A Brief History Of The Game Of Volleyball

In volleyball winter of 1895, a YMCA director in Massachusetts created a game you could play indoors with any amount of people and called it "Mintonette". The game was a cross between handball and tennis. Mintonette was designed to be a less active or less rough sport for the older YMCA members to play instead of the harsher and more athletic sports like basketball or football.

The original rules of Mintonette called for a net in the size of 6 feet and 6 inches, a court in the size of 25 x 50 feet, any amount of players and a ball. A full Mintonette match consisted of 9 innings, with 3 serves of the ball made by each team in each inning. There was no limit to the number of times each team could hit the ball before sending it over the net to the other team's side. If a server was not able to hit the ball over the net properly, they were allowed one more try. Back then, ladies who played Mintonette were allowed to protect their delicate fingers by catching the ball and then throwing it back into play, instead of hitting the ball with their hands.

At a Mintonette exhibition game in 1896, an observer named Alfred Halstead noted that the players were "vollying" the ball back and forth, from then on the game was named "Volley ball". Originally, the game was "volley ball" with two separate words, but "volley ball" slowly became one word. The game quickly spread around the US via branches of the YMCA in dozens of other states and cities around the United States. In the year 1900, a new ball was customized and made specifically for use in the game of volleyball.

In the early 1900's, the playing methods of the spike and the set were introduced to the game. Later on, a new rule was instated that each team could only touch the ball a maximum of 3 times before having to send the ball over the net to their opponents. Around 1919, the AEF, or American Expeditionary Forces sent over 16000 volleyballs to troops and allies all over the world, which helped volleyball become popular and well known globally, instead of just in the US.

The earliest volleyball US adoptor of volleyball was Canada, helping to popularize the game in that country as early as 1900. Many countries adopted the game and it's now a popular sport in China, Japan, Brazil, Russia and all over Europe. The game is quite popular in Japan, with it being a popular team sport in high schools there. In the Spring of 2005, a television drama based on volleyball was produced and aired in Japan, it was called Attack No. 1, starring one of the most popular Japanese performers, Ueto Aya. Volleyball continues to be a popular sport to play as well as watch on television in Japan.

In 1947, an international federation of volleyball was formed and the first volleyball world championships were held in 1949. In 1964, volleyball was added as a sport in the Olympics.

Lydia Quinn writes for VolleyBallSeek.com, a portal for volleyball scores, players, teams, games and much more.

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Have you ever been asked how many outdoor activities you had the pleasure of personally experiencing? Well, if I was to ask you right now, what volleyball your answer be? If you were still a kid you would begin by describing each one of them and you would probably try to classify them according to the different categories you would have in mind, like group or individual outdoor activities, sports or leisure time joys, etc. Contemporary individuals, rarely state their favorite outdoor activities and very frequently human resource professionals discover that the "Interests" section in personal resumes volleyball excluded or is rather confined. This usually happens because many working individuals consider it to be rather unprofessional for someone to participate in a variety of outdoor activities! Don't frown, you know what I mean. Having time to do a variety of non-work-related activities is a sign that you have a lot of free time! That consequently means that either you do not take your current job seriously-which might seem extremely negative for a prospective employer-or that you do not sleep enough to maintain or even improve your energy and efficiency levels and be able to perform your daily duties. This, in my opinion, is ridiculous!

Especially in the United States, a country that your extracurricular activities can become your ticket to enter to college or even the reason for someone to receive a higher educational degree, having to justify why you simply enjoy backpacking or kayaking seems absurd. Especially young people, who still have the time and energy to devote to the outdoor activities of their choice, are advised by professional recruitment offices or their working peers to keep their "Interests" list short. They are guided to exclude anything that would illustrate to a future employer that this person is willing to take risks, likes adventure, is always on the go, keeps his body and mind fit or is just curious to discover new ways of exploring life. Well, although I am not yet a career advisor, or your prospective employer, I would strongly suggest to all those looking to find the job of their dreams to state their accomplishments on this personal synopsis of their life on this piece of paper. It all depends on how well you are able to describe something, but I would disagree with those that support that you should exclude such information like the fact that you love climbing, since it might be considered as a risky outdoor activity, when applying for a job opportunity.

