Resources · Guide
Shoes, kneepads, and the one rule every gym enforces.
Volleyball needs less gear than almost any sport, but the few things that matter, matter a lot. Here's the honest packing list for any AVB program.
Every gym we rent, school gyms and community facilities alike, requires non-marking soles, and it's the one rule enforced at every door. Court shoes, most indoor trainers, and anything labelled "non-marking" works; black-soled outdoor runners often don't. If you're buying shoes specifically for volleyball, look for a light shoe with good lateral grip and cushioning for repeated jumping. Volleyball-specific shoes are great, but any indoor court shoe is fine to start. Change into them at the gym: shoes worn in from the parking lot track grit that ruins both the floor and your traction.
Bring a full one. Drop-in nights are two hours of near-continuous play, and tournament days run four to five hours of games. Water fountains exist, but the line at side-change is real.
Nobody will look twice whether you wear them or not. But once you start going to the floor for balls (and drop-in volleyball will get you there sooner than you expect), kneepads turn a bruise into a non-event. They cost about the price of four drop-in nights.
Anything you can move in: shorts or leggings and a t-shirt is the uniform of rec volleyball. Gyms get warm once play starts, so layers you can shed beat one heavy hoodie. Take off rings and dangling jewellery. A finger jam plus a ring is a bad combination.
Food. Our tournament days include only a 30-minute lunch break and none of our venues have food within walking distance, so pack a real lunch and snacks. A folding chair for the sideline and a warm layer for between matches round out the veteran kit.
A ball (we supply game balls), ankle braces unless you already wear them, and any paperwork. Waivers are signed online in your account, once a year for adults, once ever for youth.
