Things to Consider Before Signing Up for Volleyball
- Pay attention to whether you are signing up for an instructional program (learn-to-play format with practices and scrimmages), recreational program (no tryouts, everyone guaranteed to play, no games outside of the league boundaries), or competitive program (players tryout and may not be placed on any team, and schedule often includes out of town games/tournaments)
- Gear/equipment involved:
- Volleyball shoes (but for beginners and instructional programs, regular tennis shoes are fine!)
- Knee pads
- Having your own volleyball at home is helpful for practicing
- Size 3 for ages 6-9
- Size 4 for ages 10-14
- Size 5 for ages 15+
- Shorts (spandex shorts are the most popular, but any type of athletic short works!)
- Pro-Mom Tips:
- You are going to be spending a lot of time indoors in gyms with hard seating and variable temperatures – dress in layers and consider bringing your own seat cushion if you find yourself at an all-day tournament
- Even if you don’t invest in volleyball-specific shoes, it is helpful to keep one pair of shoes just for volleyball, that don’t get worn outside of the gym (you don’t want to have the kid who tracks mud, snow – or worse! – all over the court)