The fact that you are able to socialize, organize, supervise, manage, and lead, are only useful qualities for a potential employer's ears. Use your outdoor activities wisely and mention them during the interview process! Describing something you enjoy doing in your free time and relating it to the specific position requirements, for which you are applying, can make all the difference in the world; as it distinguishes you from the rest of the pile and can make someone pay attention to what you have to say as it comes from your heart. Companies, non-profits, the government and all other type of organizations need today individuals that are able to fulfill their job obligations and add that extra value while in the process. Thus, next time you are about to be interviewed do not hesitate to promote yourself and describe your outdoor accomplishments. From winning the beach volleyball tournament to climbing mountain Everest, outdoor activities can help you reach the position of your dreams.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Outdoors, Recreation, and Cooking

Girls High School Volleyball - Top 5 Physical Adjustments Freshmen Must Make to Play in College

Incoming high school volleyball players who transition into playing women's college volleyball often experience the culture shock that happens when a tourist visits a foreign country. Here are 5 physical adjustments incoming college volleyball players should know to prepare for their first year as a women's college volleyball student athlete.

1. Incoming high school volleyball players must learn to adjust to the increased speed of the game in women's college volleyball.

Among top women's volleyball coaches interviewed volleyball Volleyball magazine the number one adjustment incoming freshmen must make is to learn to readjust to the increased speed and tempo of the women's college volleyball game.

College players routinely practice how to accurately deliver a lower faster serve received pass, how to set a lower faster paced set, how to transition off the net faster, how to hit a lower, faster ball, how to defend a faster quicker set in college to compete in women's college volleyball.

Top college coaches highly recommend that freshmen learn to increase their speed to become faster athletes on the volleyball court. In women's college volleyball you're no longer playing with high school or club team friends you grew up with. Now you're playing with better players recruited from all over (and often outside) the U.S. To compete with and against taller, faster players incoming freshmen MUST increase their physical strength.

2. High school volleyball players must learn how to become physically stronger athletes in order to increase their vertical jump they have to develop, strengthen and build their leg and butt muscles.

To build and increase stamina, to give 100% effort in a 90" minute match college volleyball players must strengthen and build muscle. To concentrate and maintain the same focus in the 35th minute of a volleyball match that you had in the 10th minute- you can't be tired so you have to build muscle to keep up your strength. And in order to run and dive after a ball in the 5th match with the same energy and accuracy you used in the first match once again it takes muscle and strength.

3. High school volleyball players must learn to adjust to the higher intensity and frequency of women's college volleyball practices.

As one member of a large incoming class of freshmen and sophomores recruited from all over the U.S. to play volleyball at the University of Tennessee Knoxville it was quite a shock for all of us to have 3 practices a day during our two week preseason practices. That's 3 practices a day plus weights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or sprints on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sleep was optional. Okay just kidding about sleep being optional but nowadays I believe women's volleyball athletic teams can only practice 2 times a day during preseason and a limited amount of hours of practice in season.

The intensity of women's college volleyball is high also because better players are competing among themselves to win a starting position on their team. If you want to play at game time you are going to have to earn your spot pushing yourself 100% every day and in every moment you can.

4. In women's college volleyball there's always a big(ger) block.

In girl's high school volleyball the big girl in the middle is obviously the tallest one on the team but in women's college volleyball many times the "big" girl is replaced by an even taller girl. Very simple math the big girl is transferred to the outside and the "bigger" girl is usually moved to the middle.

I was a 5'11" middle blocker all through high school but I was moved to the left as an outside hitter and replaced in the middle by a 6'1 Texan and a 6'3 Alaskan. Now there's a front row or a team full of mostly big girls who present a bigger block which freshmen hitters have to learn to hit over, hit by or hit past.

5. In women's college volleyball incoming freshmen players volleyball to develop characteristics necessary to give 110% in volleyball practice or a volleyball game.

In women's volleyball you are required to focus, concentrate and play hard all the time. For most freshmen it takes a period of time for the brain and body to develop so they react and respond at faster and higher BUT controlled (and comfortable) intensity levels.

The body and brain need to adapt to new stress levels, new pressures, new speeds and once it does a player becomes comfortable playing at that new level.

April Chapple created Volleyball Voices.com where high school and club female volleyball players learn about the indoor volleyball game and its heroes, with news and stories of college and women's pro volleyball players, self-coaching information, volleyball pictures and videos.

The former USA Volleyball national team member and pro indoor/beach volleyball professional is a regular columnist for the AVCA Coaching Volleyball magazine, the USA Volleyball magazine and the Active.com volleyball newsletter in addition to writing numerous articles on playing and coaching elite volleyball.

Author of the upcoming ebook "How to Stop Serving Like a Wimp" April can be reached at april@volleyballvoices.com