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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]An observation for families of players in the 15-16 year old range that are new to club volleyball.  Let me start by saying you're not too late. There are lots of girls who maybe dabbled in volleyball in rec leagues or similar settings and then play on their JV or 9th grade teams and decide volleyball is something they enjoy and want to pursue more seriously. And that's great - welcome!

My advice for your first season of club tryouts is to be realistic. While it's not too late, the top tier of club teams at 15-16s are mostly made up of girls who have been playing since they were 12 or younger. It's going to take a bit to catch up to that kind of experience. [b]Your DD might be a standout on their JV or rec league, but don't let that fool you into thinking they are ready to play on the best teams in the region.[/b] Many of the 9th graders from the top 15s club teams in the region are starters on their HS varsity teams. This thread is great because it's not focused on the top tier of CHRVA clubs, but rather trying to help find the best fit. Find the club that fits best with your DD's skill level and works for you in terms of location and hopefully price.  Good luck! [/quote]

This is great advice. I was one of those clueless parents who thought that my daughter was really good at volleyball and we tried out only for top clubs (because that's where she belonged for sure). We didn't only waste time and money, the experience brought a lot of disappointment and frustration. Finally, we struggled to make a good second tier club during the make outs (this was more successful). I won't have to go through this again, but my advice to parents in this situation is to focus on mid-tier or bottom-tier clubs almost exclusively (this will come with significantly less stress and disappointment). [/quote]

If you are a new to club volleyball at 15-16 you should have a [b]one or two clubs[/b] (or one or two teams if you are trying out at clubs with multiple teams) where you have a realistic chance of making a team.  Then [b]one stretch club[/b] where they might only make the team if everything goes perfect--they perform great in pre-tryout clinics, at tryouts, other players decline offers, etc. And [b]one safety club[/b] where they should get an offer for sure. And if there is one club that you really want, as a PP said -- tell them.  It won't help you much if you never had a chance of making a team in the first place, but it will help if you are on the bubble.

And the point about don't use JV or rec league to judge your players ability is very accurate. If you are playing JV, make sure you are staying to watch the V games, especially against the better teams in the region. Focus on the players on the court that play for the clubs you are interested in. If you are in one of the club rec leagues, stay and watch the most advanced groups. You'll get a better idea of what good looks like for the clubs you are considering.[/quote]

That makes 3-4 clubs, which might be quite a stretch for most players with no club experience. This is a rule of thumb that I have: if you are not tired / sweaty at the end of the tryout, you likely didn't show everything you've got. Clubs are looking for players who leave everything they have on the court, not players that save their energy for another tryout they have to go to right after. [/quote]
Encouraging a new player to tryout for only one club so they can "leave everything they have on the court" seems like it could set them up for disappointment. A single weekend of tryouts is the system that we have. Many clubs have 2 or 3 tryouts for a team over the course of the weekend and many will add makeup tryouts early the following week if their teams aren't full. You should prioritize getting to the main tryout for the team you are most interested in, but going to multiple tryouts over the course of the weekend (or even on the same day) is going to increase the odds of making a team for a new player.[/quote]
I was not suggesting trying out for only one club - but I can see how my reply could have been interpreted that way. I was trying to suggest no more than one tryout per day, especially for new players. Those with tournament experience can likely take two tryouts per day. Taking into account that most clubs offer multiple opportunities to try out (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), and others offer make up tryouts at the beginning of the week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday), there is time to try out for multiple clubs. [/quote]

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