The Pro Tips Volleyball Checklist

Prepare yourself for the season by making sure you have all the volleyball gear and apparel essentials.

Volleyball is intense. It involves nearly constant movement, team communication and precise ball control. Players dedicate a lot of time to training to maintain this high level of energy and excitement for the game. 

But before you jump up to the net, you need to be prepared with the right gear. This Pro Tips volleyball checklist can help you take the guesswork out of gearing up. 

Volleyball Shorts

For women, consider spandex shorts, which can allow you to make use of your full range of motion by keeping fabric out of your way. For men, look for athletic shorts that fit close to the body.

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Volleyball Training Aids

If you’re looking to enhance your skills outside of practice, consider investing some volleyball training aids. You can work on basic skills like passing or help improve your agility, vertical jumping and more.

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Hair Ties/ Headband

You should also try to keep your hair out of your face. If you have long hair, hair ties are a must, and a headband can help keep bangs and flyaways in check.

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Water Bottle

Staying hydrated on the court is key. Keep your go-to water bottle in your volleyball bag that keeps your water cold and easy to sip between plays.

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Sarita Seay, Digital Asset Librarian at DICK’S Sporting Goods, is a former volleyball player and youth coach. She recommends a few expert picks to tuck into your bag: snacks, a set of shoelaces, extra socks and baby powder.  

 
“All-day club volleyball tournaments can be difficult physically and mentally. Sometimes you get a nice break between games, other times, just 10 minutes. [My recommendation between games is to] eat a quick snack, rehydrate, check your shoelaces, change socks and put baby powder in shoes. The baby powder helped with both the smell and sweat; the socks made me feel recharged. I check my shoelaces for any wear or fraying —  it is not fun sitting on the bench because your shoelace is busted and no one has an extra pair of laces. This routine gave my body fuel, hydration and self-care. It mentally made me feel like I was preparing for the first game of the day again.”

Seay recommends a few top picks for your kit.

Rotation Tracker

“It moves when the players move to ensure which players are in the lineup and who is serving. It also has how many time outs used and substitutions are left, so you do not have to keep track of it mentally.” 

 
Erasable Clipboard

“I find this helpful to visualize plans, signal server locations, plan the lineups and easy referrals of the rotation. Players can look at the board during the game to tell them when they need to go in so I can focus on the game at hand.” Don’t forget the eraser.

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Emergency Kit

“Sometimes players forget things, having extras at hand never hurts.” Think: shoelaces, socks, hair bands, knee pads, first aid kit, nail clippers, blister pads, athletic scissors, shoe towel, snacks, hydration gels or packs and ear plugs. And remember your rule book.

Get ready to pass, set and spike with the right volleyball gear and apparel. This checklist can help you prepare to ace the upcoming volleyball season.