars per season, depending on the club and travel. If that’s not in your budget, ask about scholarships, payment plans, or carpooling. Buy used knee pads. Wait on expensive shoes until your child’s feet stop growing. Label everything. A sharpie on a water bottle saves ten minutes of searching in a gym lobby.
I’ve also learned to watch my own behavior in the bleachers. I’ve sighed loudly after a bad pass. I’ve heard parents yell instructions from the top row. Kids notice. If you’re feeling intense, sit in the back or near a parent who mostly chats. Cheer for all the players, not just yours. On the ride home, wait ten minutes before saying anything about the game. Let them eat. Then ask one open question. If they’re upset, don’t fix it right away. “That sounds frustrating” is often enough.
We’re still figuring out where club volleyball fits for us. My daughter improved her serve this season. She’s still nervous at the net. She says she wants to try out again next year, but not for the travel team. So we’ll look at a local club with one practice a week and maybe a skills clinic. It might work. It might not. Last Tuesday she dropped her knee pads by the front door and said, “I got my serve in five times.” I said, “That’s a lot of serves.” She shrugged and went to find a snack. That’s where we are.
Please indicate: Thinking In Educating » Introducing Kids to Club Volleyball: What Parents Should Know Before Tryouts