Men’s Volleyball Camps, Combines, and Tournaments
College men’s volleyball camps offer opportunities for instruction and exposure to college coaches. The most important events for college-bound volleyball players to attend are the USA Volleyball National Qualifiers, USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championship and AAU Nationals, but there are other events that can also be beneficial. Men’s volleyball players can benefit from new feedback on their game, different types of instruction and playing with athletes they’re not used to.
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Ages / Grade Level: 12yr – 18yr
IMG Academy Performance Sport Camps
Enhancing your skills beyond developmental volleyball camps, practices and competitions is essential for aspiring college athletes. IMG Academy’s performance camps focus on total body and mind improvement, covering areas like strength, speed, confidence, leadership, injury prevention and nutrition. Designed for ages 12-18 and all skill levels, these camps offer the opportunity to learn from world-class industry leaders, helping you reach your full potential every day.
FAQs about men’s volleyball camps
- What to expect at men’s volleyball camps
- Understanding the difference between camps, clinics, combines, showcases and tournaments
- USA volleyball national qualifiers and other important volleyball tournaments to attend
- How to get invited to elite volleyball camps?
- When to go to college volleyball camps for recruiting
- Best volleyball camps
What to expect at men’s volleyball camps
Men’s volleyball camps typically include both free play and skill-specific training. This gives athletes time to practice how they interact with teammates on the court, as well as an experience of what it would be like to get instruction from college volleyball coaches and their staff.
It’s important to find out who will be instructing the camp before making the decision to attend it. If it’s the head volleyball coach of a college team, this offers a great opportunity to gain exposure with a coach and can lead to increased consideration for being recruited. Many men’s volleyball camps also include instruction by college men’s volleyball players. If players are running drills and interacting with athletes at a camp, this is a good opportunity to meet the current team and learn about campus life directly from college athletes.
For athletes, the most important part of choosing the right college men’s volleyball camp is knowing what they can gain from the event before they have even signed up. Go into each camp with specific goals and execute them, rather than just tagging along for the ride.
Understanding the difference between volleyball camps, clinics, combines, showcases, and tournaments and how they impact the recruiting process
For NCAA Division 1 programs and top schools at other division levels, club tournaments and showcases are where coaches do most of their recruiting. There is a wide variation in levels of competition across clubs, and the same is true for club tournaments. Athletes who want to play in tournaments that attract the most college coaches will want to gain a roster spot on an elite club. For coaches, this is an efficient way to recruit, since they get to see many top-level athletes in one place playing against strong competition.
Camps and clinics offer a great opportunity to improve one’s skills. Athletes can also potentially get exposure with a college coach running the camp and check out a college campus and facilities. There are different camps and clinics that athletes can take advantage of, including:
- Prospect/ID camps: These usually include training, scrimmages and tournament play. In most cases, only the host school’s coaches and players will be in attendance to lead drills and evaluate recruits. Athletes should establish contact with the coaching staff before the camp. Impressive attendees may even get a verbal scholarship offer by the end of the camp.
- Position-specific camps: Position-specific camps offer in-depth training. Coaches from several schools will likely be in attendance to lead drills and instructional sessions. While coaches might be there to evaluate a few players on their radar, the focus is primarily on developing athletes with specialized drills and instructional sessions.
- Skills camps and clinics: Like position-specific camps, volleyball skills camps and clinics typically emphasize training over evaluation. They are usually geared toward underclassmen and offer campers a chance to improve on the basics and have fun playing volleyball. While coaches from several college programs might be in attendance, they are mainly there to instruct campers and lead drills.
- Team camps: Team camps are a great opportunity for club teams to develop their team chemistry and get evaluated by multiple college coaches. Teams compete against each other in tournament play while dozens of coaches and scouts take a close look at recruits.
USA Volleyball Junior National Championships and other important volleyball tournaments to attend
Attending major volleyball tournaments is one of the best ways to get noticed by college coaches and is very important for serious recruits. Check below for top tournaments that recruits need to participate in. (Some dates may not be finalized so check in with the organization for updates.)
- Great Lakes Region: Boys Holiday Classic (beginning of December)
- Southern California Volleyball Association: Boys Holiday Classic (middle of December)
- AVCA Boys Talent Showcase (late December)
- Southern California Volleyball Association: Junior Boys Classic (middle of June)
- USAV Boys Junior National Championships (beginning of July)
How to get invited to elite volleyball camps
To secure invitations to elite volleyball camps, athletes will have to show impressive on-court performance throughout their season. But regular-season performance may not always be enough to get noticed by those running the top volleyball camps.
Athletes attending smaller schools without noteworthy teams or those who are overshadowed by deep benches at highly competitive schools should also use highlight videos, social media and tournament and showcase participation to get noticed by coaches. This can help secure an invitation to a top-level volleyball camp.
When to go to college volleyball camps for recruiting
The majority of camps are scheduled during summer months when athletes are out of school and college coaches have a break from their season to focus on recruiting and run their own camps. Athletes and families should plan ahead to find the right college volleyball camps that fit their budget and schedule.
What are some of the best volleyball camps to attend?
The best camps are often the ones that fit a family’s budget, can be reached without too much difficulty and are hosted at a college the athlete is interested in attending. Additionally, receiving an invite to a prospect or ID camp is a great opportunity to gain valuable exposure with college coaches. Check out NCSA’s list of college volleyball camps and showcases.
Sign up for your free NCSA Recruiting Profile today to start getting on college coaches’ radar!