Volleyball Action

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

That's the long game for sure but if your DD is still looking for a club as of this morning, there are things that she can do at whatever tryouts she might still have to increase her chances.

Communication, effort, and attitude are all within the player's control and they can choose to change those things now. Does she call for the ball, tell the hitters how many blockers are up or what shot to take? Does she let a ball land on the floor between her and the player next to her without even taking a step for the ball? Does she give up on a ball that is going off the court because successfully bringing it back in play is unlikely or does she run and dive after it anyway? Does she give high fives to other girls that she might not know during drills or competition? Is she attentive and engaged when coaches are giving instruction? What's her body language and facial expression like when she or the girl next to her makes a mistake? Does she shag her ball when it's part of the drill or go shag balls when she's off the court waiting for her turn to go? Does she ask questions or engage in a positive way when she get feedback from a coach?

I coached club for 3 seasons and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that for girls on the bubble skill wise, these are the kinds of things that puts them into the "maybe gets an offer" column instead of the "no offer" column.

My DD u16 does all these things and then some bc she’s a true “team player” and full of positivity. Not to mention resilience. But her club aspirations are almost crushed this year bc she doesn’t have a single offer after 5 tryouts. Even despite leaving it all on the court and doing all of the above mentioned things. Even cheering for the girls directly competing with her. Being covered in sweat at the end of every tryout. I truly wonder if coaches notice these things. At several tryouts even in the first day it was clear that teams were already formed and the pre-selects girls were on one court and everyone else was on the other. This happened 3x to my DD. No shagging balls and being helpful can compete with that. One club even took our money and told us at the end that their selects were already completed. It’s completely spirit-breaking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

That's the long game for sure but if your DD is still looking for a club as of this morning, there are things that she can do at whatever tryouts she might still have to increase her chances.

Communication, effort, and attitude are all within the player's control and they can choose to change those things now. Does she call for the ball, tell the hitters how many blockers are up or what shot to take? Does she let a ball land on the floor between her and the player next to her without even taking a step for the ball? Does she give up on a ball that is going off the court because successfully bringing it back in play is unlikely or does she run and dive after it anyway? Does she give high fives to other girls that she might not know during drills or competition? Is she attentive and engaged when coaches are giving instruction? What's her body language and facial expression like when she or the girl next to her makes a mistake? Does she shag her ball when it's part of the drill or go shag balls when she's off the court waiting for her turn to go? Does she ask questions or engage in a positive way when she get feedback from a coach?

I coached club for 3 seasons and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that for girls on the bubble skill wise, these are the kinds of things that puts them into the "maybe gets an offer" column instead of the "no offer" column.

My DD u16 does all these things and then some bc she’s a true “team player” and full of positivity. Not to mention resilience. But her club aspirations are almost crushed this year bc she doesn’t have a single offer after 5 tryouts. Even despite leaving it all on the court and doing all of the above mentioned things. Even cheering for the girls directly competing with her. Being covered in sweat at the end of every tryout. I truly wonder if coaches notice these things. At several tryouts even in the first day it was clear that teams were already formed and the pre-selects girls were on one court and everyone else was on the other. This happened 3x to my DD. No shagging balls and being helpful can compete with that. One club even took our money and told us at the end that their selects were already completed. It’s completely spirit-breaking.

I believe you; this is awful. What level was she trying for - regional or national

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to say thanks to everybody on this and the couple of other VB threads that are most active on this forum. We're a military family that's moved every couple of years, had zero background in volleyball of any flavor, much less the craziness that comes with HS and club levels here in the DMV. Without these threads, we would've been totally lost - just wanted to pass along some gratitude while folks work through this stressful week.

The info everybody's been willing to share (FPYCparent, I don't know where you get your energy!), and the patient answers to our questions helped us better guide our DD over the last couple of years as she progressed from barely-rec to in-house rec to tons of clinics to playing HS JV this year (going from third string to starter) and yesterday getting an offer from her top choice (#2 team on a 16U mid-tier club, but best fit for her in terms of her skills and goals). We got started way late in this sport, there's a giant dent in my wallet , and while college ball is not likely, we're certain that the journey will pay dividends in the long run for our daughter well outside of the court.

