Do You Need Knee Pads For Volleyball Tryouts?

If it’s your first time trying out for the volleyball team, you might be slightly nervous and not exactly sure what to expect.

Do I need volleyball knee pads? How about volleyball shoes? And what do I wear!?

Tryouts really don’t have to be so stressful – having a basic understanding of what you’re expected to show up with should make things less overwhelming and allow you to focus on trying your best on the court.

Do I Need Knee Pads For Volleyball Tryouts?

Nope!

No need to stress if you don’t yet have any volleyball knee pads – although the vast majority of volleyballers will wear knee pads, they’re completely optional.

You can expect about 85-95% of women’s volleyball players to wear knee pads during the volleyball season, but not everyone will, and very rarely will teams mandate that you wear them.

I was once part of a training squad where we were not allowed to participate unless we had knee pads… this is very uncommon however and of course none of us were expected to wear knee pads to the squad tryouts.

For men’s volleyball, you can expect roughly 55-80% of players to wear knee pads – they’re quite a bit less popular in the men’s game, and so you’re most certainly not expected to wear knee pads if you’re just trying out for a men’s volleyball team!

As far as equipment goes, expectations may vary from place to place, but all you really need is the following…

• Shirt/Jersey – Any sort of sports shirt works. Tank top/sleeveless undershirts will usually also be fine.
• Shoes – Volleyball or basketball shoes are preferred but if you don’t have any, most cross trainers or tennis shoes should be fine. Avoid running shoes if possible, but don’t stress if this is all you have.
• Spandex/Shorts – For women’s volleyball it’s pretty standard to wear spandex to tryouts. For men, any sports shorts will do the trick.
• Water Bottle – It’s a good idea to bring some water with you so you can stay hydrated during tryouts.
• Knee Pads (Optional) – As we discussed, knee pads are completely optional for tryouts, so definitely don’t stress if you don’t yet have any.

Ankle Braces (Optional) – Ankle braces are also optional. Probably only 35-75% of volleyballers use ankle braces in season, so they’re definitely not required for tryouts.

That’s about it!

I should also mention that if you’re trying out for the women’s volleyball…