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As one of the most famous sports in the world, volleyball attracts fans of all profiles around the globe. However, there are 6 curiosities about the history of volleyball that you have never heard of. These are stories related to the first name of this sport, but also to its journey until it became popular with people as it is today.
In general, knowing these curiosities allows fans to understand how the sport has evolved over time. Especially when comparing volleyball with other famous modalities, like football. Learn more information below and discover some curiosities.
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Image: Pexels
What are the curiosities about the history of volleyball?
1. It was created as an alternative to contact sports
Initially, the history of volleyball begins with the chief of Physical Education in Richmond, William George Morgan. More specifically, it is estimated that the sport was founded on February 9, 1895, the date of the first match.
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At the time, Morgan worked at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), an organization that offered an alternative to life on the streets. In this case, the target audience of the organization were young people who moved to London, England, looking for employment. In addition to sports practice, the YMCA encouraged the practice of religious principles in its activities.
Due to personal concern, Morgan decided to create a sport that did not have physical contact between opponents. This way, it would be possible to minimize impacts. Thus, the sport would have fewer risks of injuries and more integration between teams, combating fights on the field.
2. The first name was not volleyball
In the early days of Morgan’s volleyball, the sport was called Mintonette, in reference to badminton which inspired many of the principles of this modality. During this period, volleyball was played with the inner air chamber of basketballs. This choice made the traditional basketball more malleable and light for games, without the outer shell that hardens it.
Regarding the similarities with badminton, Mintonette had its development inspired by the model of courts with a net. However, it included issues such as an enclosed space due to the harsh winters in England. Thus, if the games took place on indoor courts, the YMCA athletes could practice the sport without worrying about the climate.
The following year after its emergence, Mintonette was presented at the Physical Education Teachers Congress. More specifically, the event took place at Springfield University in the United States.
During the demonstration, Professor Halstead suggested renaming the sport as volleyball after seeing the ball moving in the air, similar to a volley. After that, the sport became popular and spread around the world.
3. The record for the longest match
The longest volleyball match in the history of the sport took place at the end of the 1976 Olympics. On that occasion, the game between Poland and the Soviet Union lasted 4 hours and 36 minutes. Despite this, there is the record of the longest sets in the history of volleyball, with more than 100 points each.
In 2013, a match between Korean Air Jumbos and Run & Cash ended with a score of 56 to 54. Specifically, this score was the result of a series of ties.
Initially, the rules provide that the team that reaches 25 points wins, but that it has a difference of two points. Thus, if the score is 25 to 25, it is necessary to continue playing until this difference is established. In the case of this match, the ties extended up to 56 points.
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4. It has a predecessor in Germany
This is one of the lesser-known volleyball curiosities. Despite the recorded origins pointing to Morgan’s work in the United States, there is a predecessor to volleyball in Germany. According to records, a group of German soldiers in the last century created a sport focused on accuracy and agility.
However, instead of a net, a rope was stretched dividing a rectangular court, being either a lawn or a dirt field. Furthermore, the teams could have from two to nine people, but the rules about scoring and how to win were not clear. In this context, the main goal was to train concentration and physical effort.
Interestingly, the name of the sport was Faustball, as faust means fist in German. During the matches, players used their fists to pass the ball over the rope and towards the rival team’s field.
5. Volleyball has professional fans
Yes, this job exists. In some volleyball tournaments around the world, professional fans are fans hired by the team itself. In this way, they act in matches by distributing shirts, caps, and other products to the fans in the stands.
In addition, they can act as cheerleaders, creating experiences for the fans. From special cheering chants to actions to honor players, these fans integrate with the teams and are remunerated in the process. The presence of the professional fan is common in other sports as well.
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6. It is a sport that moves the whole body
Volleyball is a sport that moves a series of muscles in the body, but it ends up working the whole body. Although it is not a sport of impact between players, there are other types of shock during the matches.
For experts, it is estimated that there are 60 jumps per hour, making volleyball players some of the most prone to knee injuries. With serves exceeding 110 kilometers per hour and blocks of more than 3 meters, this is one of the most intense sports.
Because of this, volleyball athletes have strengthened upper limbs, especially the arms and shoulders. Moreover, the metabolic demands of the matches stimulate cardiorespiratory capacities.
So, did you like this list of curiosities about the history of volleyball?
The universe of volleyball goes beyond the millions of fans around the world today, as it is a sport with origins in the last century. In this context, there are various peculiarities that continue to be studied by specialists. As the history of the modality continues to be written, new volleyball curiosities emerge daily, especially with innovations in the world of sports.