For everybody whose player is still hanging on a thread this week, we feel your pain and wish you the best. After seeing enough of the same players and parents at virtually every tryout we went to, the math has to work out such that there'll be several holes to fill over the rest of this week. Keep your ear to the ground and stay nimble.

Again, thanks. Cheers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

That's the long game for sure but if your DD is still looking for a club as of this morning, there are things that she can do at whatever tryouts she might still have to increase her chances.

Communication, effort, and attitude are all within the player's control and they can choose to change those things now. Does she call for the ball, tell the hitters how many blockers are up or what shot to take? Does she let a ball land on the floor between her and the player next to her without even taking a step for the ball? Does she give up on a ball that is going off the court because successfully bringing it back in play is unlikely or does she run and dive after it anyway? Does she give high fives to other girls that she might not know during drills or competition? Is she attentive and engaged when coaches are giving instruction? What's her body language and facial expression like when she or the girl next to her makes a mistake? Does she shag her ball when it's part of the drill or go shag balls when she's off the court waiting for her turn to go? Does she ask questions or engage in a positive way when she get feedback from a coach?

I coached club for 3 seasons and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that for girls on the bubble skill wise, these are the kinds of things that puts them into the "maybe gets an offer" column instead of the "no offer" column.

My DD u16 does all these things and then some bc she’s a true “team player” and full of positivity. Not to mention resilience. But her club aspirations are almost crushed this year bc she doesn’t have a single offer after 5 tryouts. Even despite leaving it all on the court and doing all of the above mentioned things. Even cheering for the girls directly competing with her. Being covered in sweat at the end of every tryout. I truly wonder if coaches notice these things. At several tryouts even in the first day it was clear that teams were already formed and the pre-selects girls were on one court and everyone else was on the other. This happened 3x to my DD. No shagging balls and being helpful can compete with that. One club even took our money and told us at the end that their selects were already completed. It’s completely spirit-breaking.

That's terrible and I hope she finds something. With an attitude like you describe, any team would be lucky to have her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

That's the long game for sure but if your DD is still looking for a club as of this morning, there are things that she can do at whatever tryouts she might still have to increase her chances.

Communication, effort, and attitude are all within the player's control and they can choose to change those things now. Does she call for the ball, tell the hitters how many blockers are up or what shot to take? Does she let a ball land on the floor between her and the player next to her without even taking a step for the ball? Does she give up on a ball that is going off the court because successfully bringing it back in play is unlikely or does she run and dive after it anyway? Does she give high fives to other girls that she might not know during drills or competition? Is she attentive and engaged when coaches are giving instruction? What's her body language and facial expression like when she or the girl next to her makes a mistake? Does she shag her ball when it's part of the drill or go shag balls when she's off the court waiting for her turn to go? Does she ask questions or engage in a positive way when she get feedback from a coach?

I coached club for 3 seasons and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that for girls on the bubble skill wise, these are the kinds of things that puts them into the "maybe gets an offer" column instead of the "no offer" column.

My DD u16 does all these things and then some bc she’s a true “team player” and full of positivity. Not to mention resilience. But her club aspirations are almost crushed this year bc she doesn’t have a single offer after 5 tryouts. Even despite leaving it all on the court and doing all of the above mentioned things. Even cheering for the girls directly competing with her. Being covered in sweat at the end of every tryout. I truly wonder if coaches notice these things. At several tryouts even in the first day it was clear that teams were already formed and the pre-selects girls were on one court and everyone else was on the other. This happened 3x to my DD. No shagging balls and being helpful can compete with that. One club even took our money and told us at the end that their selects were already completed. It’s completely spirit-breaking.

I believe you; this is awful. What level was she trying for - regional or national

This is the PP with the clubless u16. She tried out for a combo of both regional and national. She played on a national team for u15 last year, and did 5 tryouts for a mix this year to be safe. Some clubs have both. Has done all the clinics. Camps. Privates. She is so confused this morning and is trying to smile and be hopeful (there’s still time and maybe I’ll hear today) but she isn’t dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

That's the long game for sure but if your DD is still looking for a club as of this morning, there are things that she can do at whatever tryouts she might still have to increase her chances.

