Minnesota high school boys volleyball student-athletes and supporters got the victory they so desperately hoped for on Tuesday as the Minnesota State High School League voted to approve boys volleyball as an official sport.
Needing 32 votes for approval, the vote garnered 39 votes meaning that the sport will officially play in the 2024-2025 season. The vote ended years of heartbreak, including last year when approval fell short by just one vote and two votes in 2021.
"The ongoing growth that's taken place within boys volleyball is certainly a major factor," said MSHS Executive Director Erich Martens after Tuesday's vote. "Given the growth and the increase in the number of schools who are hosting boys volleyball, it is gaining a greater footprint across the state."
Since 2018, the number of schools participating in boys volleyball has jumped from 22 to 72 statewide. During that time, the number of participants has risen from 400 to nearly 2,000.
In June 2022, after the vote to approve boys volleyball fell short by just one vote, the League’s Board of Directors approved the creation of an Adoption of Programs Task Force to review and outline ways for sports and activities to become sanctioned by the MSHSL.
The task force developed a recommendation for the adoption of new programs, including a transitional "emerging status" paving the way towards Tuesday's decision.
Martens credits the task force for getting boys volleyball to the finish line.
"Boys volleyball has been able to meet those metrics and has demonstrated that they have that strong footprint and the number of participating students," Martens said. "As a result that brought it from the board directly to the representative assembly for their consideration."
By approving boys high school volleyball, Minnesota becomes the 25th state association to sanction the sport, ranking 10th nationally with number of schools and participants.
Still, the MSHSL must determine when the boys high school volleyball season will take place. The Minnesota Boys High School Volleyball Association has hosted the boys volleyball season in the spring.
183 teams are participating in the 2023 spring season.
"I don't see many folks that are interested in trying to consider a winter placement for it," added Martens. "It has been competed in the spring the past few years in Minnesota and it's where the majority of states that have volleyball compete. Yet, there are those that advocate and say it's a better fit in Minnesota because of the number of boys sports that currently exist in the spring season."
Martens says spring weather also creates a challenge for adding another sport to the spring season.
"It's been challenging weather-wise the past few years in terms of our spring sports needing a place to practice. Adding another sport there, using the facilities like gyms or field houses, could be more of a challenge to host our other spring teams when the weather is unfortunately not quite suited to be outside yet."
Adding a new sport also means more officials will be needed.
"We are going to need more officials," he said. "Whether it be fall for the girls or spring for the boys, or if they both end up in the fall. Those numbers are going to have to grow to be able to cover all the contests and opportunities that our kids want."
The Minnesota Boys High School Volleyball Association issued the following statement:
"The official sanctioning of boys high school volleyball is a monumental moment in Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) history. We would like to thank the MSHSL, the school and administrative leadership who signed the proposal, those who spoke on behalf of their districts, and all who have supported this mission from the very beginning.
"Thank you to our mission founders, Hugh McCutcheon and Walt Weaver, and those who envisioned this league. Thank you to the tireless work and advocacy of coaches and officials who keep our competitions running, and most importantly, the passion and dedication of our parents and students. Minnesota is now amongst the nearly 30 states in the country to proudly offer boys volleyball as a fully sanctioned or emerging sport to its high schools.
"The Minnesota Boys High School Volleyball Association looks forward to collaborating with the MSHSL to organize this newly sanctioned sport, as well as set programming details for almost 2,000 currently active boys volleyball student athletes."
