OSAA Approves Boys Volleyball as “Emerging Activity”

In a pivotal decision, the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) delegate assembly voted on Monday to officially recognize boys volleyball as an emerging activity within the state. This move comes in response to the sport’s rapid growth in recent years and signals a promising future for boys’ volleyball in Oregon.

During the spring season, boys volleyball demonstrated its popularity as it successfully completed a season with a total of 32 high school teams. This number surpassed the 25-team threshold required to be considered as an emerging activity by the OSAA. This achievement paved the way for Monday’s landmark vote.

The OSAA’s decision means that its staff will now collaborate closely with boys volleyball organizers to assess the sport’s feasibility for full sanctioning by the OSAA. To gain full sanction status, boys volleyball will need to garner support from at least 50 schools to field teams, a goal that organizers and enthusiasts are ready to pursue.

OSAA Executive Director, Peter Weber, expressed the association’s willingness to support boys volleyball’s growth. “We’ll probably put a committee together to work with them and figure out the details and minutiae around it,” Weber said. “We’ll see if the growth and interest are there.”

The evaluation period is expected to span two years, during which the sport’s viability and sustainability will be thoroughly examined. Currently, about half of the state associations have sanctioned boys volleyball, while a handful have recognized it as an emerging activity.

Boys volleyball organizers made a compelling presentation during Monday’s meeting, featuring testimony from four dedicated players who passionately advocated for the sport’s recognition. “They did a real nice job talking about the passion for having that opportunity,” Weber noted. “The numbers seem to be growing throughout the country.”

One of the key questions to address during this evaluation period is whether spring is the most feasible season for boys volleyball. While it is the busiest season for OSAA activities, it is also the time when gym access is most readily available.

Notably, boys volleyball becomes the first sport to receive the emerging activity designation since the OSAA adopted this policy a few years ago. It’s worth mentioning that a vote to recognize skiing did not pass.

Furthermore, organizers of water polo and girls flag football have also expressed their interest in being recognized as emerging activities. Oregon High School Water Polo made a presentation at Monday’s meeting and has committed to returning with more information in April, promising further developments in the Oregon high school sports landscape.

The approval of boys volleyball as an emerging activity marks a significant step towards its potential full sanctioning by the OSAA, highlighting the sport’s growing presence and the enthusiasm of its supporters in the state of Oregon.