Communication, effort, and attitude are all within the player's control and they can choose to change those things now. Does she call for the ball, tell the hitters how many blockers are up or what shot to take? Does she let a ball land on the floor between her and the player next to her without even taking a step for the ball? Does she give up on a ball that is going off the court because successfully bringing it back in play is unlikely or does she run and dive after it anyway? Does she give high fives to other girls that she might not know during drills or competition? Is she attentive and engaged when coaches are giving instruction? What's her body language and facial expression like when she or the girl next to her makes a mistake? Does she shag her ball when it's part of the drill or go shag balls when she's off the court waiting for her turn to go? Does she ask questions or engage in a positive way when she get feedback from a coach?

I coached club for 3 seasons and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that for girls on the bubble skill wise, these are the kinds of things that puts them into the "maybe gets an offer" column instead of the "no offer" column.

My DD u16 does all these things and then some bc she’s a true “team player” and full of positivity. Not to mention resilience. But her club aspirations are almost crushed this year bc she doesn’t have a single offer after 5 tryouts. Even despite leaving it all on the court and doing all of the above mentioned things. Even cheering for the girls directly competing with her. Being covered in sweat at the end of every tryout. I truly wonder if coaches notice these things. At several tryouts even in the first day it was clear that teams were already formed and the pre-selects girls were on one court and everyone else was on the other. This happened 3x to my DD. No shagging balls and being helpful can compete with that. One club even took our money and told us at the end that their selects were already completed. It’s completely spirit-breaking.

My DD did all the things too, and was even invited to invite only clinics. Tried out for 6 clubs (including former club). Was completely shut out. It became obvious last year that the teams were preselected/vetted. And being in club for so many years my DD had made many friends that were playing all over and they confirmed. Unfortunately my DD is too short now (5 ft 5) for any position other than libero/DS. She tried out for mid and lower level clubs. Nothing at all.

People need to go in with both eyes open. It is super cut throat. There are just too many girls who are tall that want to play and are good and not enough spots. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

That's the long game for sure but if your DD is still looking for a club as of this morning, there are things that she can do at whatever tryouts she might still have to increase her chances.

Communication, effort, and attitude are all within the player's control and they can choose to change those things now. Does she call for the ball, tell the hitters how many blockers are up or what shot to take? Does she let a ball land on the floor between her and the player next to her without even taking a step for the ball? Does she give up on a ball that is going off the court because successfully bringing it back in play is unlikely or does she run and dive after it anyway? Does she give high fives to other girls that she might not know during drills or competition? Is she attentive and engaged when coaches are giving instruction? What's her body language and facial expression like when she or the girl next to her makes a mistake? Does she shag her ball when it's part of the drill or go shag balls when she's off the court waiting for her turn to go? Does she ask questions or engage in a positive way when she get feedback from a coach?

I coached club for 3 seasons and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that for girls on the bubble skill wise, these are the kinds of things that puts them into the "maybe gets an offer" column instead of the "no offer" column.

My DD u16 does all these things and then some bc she’s a true “team player” and full of positivity. Not to mention resilience. But her club aspirations are almost crushed this year bc she doesn’t have a single offer after 5 tryouts. Even despite leaving it all on the court and doing all of the above mentioned things. Even cheering for the girls directly competing with her. Being covered in sweat at the end of every tryout. I truly wonder if coaches notice these things. At several tryouts even in the first day it was clear that teams were already formed and the pre-selects girls were on one court and everyone else was on the other. This happened 3x to my DD. No shagging balls and being helpful can compete with that. One club even took our money and told us at the end that their selects were already completed. It’s completely spirit-breaking.

I believe you; this is awful. What level was she trying for - regional or national

This is the PP with the clubless u16. She tried out for a combo of both regional and national. She played on a national team for u15 last year, and did 5 tryouts for a mix this year to be safe. Some clubs have both. Has done all the clinics. Camps. Privates. She is so confused this morning and is trying to smile and be hopeful (there’s still time and maybe I’ll hear today) but she isn’t dumb.

Ugh. That’s awful. She did the right things. Sounds like no rhyme or reason. The numbers in Virginia U15 tryouts were crazy and I’m sure it was like that for U16.
I’ll hope that she gets in somewhere. Is she going to any makeups tonight?

