Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel on a gym bleacher beside volleyball knee pads, with a girls' practice behind

Raw Knees From Volleyball Practice: What Parents Can Do

October 27, 2026

Two hours of digs, one bench, and the small bottle that rides in the bag.

The short answer: Volleyball knees get rubbed raw where pads slide and sweat builds up, and on the bare skin that hits the floor when a pad slips. After practice, take the pads off, wash and dry the knee, then smooth on a thin layer of Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel. It cools and soothes the rubbed skin with no sting.

Why Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel Is the One in the Volleyball Bag

Knee pads take the hit. Something still has to look after the skin underneath. Here's why volleyball parents keep Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel zipped into the side pocket:

It cools and soothes rubbed, raw-feeling skin. It's a water-based hydrogel that cools on contact and soothes the scrapes, chafe and hot spots a season of digs and dives leaves behind.
No sting. A player who just came off a long serve-receive drill does not want anything that smarts. It goes on cool, and that's it.
Players put it on themselves. It's safe for kids to self-apply, and the small airless pump is easy to work on a bleacher with one hand.
One pump is enough. A pearl-sized amount, spread thin, dries clear in about 30 seconds. Sweatpants go right back on.
It dries into a thin, breathable barrier. Under the edge of a knee pad, it shields the skin from the rubbing that starts every time she drops to the floor.
Not greasy, no stains. It won't soak into pads or leave hands slick before she touches the ball.
Five clean ingredients. Water, poloxamer, gluconolactone, sodium benzoate and a minuscule amount of peppermint oil for a light peppermint scent. Vegan, and made in the USA in an FDA-registered facility.
Pharmacist-formulated. Formulated by pharmacist Dr. Frank J. Nice, RPh, DPA, CPHP. Pediatrician recommended, and sold to children's hospitals.

Shop Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel →

Why Volleyball Knee Pad Rash Happens Even With Pads

You bought the pads. She wears the pads. And still, a few weeks into the season, she peels them off in the car and both knees are pink, rubbed and tender to the touch.

Volleyball asks a lot of a knee. Every dig, every pancake, every dive for a ball two inches off the floor puts weight on it, and a good practice has dozens of them. Nemours KidsHealth lists knee pads first among volleyball safety gear because the padding "protects the knees when sliding, diving, or falling." That's exactly what they do. They aren't built to stop the skin underneath from rubbing.

That rubbing usually comes from three places:

The pad moves. A pad that's a little loose, or stretched out from last season, shifts on every drop to the floor. Cleveland Clinic family medicine specialist Cory Fisher, DO, notes that tighter-fitting clothes are less likely to move and rub against your skin. Pads work the same way.
Sweat builds up. Two hours in a warm gym soaks a pad. Cleveland Clinic points out that body moisture and wet clothes can fuel chafing, so a damp pad edge rubbing the same spot is a recipe for a raw ring above or below the kneecap.
The pad slips and skin meets the floor. When a pad slides down mid-drill, the next dive lands on bare skin. A polished gym floor scuffs it quickly, and the front of the knee or the side of the leg comes away pink and raw.

Elbows take the same beating from digs and rolls, which is why KidsHealth adds elbow or forearm pads for players who want more protection.

What to Do After Practice, Step by Step

1. Pads off, and take a look

Get the pads off as soon as practice ends and let the skin air out. Check each knee: is the skin just pink and rubbed, or has the surface actually opened up?

2. Wash off the gym

If the skin is scraped open, clean it before anything else. The American Academy of Pediatrics says to gently wash the area with soap and water for 5 minutes. Nemours KidsHealth says to rinse with water to clear out dirt and wash the skin around it with a mild soap. Small scrapes can be left uncovered, the AAP notes, but cover one with a clean bandage if it's likely to get dirty. For skin that's only rubbed pink, a rinse and a gentle pat dry is plenty.

3. Soothe the rubbed skin

Volleyball player spreading a thin clear sheen of gel on a pink, rubbed patch on the kneecap after practice

This is the job for the bottle in the side pocket. On the pink, rubbed skin, one pump of Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel in a thin layer cools on contact and soothes. Give it about 30 seconds to dry clear, then she can pull her sweatpants back on.

Our gels are made for intact skin. If a spot is scraped open, keep it clean and covered and use the gel on the rubbed skin around it.

4. Hand her the bottle

Middle and high school players don't want a parent fussing over their knees in front of the team. Good news: Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel is safe for kids to apply themselves, and a player who looks after her own knees tends to mention the next sore spot early, not three practices later.

