EXCLUSIVE: For Freshman - The Class of 2027 Gives Real Advice to The Class of 2028

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">To: Class of 2028</h2>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">From: Class of 2027</h2>   Dear Freshman,   Welcome to your first year of high school volleyball! With tryouts just around the corner, you're about to enter a new and highly competitive environment. But don't worry—many have been in your shoes before and are happy to help you along your journey. You got this!    PrepDig Nevada reached out to several current sophomores that were just in your shoes last year. They generously shared real, unfiltered advice on what they did right, what mistakes they learned from, staying mentally strong, overcoming obstacles, the importance of grades, being proactive with recruiting, and much more.   This is a must-read for incoming freshmen! Or any new player trying out for the first time. It's real advice for today's environment, directly from player to player. Check out these great tips given from the class of 2027 to the class of 2028 and best of luck in your upcoming season!    I would say to just be yourself and create relationships with the coaches and other players. Be friendly and bond with your peers. A mistake that I learned from is being too shy and being nervous about what other players think about how good I am. I learned that we've all started somewhere and your teammates/peers will be supportive, give advice, and be helpful. A warning I would give is that everyday is a learning day so don't get comfortable with your skill even if you think you're good enough. Someone will always be working as hard as you and will always want it more than you. Expect being uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is a way of learning new things and getting better. You may get frustrated, struggling is a part of learning and will help you get better. High school tryouts are definitely scary but also very fun. Don't stress too much about making a team and if you're good enough to be on a team. Just focus on your performance and have a positive mindset.   Lastly, Yes I have started reaching out to colleges and college coaches. It is never too early to start getting coaches' attention. Start with emailing schools that catch your attention and email them about yourself and an upcoming tournament schedule.     To all the incoming freshman's I'd try to be there early and focus on the things I can control like being loud, trying to demonstrate whenever the coaches need a player, being a good teammate by being encouraging to everyone around me no matter there skill level, and giving high fives. I'd also try not to put too much pressure on myself because at the end of the day I can't control who the coach's pick for there team so just play loose, natural and be confident. You got this!     As a current sophomore in highschool, volleyball freshman year was a blast! During highschool volleyball tryouts, all you can do is try your best! Making sure to give lots of effort and if you are willing to try new things, it will help you succeed. You may think you are locked in on one position but don't be afraid to try other positions! You might not think it but you may have a lot more potential in one place compared to another. Also, don't be overwhelmed by the amount of talent shown because you CAN stand out. All of the hard work and dedication you have to this sport will pay off in the end. If you want to play at the next level in the future, try and use your current resources to help connect you to colleges. I have used PrepDig and Sports recruit to help put my name out there. Posting film is VERY important, using platforms like Instagram, Twitter (X), and even Youtube are great places to provide content.   Grades are something that will always come first, so make sure you are working hard to follow your goals and keep achieving not only in volleyball but in school as well. Overall just have fun and enjoy doing the thing you love most!     Something I wish I would've done coming into freshman year is always getting touches. Whether it's finding a gym to practice skills in or just peppering with a family member, every touch makes you better. I barely touched a ball the whole summer leading up to freshman year and it set me back. Coaches look at how you interact with your teammates. Always be communicating with, encouraging, and supporting your teammates and I promise it'll pay off. Your attitude outshines your skill level ALWAYS.     I would say my biggest piece of advice would be to show your personality and be the loudest person on the court at all times. One of the biggest things that i have learned from high school volleyball is that every coaches style is different and it's good for a player to feel uncomfortable at times so that you are able to learn and expand your game. Even though high school tryouts can be very nerve racking, it is so much fun! Last year I was super nervous and almost got caught up in the anxious part of the game rather than being present in the moment. I feel like that was one of my biggest mistakes and so if i had to say one thing about high school season is to enjoy every bit, be present in the moment, and be coachable!! Also it is great to start filming games and scrimmages to be able to have film to send out to college coaches!   I started doing this last year and it really helped me to be able to send out film from high school and club season to different colleges!     I would just recommend to always keep a positive attitude and always work hard. People are always watching even when you don't think and reacting to situations with a positive attitude will help you so much!! Also having leadership and always being loud on the court no matter your abilities will make you stand out in a good way. You will probably be told these things a lot but they truly are so so important.     I would just like to tell them to put themselves out there as much as possible. Doing camps, clinics, and sending emails are just some of the ways to spread your name around. It is important that as many people know you as possible.   Thank you Coach K for the opportunity!     When going into high-school I was genuinely terrified. I knew nobody on the team, and I had no clue what it would look like. I had kids in my grade telling me I couldn't make varsity but what I learned is to block them out and prove them wrong. My advise would be to KNOW you. Don't let other people tell you who you are. Go into tryouts and have fun, and show coaches everything you have. I promise they won't get mad over a silly mistake, because that's what volleyball is. Also talk to people. Although it might seem scary, I promise everyone is going to be nice. I remember when I first made varsity I was absolutely terrified because they were all so much older, but later they became my sisters and I regretted not getting to know them earlier. As a warning though, be aware that there will always be people saying stuff, but in reality they will be talking no matter what. So don't let it get to you.   I have started talking to colleges, because I believe getting on their radar is a good thing to start early. And I think this will be good for you too. Just go in to this new chapter with your head held high, and have fun!     A tip that I can give to incoming freshman is to be the person you would want to be around. You wouldn't want to be around someone who is always negative and never tries, so don't be that person! Try your hardest in everything you do, be positive, and not everything is personal so don't take it personal!     To the incoming Freshmen, the advice I'd give is to ensure your grades are strong because academics play a crucial role in high school & college eligibility & recruiting. For skills, make sure you keep working hard & training consistently to improve how you play. Build up a strong work ethic & show dedication in both practices and games. Keep working hard so coaches can notice you for your commitment. For high school tryouts, be prepared to face some challenges depending on where you go, but try not to be nervous and just show off your abilities the best you can. It's okay if you mess up because no one is perfect & that's how we learn. Make sure you're coachable & you're able to learn from those mistakes. For me, I just kept practicing & learning from my mistakes, trying to be consistent in everything I do. The amount of training & desire to be better really does pay off in the end as long as you don't quit & don't lose sight of your goal!     As a Freshman on varsity, I had to overcome adversity and earn every bit of play time, at times I felt overwhelmed as if my best wasn't good enough but learned very quick to change my mindset and see how and what I can do to help my team become GREAT. One key is to have fun and never give up. Second Bring positivity to the team, and lastly put forth your best effort every time you step on the court whether it be a game or practice. Treat every rep as if it were your last.     My biggest tip would probably be to find a way to make yourself stand out. Try to set yourself apart from other players as much as possible. Get yourself in front of the coaches eyes as much as you can. It's also important to take practices as seriously as you would take games. You create good habits in practice    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/07/Black-and-White-Modern-Bold-Multipage-Carousel-Instagram-Post-4.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-574448" /></figure>   Huge thanks to all of the athletes in the class of 2027 that took the time to give advice to the incoming freshman 🤝. Some of the ninth graders reading this will be trying out at your high school. They will remember you and your tips. Class of 2028, if you see a player from the article at high school tryouts - say hello and thank them.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Good luck to all! </h2>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">If you loved this article, join our Prepdig/PrepDig+ community. 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