Volleyball in the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the United States volleyball is popular with both male and female participants of all ages; however, almost all high schools and colleges have female volleyball teams; significantly fewer have male teams. Some claim this is due in part to the provisions of Title IX requiring institutions to fund men's and women's sports equally overall but not necessarily equally for an individual sport.
As a professional sport, volleyball has had limited success. Numerous attempts have been made to start professional indoor women's volleyball leagues. In 1987, the latest attempt went bankrupt due to lack of fan interest and hence advertiser interest. Two-man and two-woman professional beach volleyball leagues have done better, most notably the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), but none have gained a wide following that would get them consistent coverage by the major television networks. In 2004 and again in 2005 NBC aired the Nissan Championship series, with Fox Sports carrying the majority of the season. It is thought that one of the reasons for limited coverage is the small stadium audiences that beach volleyball competition attracts, which convey a degree of unpopularity to television audiences. Part of the reason for such small stadium audiences is the difficulty of erecting high stands on loose sand. Those trying to make beach volleyball succeed as a professional sport are trying to pattern it after professional tennis. Those seeking to make indoor volleyball a professional sport are trying to pattern it after professional basketball. Some think a possible breakthrough for professional indoor volleyball will come with the new emergence of indoor sand volleyball.
[edit] Junior Olympic Volleyball
Junior Olympic Club Volleyball (JOV) was developed by the United States Volleyball Association in order to foster the growing popularity of the sport and prepare young men and women for eventual placement on the United State's Olympic Games volleyball team. JOV is often called club volleyball and is separate from the high school sports in which teens compete, much like AAU basketball. Club season typically lasts from the end of November until May, with the annual national tournament taking place in early June. Teams play tournaments throughout the season establishing their ranking in the various regions and preparing for Nationals.
The club season, long considered a supplemental place for girls and boys to gain experience in preparation for their upcoming high-school seasons, is now an almost necessity to stay competitive in the local high schools. It is also extremely important in the college recruitment process, as most college seasons coincide with state high school seasons, causing the college coaches to miss the entire season. This time is made up during the club season when college coaches are able to travel to various tournaments and meet with club coaches, watch club players and recruit for their teams.
In order to qualify for Nationals, teams must compete in National Qualifiers. There are nine qualifying tournaments across the country to which teams travel in order to gain an invitation to Nationals. Top teams attend these tournaments to earn their bids, and college coaches will attend in order to view the year's crop of players.
Today volleyball is the one of the most popular girls sports, and strong high school and club programs are found throughout the country. Arguably the biggest event in high school-age sports, the annual Volleyball Festival in Reno, Nevada, (formerly in Sacramento, California) draws over 10,000 players for its five-day tournament. Boys volleyball is popular on a regional basis, and by far the greatest number of boys teams are in Southern California.
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