If you are interested in a sport that has several health benefits, then consider volleyball. Playing volleyball helps to build strength and endurance. Also hand-eye coordination is improved as is cardiovascular health. Playing the sport burns calories, increases flexibility and social interaction.
Court volleyball was invented in 1895 by William Morgan and was originally called mintonette. Initially the game was played using a tennis net and a basketball. Soon afterwards a lighter specially designed ball was developed as a basketball was too heavy. The game soon spread to Asia and today it is estimated that 800 million people globally play volleyball.
Other sports that originated in the United States include baseball, basketball, softball, racquetball, American football and of course pickleball. However in North America the Iroquois people were playing the oldest sport in the form of lacrosse as far back as 1100 A.D.
Court volleyball is played with six players on a team and now it has become a very popular sport for middle school and high school girls. In the school year of 2021 to 2022 track and field was the most popular sport for high school girls with around 456,697 participants and volleyball was a close second at 454,153 players. This was followed by soccer with 374,775 then basketball with 370,466 and finally softball with 340,923 players.
You probably realize that the U.S. experts recommend at least 150 minutes of exercise per week to maintain good physical health. However, there is good news for those who attend live sporting events as spectators. In a British study of 7,249 people of ages 16 to 85 years it was concluded that watching live sports improves subjective well being, as well as happiness and also decreases loneliness.
Even if you don't play volleyball, watch a game at a local middle school or high school soon and enjoy the excitement expressed by the players. Support a local school from the stands and you will be glad that you did. The games we watched at Kennedy Middle School last week were enthusiastically appreciated by those on both sides of the net!
