What to Wear for Volleyball Tryouts? Volleyball tryouts are a very important step to getting into the volleyball team of your dreams, whether in a professional or school volleyball setting. You need many key things to ace the tryout, including confidence, a good attitude, and some basic volleyball skills. However, what you wear to volleyball tryouts and the quality of it also greatly affects your performance. Everything from your shoes to your head ties must be optimum. and to achieve that, you need to know what to wear to volleyball tryouts and what to avoid wearing.
So, in this article. we will discuss the proper apparel for volleyball players and what you shouldn’t wear when playing volleyball.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Volleyball Wears
Choosing what outfits to wear to a volleyball tryout session is not arbitrary. An experienced player considers several different factors in deciding what to wear, and we will now look at them.
Comfort
One of the main things you want to consider when choosing your attire is comfort. If your clothes are uncomfortable, they will dull your performance. You want to wear form-fitting shirts and shorts that are neither too loose nor too tight, and fabrics that won’t cause itching should also be considered. The size of your attire should fit your age group.
Mobility
Volleyball involves lots of movement, so outfits that favor mobility are ideal. You want free movement without being restricted by your attire. As such, good running shoes that provide good traction and arch support are very important, as are breathable and elastic clothes.
Climate
Different clothes perform differently under different climates; you should remember this when choosing clothes. Ideally, you should go for breathable fabrics that will keep you cool or warm, depending on the climate in that volleyball season. You want light attire in the hot climate and denser attire in the cold climate.
Protection
Volleyball is a physically demanding activity with many chances for injury, especially when you play for a club volleyball team. As such, you want to dress appropriately to avoid cuts and bruises. As a volleyball player, you should wear knee pads to protect your knees, and maybe even shin guards.
What Attires Do You Need When Playing Volleyball
These are the types of volleyball wears you should have before going to the volleyball court for first practice:
- Tops
- Leg and foot wears
- Headgear
- Others
Tops
Tops are the clothes you wear on your upper body from the neck to your waist, and the tops you’ll need for playing volleyball are t-shirts, tank tops, and sports bras.
T-Shirt
T-shirts apply in volleyball as they do in any other sport, especially in cold seasons or for men’s club volleyball tryouts. A form-fitting athletic shirt is particularly ideal since it allows for fluid movement and much comfort, while loose or baggy shirts can greatly obstruct free movement through wind resistance.
If it’s just try-outs, you can usually wear any shirt of your personal preference, but another advantage of shirts in volleyball is that they can be used to motivate the team. This is why many teams wear clothes with matching colors or slogans on them. So, especially in a club or varsity team, you can make a good impression by wearing a form-fitting shirt with motivational pictures or quotes on it —this also helps you display a winning, positive attitude.
Tank Tops
The main advantage of a tank top is that it is ideal for hot weather conditions, which is one of the main reasons many coaches encourage wearing one. Another is that, especially when made of breathable fabrics, they allow the most freedom of movement compared to sleeved clothes. Furthermore, tank tops give adequate covering while remaining comfortable.
Sports Bra
Whether for high school volleyball tryouts or professional games, a sports bra is indispensable for girls who want to play. Because you’ll be moving around a lot, you’ll need a comfy, breathable sports bra that won’t slip. This means you can’t use just any type; paying attention to the material is crucial, especially as it can give you an advantage over all the other girls using just about any material. For the best performance, nylon and polyester are usually recommended.
Finally, ensure that your sports bra provides adequate support; you don’t want any undesired movement! So, as you prepare for volleyball tryouts, ensure you have the right sports bra to use.
Leg and Foot Wears
The legs and feet are the main bases of mobility on the court; you should dress with that in mind. Everything has to be the right type, from your volleyball shoes to your shorts and knee pads.
Volleyball Shoes
Having the right pair of running shoes for volleyball practice is very essential, as your shoes strongly influence your mobility on the volleyball court. During tryouts, volleyball players usually wear sneakers. Some players tend to favor volleyball shoes that give good arch support, while other team players will favor lighter-weight sneakers. Some players even use basketball shoes, which provide better ankle support but are heavier and less comfy; hence, almost no club volleyball coach will allow them outside tryouts.
