So, in the Gateway region tryouts for grade school teams are coming up this weekend.
Volleyball clubs should be very concerned about the development of their players. But, as a parent or player you need to have an active role in that development. Here are some unique ways you may be able to impact your son or daughter's development at tryouts.
(1) Instead of trying out just for their age group, consider trying out for one age group older. Look, it's human nature. Your daughter is in 7th grade and so should be trying out with girls her own age, right? Well, not exactly. As I mentioned before there are only a handful of top clubs in any region. Aside from those, if your daughter is very good, she is likely to be the best or one of the best players if she plays for a lower level club. However, for that same club if she played up one age group she might be one of the weaker players on that team and would be more challenged. So, if you don't want to play for and pay for a bigger club, one way to duplicate that experience is by playing 'up' one age group in a second level club. If a lower level club won't allow this, then I would avoid trying out for them as any club who wants a player to play for a team they won't be challenged on is not considering what is best for that player's development.
(2) Talk to someone who is really knowledgeable about volleyball and see where your daughter projects as a player. Then check with the club(s) you want to try out for to see what their philosophy is on putting together a team. If they just take the tallest players or those who can jump the highest and automatically make them middle blockers, they are considering what will be best to help them win instead of what will be best for the development of their players. You are likely going to pay a lot of money for your child to play club volleyball. It should be best for your child, not for the sake of the team's chances of winning. I have run offenses with three middle blockers or three outside hitters or three setters in the past just to train kids at the position appropriate to them, not at the position appropriate to where the club wants them to play. If you have 3 good setters and they are your best 3 players, why should one or two of them be used as outside hitters or defensive specialists/liberos? If you have two good setters you should be running a two setter offense or some system where those two good setters play equal time at setter, at least, and get to play most of the rest of the time at a position appropriate to their skill set.
(3) At tryouts talk to other parents, especially the parents of the best players at the tryout. Try to get a feel for whether those kids are just there as a backup plan or will they commit on the spot if selected to this team. Usually players have numbers at tryouts. Pick the best 15 players you see at those tryouts and write down their numbers. When a team asks you if you will commit ask them which players, by number, have committed or will commit. I would get that in writing by e-mail if I could. Too many times novice parents see a great team at a tryout and commit to a team only to find out that the players they saw at the tryouts are not the ones on this team because they committed to other clubs.
(4) Better uniforms don't make a better team. If you are choosing between similar teams pick the one that requires less cost for uniforms. I have never, as a coach, been beaten by a great looking uniform. But I have seen some really novice teams sporting $100+ in uniforms/bags/etc. for no reason. Despite popular belief, you don't have to look good to play good, you just have to be well-trained.
(5) If you don't make a team of your choice don't just jump to be on another team. Touches are great but you get touches in grade school ball and you are trying to get better coaching and be with better players in club ball, right? So if you don't make a club you want to play for on tryout weekend be more selective. Remember, if you don't make a club team you can just apply the money you saved by not playing club to camps or clinics the next summer or individual lessons during the year.
(6) The younger the team the fewer players should be on that team. Why? Because larger rosters are for specialization. If you have a 16-year-old who can't pass serve and you are trying to win the regional championship you take that player out in the back row for a defensive substitute. However, in 6th grade you want that player to develop all skills, not just use their best skills to help the team win. Again, it comes down to what is better for the player, not what is best to help that team win. Winning is only important, in reality, for the top few teams in each age group. For the rest, it should be what is best for the development of a player. Yes, you don't want to embarrass a kid if they just can't pass serve but, again, there are ways to hide a player so they are not part of your serve receive if they struggle with passing serve.
Hopefully this helps. Here is hoping that clubs work to develop their players as they should. However, don't accept that this will be true. If you aren't actively involved in the tryout process, you may end up with less than you expected.
