From Holyoke to the World
From its humble beginnings in Holyoke, Massachusetts, to the fast-paced pro game of the 21st century, volleyball has grown within its 126 years into a global force that attracts players worldwide in both a professional and recreational form.
The sport’s development has followed a continuous rise since its inception in 1895 by William G. Morgan, a physical education director at the local YMCA, who named it ‘Mintonette’.
William G. Morgan
Already by 1896 ‘Mintonette’ had been renamed Volley Ball and the sport continued to grow in North America and quickly spread to other parts of world, while the original rules set up by Morgan were being tweaked.
Volleyball spread to gyms everywhere
But with local variations at different locations, it was the foundation of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) in 1947 – just five years after the death of Morgan at 72 – that helped to bring the world together.
The introduction of World Championships as of 1949 for men and as of 1952 for women further developed the standards that became the base for the growth of the sport through to the 21st century.
The popularity of the game was recognised in 1964 with the introduction of volleyball in the Olympic programme at Tokyo 1964, marking yet another milestone in the history of the sport.
The victorious USSR men’s team at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics led by Yuri Chesnokov
Meanwhile, the flexibility of volleyball provided the opportunity for the evolution and spreading of other forms of the sport – most importantly beach volleyball which became a part of the Olympic Games in its own right as of Atlanta 1996 – but also Snow Volleyball which is the new up and coming flavour.
Beach volleyball on Copacabana at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Not to mention, of course, all the recreational variations with unlimited possibilities, which have created the massive fan base for the sport in all corners of the globe.
Related links of AVC
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