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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DD is currently on one of the worst teams in the region. She wants to make a top 50% team next year but doesn’t know how to improve. Does anyone have clinics that helped their kid tremendously?[/quote]
No matter how good the coaching, a single clinic or camp is unlikely to result in a drastic change in a short amount of time. Like most skills, volleyball takes consistent practice over a long period of time to become really good. That said, depending on how long your DD has been playing, going from beginner to a strong intermediate player can happen relatively quickly. Obviously, it's important to learn good fundamentals as a foundation for further development. Trying to get that training outside her current club in the middle of club season can be tough. Private lessons and coaching not affiliated with other clubs are probably your best options right now.

If you're already looking to next club season, start planning for what she's going to do this summer and fall. Over the summer, getting lots of touches and court time is probably most important. Getting exposure to clubs she might be interested in by going to their camps and other training opportunities over the summer can be a good idea, although it's hard to know who the coaches are going to be during the summer.  Since coaching is a side hustle for most club coaches, they often don't participate in club summer programs that happen during the regular work day. It's still ok to go to summer camps for clubs she might be interested in, but don't expect her to get to work with a particular coach of a team she's planning to try out for next season.  Other good places to get touches are camps hosted by college programs.

Once fall rolls around, you need to plan for getting her exposure at the clubs she wants to tryout for.  Most local clubs will have weekly clinics for particular age groups, often on the weekends throughout September and October and these are often run by the coaches who will be coaching teams at the corresponding age groups for next club season. You should prioritize the clubs she's most interested in and try to get to some or all of their clinics. These clinics can be good to get a sense for the level of play for a club, meet the coaches and club director, and get a sense of the club culture. Many coaches are willing to chat with players who are planning to tryout for their team after these clinics. For many higher level clubs, these clinics are essentially a pre-tryout - from the clubs perspective, getting to see and work with a player over multiple sessions is much better than trying to find all their players in the chaos of a short tryout.  I think it's fair to say that most clubs know more than half of the players (or more) they are going to make offers to prior to the start of tryouts.

Another useful thing about fall clinics is the opportunity to get to see the level of play at different clubs. If your daughter aspires to play in college, go to a Metro Travel or Paramount clinic. Getting to see and play with the top players in the region in her age group can be eye opening. If she gets put on the top court and fits right in and loves the speed and intensity, then put those clubs on the list to tryout for. If she finds it intimidating or scary and looks like a deer in headlights, adjust your expectations accordingly and find a club that is better matched to her abilities. While it can be tough, try and be honest with yourself about where your DD might be a good fit.

The most important thing is to formulate a plan ahead of tryouts. If volleyball is something she loves and is looking to move to a better club in future seasons, just showing up to a few tryouts and hoping for the best is not likely to yield the best results. .[/quote]

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