[Anonymous]

We received one no flat out One your high on the list and then an eventual no. Waiting on one more. And a you made the team. If her higher ranked choice doesn't come through. She'll accept the offer tomorrow. There's still a sliver of hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

DP and of this is true but my daughter is one that does put in countless hours outside of practice and private lessons because she loves it. What became glaringly obvious this year was that her height will always be a barrier. She can go to as many clinics as possible but the tallest girls will get picked. There are too many trying out and too many that are good.

The same is true in basketball. Most coaches will say you can't teach height. They'll take a taller player that doesn't understand position, rotations, or situational game awareness over a more experienced player. The average height of an American female is 5'4. Which puts most girls in the DS/Libero position. They'll need to be extremely athletic, competitive, and in great physical shape (strength, jumping, agility, speed, etc...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

That's the long game for sure but if your DD is still looking for a club as of this morning, there are things that she can do at whatever tryouts she might still have to increase her chances.

Communication, effort, and attitude are all within the player's control and they can choose to change those things now. Does she call for the ball, tell the hitters how many blockers are up or what shot to take? Does she let a ball land on the floor between her and the player next to her without even taking a step for the ball? Does she give up on a ball that is going off the court because successfully bringing it back in play is unlikely or does she run and dive after it anyway? Does she give high fives to other girls that she might not know during drills or competition? Is she attentive and engaged when coaches are giving instruction? What's her body language and facial expression like when she or the girl next to her makes a mistake? Does she shag her ball when it's part of the drill or go shag balls when she's off the court waiting for her turn to go? Does she ask questions or engage in a positive way when she get feedback from a coach?

I coached club for 3 seasons and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that for girls on the bubble skill wise, these are the kinds of things that puts them into the "maybe gets an offer" column instead of the "no offer" column.

My DD u16 does all these things and then some bc she’s a true “team player” and full of positivity. Not to mention resilience. But her club aspirations are almost crushed this year bc she doesn’t have a single offer after 5 tryouts. Even despite leaving it all on the court and doing all of the above mentioned things. Even cheering for the girls directly competing with her. Being covered in sweat at the end of every tryout. I truly wonder if coaches notice these things. At several tryouts even in the first day it was clear that teams were already formed and the pre-selects girls were on one court and everyone else was on the other. This happened 3x to my DD. No shagging balls and being helpful can compete with that. One club even took our money and told us at the end that their selects were already completed. It’s completely spirit-breaking.

My DD did all the things too, and was even invited to invite only clinics. Tried out for 6 clubs (including former club). Was completely shut out. It became obvious last year that the teams were preselected/vetted. And being in club for so many years my DD had made many friends that were playing all over and they confirmed. Unfortunately my DD is too short now (5 ft 5) for any position other than libero/DS. She tried out for mid and lower level clubs. Nothing at all.

People need to go in with both eyes open. It is super cut throat. There are just too many girls who are tall that want to play and are good and not enough spots. Period.

This is a trickle down of what plays out in collegiate recruiting. With some exceptions for girls with crazy high vertical jumps and incredible athleticism, most girls under 5'10" are told at some point that if they want to keep playing they need to switch to libero or defensive specialist. That results in girls having to learn a new position as well as there being an huge number of girls competing for those L/DS spots. In college, getting recruited as a libero is much different than for other positions. There are far fewer athletic scholarships used for liberos and many schools wait to recruit liberos until after they have locked down the other positions in that class year. The reality is that there are so many L/DSes that want to play in college, schools can wait to recruit and still find quality players to recruit as preferred walk ons.

It's interesting that this is playing out as much at mid and lower tier clubs though. While the top tier of CHRVA clubs have always had tons of tall girls, mid and lower tier clubs generally didn't. Are there really that many more tall girls that are getting into volleyball now? I would have figured there was a limit to how many 6'+ girls are out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

That's the long game for sure but if your DD is still looking for a club as of this morning, there are things that she can do at whatever tryouts she might still have to increase her chances.

Communication, effort, and attitude are all within the player's control and they can choose to change those things now. Does she call for the ball, tell the hitters how many blockers are up or what shot to take? Does she let a ball land on the floor between her and the player next to her without even taking a step for the ball? Does she give up on a ball that is going off the court because successfully bringing it back in play is unlikely or does she run and dive after it anyway? Does she give high fives to other girls that she might not know during drills or competition? Is she attentive and engaged when coaches are giving instruction? What's her body language and facial expression like when she or the girl next to her makes a mistake? Does she shag her ball when it's part of the drill or go shag balls when she's off the court waiting for her turn to go? Does she ask questions or engage in a positive way when she get feedback from a coach?

