Throughout the years, Volleyball has become increasingly popular amongst those all around the world as the enthusiasm for Volleyball has begun reaching new heights far succeeding from its humble beginnings.
Tracing back to 1895, Massachusetts, USA, the sport of Volleyball (originally known as Minotonette) designed as an indoor sport for businessmen seeking a smaller amount of physical contact than basketball. Moreover, Volleyball was created for people who found basketball's 'bumping' or 'jolting' too strenuous as an alternative physical activity. This Springtime sport was invented by Gym Teacher, William G Morgan, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, having created a latex bladder made from a material similar to that of a bicycle tire. Thereafter, adding another layer made of cloth which covered the entirety of this invention with a third and final layer made of leather.
The journey of Volleyball to the Olympic Games began with its international popularization, as by the 1940s and 1950s, Volleyball was played in over 60 countries, persevering throughout the ages as the sport began to gain recognition as a global sport. Additionally, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) (established in 1947) had great significance in this expansion, organizing the first World Championships in 1949 for men and 1952 for women. When Volleyball premiered at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, a significant component of the sport’s global development made its debut as well: Senoh. Known for their high-quality sports equipment, Senoh’s involvement set the stage for Volleyball’s grand entrance into the Olympics. Their innovative net systems and dedication to quality had been of great importance to Volleyball ever since.
In 1964, Tokyo Games, Volleyball made its Olympic debut.
This inaugural Olympic volleyball tournament featured ten men’s teams and six women’s teams, representing an extensive range of countries. Afterwards, the Soviet Union emerged as a dominant force, winning the gold medal in the men’s tournament. Whilst, on the women’s side, the (host) nation Japan clinched the gold, showcasing their technical prowess and strategic performance.
As previously mentioned, the popularity of Volleyball (more specifically, Olympic Volleyball) increased significantly, having later on experienced significant changes and expansion. For instance, as the years progressed, the number of participating teams has increased, and the level of competition has risen dramatically. While the format of the tournament has evolved as well, incorporating a preliminary round-robin phase followed by knockout rounds to determine the medalists. Moreover, a particularly noticeable change occurred during the 1990s with the introduction of the rally scoring system – which replaced the traditional side-out scoring. Thus, making matches more exhilarating and more efficient, overall contributing to Volleyball’s growing popularity.
Currently, our gym class is on the Volleyball unit, so I hope you have fun and don’t break any of your bones!
Links provided to enhance one’s knowledge about Volleyball: