|
Choosing your volleyball jersey number is something that is so very exciting! When you finally make your volleyball team, the first thing that you can be so excited about is getting your jersey. What number do you choose? Do you choose a number randomly or look for something that is important to you? When I was choosing my jersey number I wanted to choose something that was important to me. I chose the number 10 because it was my birthday month and it felt so very lucky to me! When it was time to choose our jersey, I was so very lucky that the jersey that I wanted to have was available. You want to choose something that both resonates with you, and has meaning. However, sometimes the jersey that we want isn't available just yet and we have to choose another number. It may be a great idea to choose both an original wanted number and then choosing a backup number. That way, if your number is already taken, then you have an alternative! Have you chosen your volleyball number? What number did you choose? Leave me a comment below!
0 Comments
Volleyball tryouts are approaching! It’s almost that time of year when volleyball comes back into full swing across the world! A traditional school related volleyball season is from August – Early October, but every school is different. Young girls and boys are lacing up their Mizunos getting ready to try out amongst their peers. However, what does that mean? How do you try out if you’ve never played before? Where do you even begin?! How To TryOut For Volleyball Now let me begin by saying that EVERY SCHOOL and PROGRAM is very different. They abide by different regulations and rules so I would make sure to learn those before anything else! Learn about all the requirements (physical, age requirements, payment, etc.) for trying out for sports for your school/church/recreational program. 1. Finding Out About The Tryout You have to know there’s a tryout to even try out right? Many schools and programs have an official website in which they announce their tryout date and time. They may even announce them on the school announcements before or after school, or post flyers around the school. If those methods don’t seem to yield information, ask volleyball players who were on the team previously, email the coach, or athletic director. Nothing is wrong with getting information! If your school or program isn’t as technologically friendly (and some are not), go to your main office and ask the admin or a coordinator. Finding out is the first step! 2. Preparing For The Tryout Now that you’ve found out about the tryout, you’re thinking to yourself, ‘Okay, the tryout is on _____________, now what do I do?! I’ve never played before.’ The key to preparation is starting to prepare in ADVANCE of the tryout. If you can, start practicing months or weeks ahead of time to learn the basic skills (setting, passing, serving, and hitting). One way to start learning those skills is looking for a ‘camp’ in your area that hosts beginners, enlisting the help of a close friend (with volleyball experience), seeking a private volleyball coach, online volleyball tutorials **winks**, and most importantly going to volleyball workouts with the program you’re seeking to join. Many schools and programs, host workout programs before tryouts to start conditioning athletes. These programs consist of beginner weightlifting, cardiovascular training, basic volleyball training, scrimmaging and starting to learn drills. These ‘sessions’ are very important to attend if they are offered! They show the coach and coaching staff that you are both motivated and passionate. 3. Day Before The Tryout Before the day of your tryout, it’s time to start preparing our gym bag and outfit. What you choose to wear also has a reflection on your experience. A player who is donned in full athlete clothing appears more prepared rather than someone who is wearing their prom dress! Now, I am in no way saying to go to your local athletic store and clean them out, I’m saying to dress comfortably and for the event. Now in a previous video (shown above), I spoke about the importance of ‘Standing Out’ amongst the crowd. The last thing to do during a tryout (selective process) is blend in. You want to be that wildflower amongst the brush! Here are some things that will help you stand out amongst others trying out! Things To Know Before The Tryout
Day of Tryout Don’t overthink it! Go in there with all the tools that you’ve learned to be the best volleyball player that you can be. The Week Following Coaches take their time to figure out exactly how they want to formulate the team. There is no set amount of time that it takes to deliberate so be patient! Some coaches may know 2 days after, while others may upward of 2 weeks. Keep an eye out for information on the callback. In a later post, we will talk about how to understand callback info from coaches! Are you trying out for your volleyball team this season? What are some of the things that you’re doing to prepare? Until next time! Keep Playing,    So, if you read my last post, you’d know that I am currently trying to reach both my fitness and volleyball goals. I want to be able to play to the best of my ability and become a more versatile player both strategically and physically. I’ve upped my fitness game by implementing more workout days in the gym and revamping my diet, because we all know that ‘abs are made in the kitchen.’ For me personally, It’s not even all about aesthetics I’m really looking to find a place where I can both be in shape and strong. Plenty of people workout in the gym to ‘look good’ or to ‘get fit,’ for me, it’s so much more than that. Many years ago after I graduated from high school, I lost weight to get in shape for my college years. That time around, I did a lot of cardiovascular work with some resistance training mixed in. Thinking back, I realize that yes, I looked good however I could have been stronger. If you haven’t noticed in my videos, I’ve lost a little bit of weight! -50 pounds to be exact What is in SHAPE for a Volleyball Player? Now, the volleyball players that we see on TV are either very tall and lanky, or shorter and thin. Let me get it into your head that you DO NOT need to be skinny to play volleyball. A question that I often get is, ‘How can I play Volleyball If I’m overweight?’ I’ve played volleyball in multiple stages, skinny, young, adult, overweight, etc. Never once, have I ever let my love and passion for the game waver because of a few extra pounds. Volleyball is a great way to implement more cardiovascular activity into your life! That is, if you take it a bit more serious. Often in recreational locations, it can be sometimes a lot of standing around, laughing, and joking. If you want to make it into the workout it is, practice good form, hustle to the ball, and give it your darndest. Adding in supplemental workouts is the key to adding more physical fitness into your life while playing volleyball. What Are The Steps to Getting In Shape? Let’s say that you are planning on trying out for your volleyball team but you don’t even know where to begin when it comes to getting in shape. That’s okay! Many programs have summer conditioning and that’s an excellent way to meet the coaching staff, players, and get some experience in the team environment. The first step is to go onto your school , recreation or club website and look for the summer schedule. It’s never a bad idea to get started early! When I was playing youth volleyball in high school, I went to summer workouts as much as I could. I wanted to be prepared and work hard during the summer to be successful during the season. Here is a key tip to remember: "The volleyball season is not the time to learn new material, it’s the time to utilize what you know. The summer and off-season is when you should be learning new skills and technique." When you know that you are going to tryout for your team. Start practicing immediately! It’s okay if you need help or you have questions on how to execute certain skills. There are many websites, tutorials, videos, and blogs that can help you learn the skills you need to start playing. Take the time to learn as much information that you can to become the best player that you can be! This workout is something that you can do at home with just a little bit of open space, a volleyball, and a wall! I also have a video listed on YouTube of some training tips that can help further jump-start that volleyball training. Make sure to sign up and subscribe to both the blog and my channel so that you are up to date on all of my volleyball shenanigans. Plus! There is a sale going on right now on all Koko Volley products Do you know when your volleyball workouts and conditioning is? Leave a comment below! Keep Playing ♡   What’s a Bad Playing Day? Yesterday was a very bad day…playing volleyball wise that is. I felt completely off my game and my mojo was off. Don’t you just hate that? When you’re so eager to play and you hit the ball and BAM! you know it’s a bad playing day. I’m in the process of moving back to my hometown and have been having a hard time finding that volleyball community I love so much. For me a volleyball community should encompass a few things:
Many people in my hometown don’t play volleyball often, and when they do, it’s just one day a week. I need a little bit more than that! How am I going to work on my jump float serve? It’s starting to get nasty! However now, that’s not going to be the case until I find some good ball in my area. We’ll talk about later on how to find your volleyball community. When I found out about the open gym, I was totally stoked. I mean I was so excited to get out there and show teamwork, valor, and hard work on the court. I’ve never minded playing with beginners or different skill level players, a lot of volleyball is also social. It’s a very social sport. Many relationships that i’ve had in my life have started from playing volleyball and been volleyball centered. When I arrived I noticed that people were laughing playing and having a great time. That’s my kind of scene. I’m that player on the court that smiles, congratulates others on their successes and pushes them through their downfalls. However as the night progressed a series of players came out that weren’t very social or friendly. Now, that my friends is a bummer. What to Do When You’ve Lost Your MOJO When the mood changed on the court, I became increasingly over aware of my own moments and surroundings. My mojo was off! I began hitting the ball out, and off the side, even missing serves! Girl what. I knew that my flow was off and was thinking of ways that I could get it back mid-game and during rest periods. Here are some things I did to get my mojo back:
After taking some time off the court and practicing my mojo routine, I was ready to go back to the court. Sometimes you have to take yourself out if you know you need a moment to recuperate. It’s okay to have bad playing days, and it’s okay to be off your game. Don’t discourage yourself and beat down on yourself because you’re off your game. It happens to everyone! When I got home that night I sat down on my couch as I ate a sweet potato and took some time to pump myself up for the next open gym. How do you get over a bad playing day? What’s your mojo routine? Comment below! P.S. If you want to see some more everyday volleyball activities, follow me on instagram and snapchat! (insta: koko.volley) (snapchat: kokopuffs10) Keep Playing ♡,  |
All About Coach KoKoI love to play volleyball and eat Tacos. 🌮 
Previous PostsCategories
All
|
RSS Feed