Volleyball - bump... set... SPIKE!

SPORTS, May 2010, by Karen Demers


VOLLEYBALL
bump... set... SPIKE!


volleyballHistory
In 1895, William Morgan, director of the YMCA in Hollyoke, Massachusetts, was looking for a new sport to introduce to his organization. He took the basics of a popular German game called “faustball”, changed some rules, and created the game of volleyball. Five years later, volleyball came to Canada’s capital, Ottawa, where a branch of the YMCA included the game in its schedule. It didn’t take long for the game to grow and it soon became popular in Toronto and Montreal. These three city centres began holding regular tournaments and for a long time, it was the only organized competition of volleyball in Canada. During this time, the sport continued to grow in popularity around the world, spreading through the US, Russia and Asia.

By the end of World War II, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was formed. In 1953, Canada formed the Canadian Volleyball Association and became an official member of FIVB. In 1964, volleyball became an official Olympic event at the Tokyo Games. Since 1976, both the men’s and women’s Canadian indoor national volleyball teams have worked hard to compete internationally. Their best results occurred at the 1984 Olympics with top 10 finishes.

It has been the National Men’s Standing Disabled Volleyball Team, however, that has made the most noise on the international scene. At the 2000 Paralympics games in Sydney, Australia, the team finished with a silver medal. Two years later at the world championships, they finished first taking the gold medal! Since then, they've been ranked #1 in the world and have defended their title three times! 

Volleyball continues to adopt and grow in Canada with the rise of beach and grass volleyball. It is an exciting team sport where players work together to win. So come on girls, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 – bump, set, spike!

Commitment Level
Volleyball is one of those sports where you can play for fun or go the distance and get competitive – in the end it’s what you want to commit to! Volleyball is introduced in elementary school where you can play during gym class or try out for the team. Same goes for high school. If you really enjoy playing volleyball you can look to play volleyball outside of school and join a volleyball club. The volleyball season runs from fall until spring. Remember, if you join a team, expect practices and games at least once a week with tournaments on weekends throughout the season. In the end, it’s all about having fun! So grab your friends and a ball and make sure to keep it off the ground!

Starting Age
Some provincial programs teach kids as young as 9 how to play volleyball! However, house leagues usually start for girls at age 13 and up.

Physical Requirements
Volleyball is hard on the knees so it is important to have strong legs to support that joint. You need to be light on your feet, or agile, so practice changing directions quickly or suddenly. And of course, learn to fly! This will help you soar above the net for a nice spike!

Equipment
To play volleyball you need a set of good runners to grip the floor, clothes that are easy to move in, knee pads, a ball and a net!

Average Cost
If you would like to play for your school team there is usually a small fee to pay. To join a volleyball club there is often a small try-out fee around $30 - $50, and if you make the team most clubs charge between $250-$400 for the season.

Slang/Jargon
ACE: a serve that results immediately in a point
APPROACH: fast stride toward the net by a spiker before they jump in the air
BLOCK: a defensive play by one or more players meant to deflect a spiked ball back to the hitter’s court
BUMP: a common term for forearm passin
JOUST: when 2 opposing players are simultaneously attempting to play a ball above the net
ROOF: a ball that when spiked is blocked by a defensive player such that the ball deflects straight to the floor on the attacker’s side

“She”ros of Volleyball
The Canadian Women’s National Team has been on the international scene competing for Canada since 1967 at the Pan-American Games. They have worked hard over the years and competed in such tournaments as the World Cup, Olympic Games, World Grand Prix and the World Championships. Veteran stars include Annie Levesque, Emily Cordonier and Melissa Raymond, who have recently retired from the national team program. In 2009, the team hired a new coach, Arnd Ludwig and brought new, young talent like Jennifer Hinze, Ashley Voth and Julie Younge to the team in hopes to propel them to higher levels of performance.

Why others should consider trying volleyball?
I used this site to get all my information. There is a lot of information on here. It also has links to all provincial volleyball sites that can you can get specific local club information on.

~ Karen


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