However, volleyball is a high-mobility game that requires swift reaction, so if you want to play volleyball, you need to find the best pair of running shoes that can offer a balance of support, traction, and lightness. You also want a sufficiently bouncy shoe to allow a good vertical jump.
Volleyball shoes are designed with these features in mind, which is why they will help your performance tryouts. They are usually low-cut and have a lightweight and breathable top. For safety and support, they frequently include extra padding around the ankle while having flat soles with a lot of grip to assist players in swift movements and rapid stops.
Shorts
Shorts are very important legwear for playing volleyball. The advantage of shorts is that they leave your lower leg free and open for air, while pants hinder movement and airflow a tad more. However, you need to wear shorts that are tight enough but not so much that they’re uncomfortable.
Volleyball players typically wear spandex shorts to allow them to move quickly and easily. Spandex shorts are form-fitting and have a wide range of motion. They also assist in keeping muscles warm and preventing injury. So, if you’re doing tryouts for your school volleyball team or a club, you should wear shorts made of spandex for better performance.
Leggings
Other volleyball players, especially females, prefer not to wear shorts, opting to wear leggings instead. Some players who wear leggings say it helps them move more freely while providing some muscular and joint support as they play volleyball. However, this isn’t the case for most people who play volleyball.
Knee Pads
Most coaches will recommend wearing knee pads, and that is great advice. Falling on the knees after a vertical jump is very common in volleyball, especially for back-row players. Knee pads protect your knees, meniscus, and patella from scrapes and bruises. During colder weather volleyball tryouts, playing with knee pads on can also assist in keeping your legs warm.
Socks
Another way to prepare for volleyball tryouts is by buying good socks. When selecting socks for volleyball trials, there are a few things to consider. Because you’ll be running and leaping a lot, comfort is essential. You also want to choose a sock that will not slip, as this might be dangerous. Generally, knee socks are recommended, especially if you are playing volleyball in shorts.
Consider the weather as well; if it’s hot outside, you’ll want light, breathable knee socks. Finally, ensure that your socks are in good shape, with no holes or frayed threads!
Headgear
Protecting the head is very important when you play volleyball, and these are the main headwear for playing.
Caps
Players usually wear caps to volleyball tryouts and games in order to protect their eyes from the sun on sunny days, and they tend to favor baseball-style caps. The brim of a baseball-style cap is good for protecting the eyes and face from heat and sunshine.
Hair Ties
Hair ties are great for playing volleyball if you have long hair. You can use one to tie back your hair, so it doesn’t get in your face and ruin your play.
Others
Aside from these, there are other things you can wear to volleyball tryouts.
Sweatbands
These are very crucial parts of dressing for volleyball players during hot seasons. They absorb sweat and keep you cool and dry for the few hours of volleyball practice. They can also enable you to stay focused, avoid distraction, and be in a ready position to react to the ball.
Sunscreen
Club volleyball tryouts and games usually happen outdoors, preferably on sunny days. This is why every volleyball player must wear sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays in any volleyball tryout session. The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light can cause skin damage, such as sunburn, premature aging, and skin cancer. Using good sunscreen can protect you from these impacts by absorbing or reflecting UV light.
Small tip: Always apply sunscreen liberally and at regular intervals, especially on a sunny and sweaty day.
What to Avoid Wearing
As you start playing volleyball, there are a few attire-related don’ts that you must keep in mind.
Avoid Ankle Socks
It’s a bad idea to play any mobility sports with ankle socks on because they easily slip off and can result in falls. Go for a good pair of knee socks or crew socks instead.
Avoid Anything Too Tight
As you play volleyball, you want to avoid anything so tight it causes movement or breathing problems. Everything should be well-fitted, from your t-shirt or sports bra to your volleyball shoes. This is one of the problems with leggings, as they can easily be too tight. If you must wear leggings, make sure they’re not too tight.
Avoid Baggy Shirts or Shorts
Baggy outfits are simply not great for sports, least of all volleyball tryouts, as they cause air resistance, which screws up movement and lowers performance.
Conclusion
All in all, to successfully get beyond the registration line and start playing volleyball on whatever team of your personal preference, you need not just a positive attitude, determination to play, and volleyball skills. You also need the right volleyball attire to help maximize your performance. And so, we hope this post has given you what you need to determine what to wear to volleyball tryouts and totally blaze it.