Cooling tip: keep a spare bottle in the fridge at home. Chilled, the gel turns liquid and feels extra cool, then thickens back up as it warms on the skin.

First use: airless pumps need priming, so pump a new bottle a few times at home before it goes in the bag.

5. Dry the pads out

Pull the pads out of the bag when you get home. Pads that go back on damp tomorrow start the rubbing all over again.

Before the Next Practice

Most of the fix happens before she ever steps on the court:

Check the fit. The pad should sit centered on the kneecap and stay there through a squat, a dive and standing back up. If it slides, it's too loose or too worn.
Start dry. Dry pads, and moisture-wicking socks or sleeves instead of cotton. Cleveland Clinic recommends moisture-wicking fabric for sweaty days and getting out of wet clothes promptly.
Pack a spare. Tournament weekends can mean several matches in one day. A second pair of pads or a dry pair of sleeves in the bag makes the afternoon matches easier on the skin.
Add elbow pads if elbows are taking a beating. KidsHealth lists elbow or forearm pads as extra protection.
Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel before warm-ups. A thin layer on the spots that rub, just above and below the kneecap where the pad edge sits, dries into a breathable barrier that shields the skin under the pad.

What Lives in the Volleyball Bag

Keep these together in one zip pocket so nobody is digging under shoes and warm-ups between drills:

A spare pair of knee pads, or dry sleeves
A dry pair of socks
A water bottle and a snack for after practice
Hair ties (always more than you think)
A small towel and a few bandages in more than one size
Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel ($19.99 for the 30 mL bottle)

For more on keeping young athletes comfortable through a long season, see our posts on when new hockey skates rub the front of the ankle, soothing sore spots for active kids and post-play recovery tips for active kids.

When to Call the Pediatrician

Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel is for everyday rubbed skin, scrapes, blisters, hot spots and chafe on intact skin. Based on guidance from Nemours KidsHealth and MedlinePlus, call your pediatrician if:

A scrape goes deeper than the surface, or its edges pull apart
It keeps oozing or bleeding even after you press on it
Grit or debris is stuck in it and won't rinse out
The area shows warmth and spreading redness, more pain, swelling, a red streak, pus-like drainage or fever

And if the trouble is inside the knee rather than on the skin, that's a question for the pediatrician too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best thing to put on raw knees after volleyball?

Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel. After practice, wash off the gym dust, pat the knee dry and spread one pump in a thin layer over the pink, rubbed skin. It cools on contact, soothes with no sting and dries clear in about 30 seconds, so the next pair of pants or the car ride home won't stick to it.

How do I get rid of volleyball knee pad rash?

Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel soothes it. Take the pads off as soon as practice ends, let the skin air out, and put a thin layer on the red, rubbed spots. Then fix the cause: pads that fit snugly and stay put, dry pads for every practice, and a fresh pair of socks or sleeves in the bag.

Why do volleyball knee pads cause a rash?

Usually it's rubbing plus sweat. A pad that slides moves against the skin every time your player drops to the floor, and sweat trapped under it makes the rubbing worse. Cleveland Clinic notes that body moisture and wet clothes fuel chafing, and that tighter-fitting clothes are less likely to move and rub.

How do I stop knee pads from rubbing?

Start with fit: the pad should sit centered on the kneecap and stay there when your player squats, dives and stands back up. Wash and dry pads between practices so they don't go on damp. Before warm-ups, a thin layer of Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel on the spots that rub dries into a breathable barrier that shields the skin under the pad edge.

What are the volleyball mom bag essentials?

Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel for raw, rubbed knees and elbows, plus a spare pair of knee pads or a dry pair of socks, a water bottle, hair ties, a small towel, a few bandages and a snack for after. Keep the small things in one zip pocket so nobody has to dig for them between drills.

When should my child see a doctor for a scraped knee from volleyball?

Call your pediatrician if a scrape goes deeper than the surface, keeps oozing after you press on it, has grit stuck in it that won't rinse out, or shows warmth, spreading redness, swelling, pus or fever. Knee pain inside the joint, rather than on the skin, is worth a call too.

The Bottom Line

Raw knees are part of a volleyball season, but they don't have to ride home with her every night. Pads that fit and stay dry take care of most of it. For the rest, a thin layer of Dr. Nice's Kids Sports Gel after practice cools the rubbed skin, and a layer before warm-ups helps keep the pad edge from finding the same spot again.

Whether she's diving for a ball in the state semifinal or just the third drill of a Tuesday practice, reach for Dr. Nice's.