With seven volleyball courts, practice areas, retail space, parents lounge, homework rooms, meeting rooms and even concessions, it's a far cry from your backyard or a quickly set up net at the beach. Work is going on right now as the final touches are being put on the new Virginia Volleyball Center.
This new facility is home to the Northern Virginia Volleyball Association (NVVA), a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of volleyball as a sport. Founded in 1997, it now has over 1,100 youth volleyball members, as well 600 junior members. These members make up teams ranging from ages 12 to 18. The NVVA is also the parent organization for Loudoun Youth Volleyball.
The new location also brings attention to a sport that is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds (and spikes). It's estimated that volleyball is only second to basketball when comparing the number of participants—some surveys put the number of people playing volleyball in the U.S. as high as 29 million. Not bad for a sport that was created by a YMCA director in 1895. William Morgan made up the game in Holyoke, Massachusetts (my mom's hometown) to have an activity that could be played indoors away from the cold and could include everyone who wanted to play.
Looking to get involved? Registration is now open for the 2010 season and tryouts are currently being held. For more information, or to see pictures of the shiny new facility, visit www.nvva.com. You can also call the NVVA at (703) 727-3732.
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