OSAA approves boys volleyball as the first ’emerging activity’

Published 7:22 pm Monday, October 9, 2023

Boys volleyball took another step toward joining the ranks of sanctioned activities under the OSAA.

The sport received a vote of unanimous approval at the OSAA Delegate Assembly meeting on Oct. 9 to become an ‘emerging activity,’ a title that grants additional support by the OSAA and puts boys volleyball on the path toward becoming officially sanctioned in the near future.

“I’m absolutely thrilled beyond belief at the result of the vote to approve boys volleyball as an emerging sport,” said Patrick Gibson, one of the leading organizers spearheading the move to bring boys volleyball to Oregon high schools. “The mission of athletics is not to serve competition, but to help student athletes learn skills that will translate to success far beyond any field, court, or pitch they play on. Beyond that, engagement in high school activities has been proven to impact graduation rates positively.”

That was a large part of Gibson’s pitch to the Delegate Assembly in Wilsonville. The head coach of the Blues Volleyball Club in Portland, Gibson has been working with former volleyball coach Sydney Hammond and Columbia Empire Volleyball Association Executive Director Cody March over the past two years to prove that boys volleyball has a place in Oregon and can thrive in homeostasis with the other activities offered throughout the year.

Boys volleyball aiming to become emerging activity under the OSAA

Gibson provided letters of support from Oregon State University head volleyball coach Lindsey Behonick and John Speraw, head coach of the USA Men’s National Team and chairman of First Point Volleyball Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to growing boys and men’s volleyball across the country. The Delegate Assembly also heard testimonials from student athletes around the state, including Parkrose High School junior Finn Sathrum, who garnered First Team All-State recognition during the 2023 spring season.

“We were able to create such a good community and reach people who didn’t have others they could connect to,” he said. “We really allow for people to have a home and feel welcome at our schools and feel loved, like they have support.

“Boys volleyball has helped me become the person I am today,” Sathrum continued. “I am looking at college opportunities and I hope you’re able to see this is bringing a lot of benefits to students.

Heading into its third season this spring, boys volleyball has grown from seven teams in its inaugural 2022 season to 35 schools signed up to compete in 2024, with an additional 38 schools expressing interest in joining in the future. That interest includes at least one school from every 5A and 6A conference, as well as at least one school from every region and classification in the state.

As an emerging activity, boys volleyball will be listed in the OSAA handbook that goes to all schools, and registration for the activity will be officially offered. A committee will also be formed to help determine specific rules and any other necessary information. If after two years the sport can grow to include 50 schools, organizers will be able to petition the OSAA to become an officially sanctioned activity that can receive administrative support, such as website support, rule interpreters and state championships administered by the OSAA.

Nearly half of the participants had not competed in a high school sport prior to joining boys volleyball, and the majority had not played any spring sports, an important factor for Gibson, who doesn’t want to see volleyball take athletes away from other established high school activities.

“I’m concerned about cannibalizing other sports, especially in the smaller classifications” Gibson said. “I don’t want to see that at all. But if there’s an interest, we should meet the students where they are.

“We’re reaching a new type of athlete who is interested in this sport.”

Oregon will become the 33rd state to approve boys volleyball as an official or emerging sport. Of the 25 states that report participation numbers, Oregon’s 420 players for the 2023 season is already higher than five states. Gibson’s goal this year is to have 45 schools signed up to compete in this spring and to grow the number of participants to more than 600 student-athletes. With approval from the Delegate Assembly, Gibson said it will go a great deal toward helping the continued growth of the sport.

“Approving boys volleyball as an emerging sport demonstrates the OSAA’s willingness to meet student athletes where they are and to continue to provide opportunities for them to engage and succeed in life. This is a huge win for students and educators alike,” he said. “We’re excited to keep the growth going and see where this takes boys volleyball moving forward. I’m proud to partner with the OSAA on our shared mission.”

Other OSAA business

Prior to the vote on boys volleyball, the Delegate Assembly discussed a handful of topics that could be implemented in future seasons, including a more organized All-State recognition process and adding a 10th week to the nine-game football calendar in order to provide flexibility and rest for football programs.

Caucuses from all six classifications unanimously expressed interest in forming an OSAA committee that would explore administering All-State teams in each classification across all sports. The discussion was in response to a decline and fragmentation of All-State recognitions, as witnessed by the OSAA and lack of uniformity in how the top student-athletes in each sport are recognized at the end of the season.

The representatives from all six classifications were likewise in favor of the option of an extra week in the football season, provided it was optional. The recommendation would not extend the football season, but rather allow teams to host games during the week that is traditionally reserved for jamborees before the start of the regular season. If the proposal were applied to next fall, it would have practices begin on Aug. 19 and allow contests or jamborees to begin on Aug. 30. It would allow teams an extra bye week to rest and recover from injuries, reschedule due to unexpected cancellations and reduce the strain on officials’ availability.

Finally, all but one of the caucuses were neutral or in favor of petitioning for sports to play up a classification in the middle of a classification cycle, rather than waiting until the beginning of the four-year cycle.

Representatives from the 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A schools expressed interest in favor, provided the option was available to all programs. The 6A caucus was not in favor and the 1A caucus, being the smallest, was neutral on the matter.