I coached club for 3 seasons and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that for girls on the bubble skill wise, these are the kinds of things that puts them into the "maybe gets an offer" column instead of the "no offer" column.

My DD u16 does all these things and then some bc she’s a true “team player” and full of positivity. Not to mention resilience. But her club aspirations are almost crushed this year bc she doesn’t have a single offer after 5 tryouts. Even despite leaving it all on the court and doing all of the above mentioned things. Even cheering for the girls directly competing with her. Being covered in sweat at the end of every tryout. I truly wonder if coaches notice these things. At several tryouts even in the first day it was clear that teams were already formed and the pre-selects girls were on one court and everyone else was on the other. This happened 3x to my DD. No shagging balls and being helpful can compete with that. One club even took our money and told us at the end that their selects were already completed. It’s completely spirit-breaking.

My DD did all the things too, and was even invited to invite only clinics. Tried out for 6 clubs (including former club). Was completely shut out. It became obvious last year that the teams were preselected/vetted. And being in club for so many years my DD had made many friends that were playing all over and they confirmed. Unfortunately my DD is too short now (5 ft 5) for any position other than libero/DS. She tried out for mid and lower level clubs. Nothing at all.

People need to go in with both eyes open. It is super cut throat. There are just too many girls who are tall that want to play and are good and not enough spots. Period.

This is a trickle down of what plays out in collegiate recruiting. With some exceptions for girls with crazy high vertical jumps and incredible athleticism, most girls under 5'10" are told at some point that if they want to keep playing they need to switch to libero or defensive specialist. That results in girls having to learn a new position as well as there being an huge number of girls competing for those L/DS spots. In college, getting recruited as a libero is much different than for other positions. There are far fewer athletic scholarships used for liberos and many schools wait to recruit liberos until after they have locked down the other positions in that class year. The reality is that there are so many L/DSes that want to play in college, schools can wait to recruit and still find quality players to recruit as preferred walk ons.

It's interesting that this is playing out as much at mid and lower tier clubs though. While the top tier of CHRVA clubs have always had tons of tall girls, mid and lower tier clubs generally didn't. Are there really that many more tall girls that are getting into volleyball now? I would have figured there was a limit to how many 6'+ girls are out there.

My DD had always been a libero/DS but was open to playing other positions if she could just be on a team. My point was that she’s locked into that position because there are just too many other tall girls who play that these teams can use to play everything else so switching isn’t an option/there isn’t a need. And to add to that, all the other “shorter” girls who play also find themselves with libero/DS as their only option means so many more girls are all competing for 1-2 spots.

She wasn’t playing something else before and now has to be the libero. And she is not interested in playing in college, she just wants to keep playing club now but those days may be over. She only tried out for lower tier clubs.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Monday Morning and my experienced u15 with two years of club under her belt and who went to 5 tryouts has zero offers. She’s shattered. She isn’t a rec level player. We don’t understand what happened.

I keep telling my DD that it doesn't really matter what you do at practice, what really matters is what you do outside practice. These words of wisdom are not mine: I heard them one way or another from the mouths of experienced coaches. Club experience is irrelevant if all you do is show up at practice and tournaments. There are many players who work hard during practice, then go home and work even harder. The extra hours will eventually pay off because it will show in the way you move on the court. These are the players who really want to play volleyball and they will squeeze out those who simply show up for the social aspect (have fun with friends). All the players who are now left hanging need to understand that it will be even harder to make a team during the next season. My DD seems to have finally realized that this is the case, but I am still not sure if she is willing to put in the effort.

That's the long game for sure but if your DD is still looking for a club as of this morning, there are things that she can do at whatever tryouts she might still have to increase her chances.

Communication, effort, and attitude are all within the player's control and they can choose to change those things now. Does she call for the ball, tell the hitters how many blockers are up or what shot to take? Does she let a ball land on the floor between her and the player next to her without even taking a step for the ball? Does she give up on a ball that is going off the court because successfully bringing it back in play is unlikely or does she run and dive after it anyway? Does she give high fives to other girls that she might not know during drills or competition? Is she attentive and engaged when coaches are giving instruction? What's her body language and facial expression like when she or the girl next to her makes a mistake? Does she shag her ball when it's part of the drill or go shag balls when she's off the court waiting for her turn to go? Does she ask questions or engage in a positive way when she get feedback from a coach?

I coached club for 3 seasons and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that for girls on the bubble skill wise, these are the kinds of things that puts them into the "maybe gets an offer" column instead of the "no offer" column.

My DD u16 does all these things and then some bc she’s a true “team player” and full of positivity. Not to mention resilience. But her club aspirations are almost crushed this year bc she doesn’t have a single offer after 5 tryouts. Even despite leaving it all on the court and doing all of the above mentioned things. Even cheering for the girls directly competing with her. Being covered in sweat at the end of every tryout. I truly wonder if coaches notice these things. At several tryouts even in the first day it was clear that teams were already formed and the pre-selects girls were on one court and everyone else was on the other. This happened 3x to my DD. No shagging balls and being helpful can compete with that. One club even took our money and told us at the end that their selects were already completed. It’s completely spirit-breaking.

My DD did all the things too, and was even invited to invite only clinics. Tried out for 6 clubs (including former club). Was completely shut out. It became obvious last year that the teams were preselected/vetted. And being in club for so many years my DD had made many friends that were playing all over and they confirmed. Unfortunately my DD is too short now (5 ft 5) for any position other than libero/DS. She tried out for mid and lower level clubs. Nothing at all.

People need to go in with both eyes open. It is super cut throat. There are just too many girls who are tall that want to play and are good and not enough spots. Period.

This is a trickle down of what plays out in collegiate recruiting. With some exceptions for girls with crazy high vertical jumps and incredible athleticism, most girls under 5'10" are told at some point that if they want to keep playing they need to switch to libero or defensive specialist. That results in girls having to learn a new position as well as there being an huge number of girls competing for those L/DS spots. In college, getting recruited as a libero is much different than for other positions. There are far fewer athletic scholarships used for liberos and many schools wait to recruit liberos until after they have locked down the other positions in that class year. The reality is that there are so many L/DSes that want to play in college, schools can wait to recruit and still find quality players to recruit as preferred walk ons.

It's interesting that this is playing out as much at mid and lower tier clubs though. While the top tier of CHRVA clubs have always had tons of tall girls, mid and lower tier clubs generally didn't. Are there really that many more tall girls that are getting into volleyball now? I would have figured there was a limit to how many 6'+ girls are out there.

My DD had always been a libero/DS but was open to playing other positions if she could just be on a team. My point was that she’s locked into that position because there are just too many other tall girls who play that these teams can use to play everything else so switching isn’t an option/there isn’t a need. And to add to that, all the other “shorter” girls who play also find themselves with libero/DS as their only option means so many more girls are all competing for 1-2 spots.

She wasn’t playing something else before and now has to be the libero. And she is not interested in playing in college, she just wants to keep playing club now but those days may be over. She only tried out for lower tier clubs.

My DD has always been a libero too and has had the same experience with having to compete with more and more girls every year for these reasons. She's an 18 this year and made the team at the same club she's played on for the past few years, but I sympathize with your daughter's situation. Hopefully her experience at the position will get her an offer if something opens up at one of clubs she tried out for.

[Anonymous]

We know several tall girls who are club players who don’t have offers yet. Tall meaning 5’8”-5’10” not necessarily the coveted 6’ tall these makeup tryouts seem to be hunting for. But yes there are still a bunch of u15-u17 girls in the 5’8”-5’11 range who are still looking. My DD is one of them.

[FPYCparent]

Whoa! A shout-out from PP 11/04/2024 09:35! Thanks for the mention. I just hope that some folks got some utility out of that spreadsheet. LOL!

Good luck to all who have gotten and accepted offers and the same to those still waiting to hear some good news. My kid got her last 'yes/no' offer result around 3PM or so Sunday. Hopefully, her final decision will be a good one for her, just as I hope all the DDs out there find the landing spot that's right for them.

[Anonymous]

MOCO and Metro aren't forming teams for 17u this year. This may have added to the number of girls that can play down to 16u because of their birthday. Especially if they did make the 18u team.