According to Volleyball Player Demographics on Zippia.com, only 21.9% of volleyball players in the US are men. While men dominate sports such such as baseball, football, and basketball, the amount of male volleyball players is astoundingly low. Why? The Collegian online says, “Volleyball’s unpopularity among guys is partially due to the lack of opportunities men have to play the sport. Most American high schools don’t offer men’s volleyball programs. Those who do have interest in setting and spiking are forced to pay hundreds of dollars to join club teams. Many cities don’t have volleyball clubs at all.” The way to fix this is simple: “it will first need to be introduced much earlier in young men’s lives.”

         One of the main things that makes this an issue is that girls do not face the same problem. While boys are confined to choosing between football and offseason, girls get to play volleyball or football. “Additionally, under the EPC, courts have repeatedly denied boys the right to participate on girls’ teams when no boys’ team exists” (Section VI, Women’s Sports Foundation). However, it’s not the girls’ fault at all. I sent out a form to many kids that go to the same school as me, asking questions such as “Do you think boys should be able to play volleyball?” and “Would you play on a boys or co-ed volleyball team?” The end result was amazing. I got 28 responses, nearly all of which agreeing that boys should be able to play volleyball at school. In fact, every single girl I surveyed said that yes, males and females should both be able to play volleyball, whether it be on separate teams or together. Whoever designed the physical education program is the one to blame.

         After calculating the percentages, I was shocked at how many people thought that a boys volleyball team was a good idea and urged me to do it. More than 75% of the boys interviewed said they would play on a boys volleyball team if they had the option, and more than 80% of girls said they would love a co-ed team. When I asked them why, almost everyone included the words “fun” or “teamwork” in their answer. Some of my favorite answers embody exactly what I was thinking or add more perspective because they are from a girl on the volleyball team. My friend Audrey said “In my opinion volleyball can be considered to be one of the best sports. Even though I have only been playing for a few years, I would gladly pick it over any other sport if I were given the choice. This sport requires plays, but it also requires having a close bond with your teammates.” One of my football buddies, Hunter, said “Because it helps me get better at other sports and helps me keep muscle” when asked why he likes volleyball. These, among many other reasons, show why volleyball is a great sport. It is good for your physical, social, and emotional health, and it gives you a family to be a part of and a commitment to that family.

         The main reason why people argue against boys in girls sports, especially volleyball, is summed up well in Section VI in the Women’s Sports Association: “It is the class of girls, not boys, with whom the government seeks to redress past discrimination and promote equality. It is girls, not boys, who have suffered and continue to suffer from discrimination and inequalities in athletics.” While I understand that, this isn’t the 1950s, where girls are expected to stay at home and cook and clean and mend clothing. This is 2023! They have just as many opportunities, if

not more, to play sports. In FISD, girls have more options than boys do for athletics. If they want to play on a team, then put in the effort to be good enough to make the team, boys or girls. I wholeheartedly agree with this quote: “In the arena of sports, the most talented athlete gets to 

play; a girl has just as much of a right to demonstrate her ability to fill that spot as a boy does” (Section VI, Women’s Sports Association). If they feel it is too unfair to put boys and girls on the same team, there’s an easy answer for that: let boys play on their own team. It’s not like there’s not enough guys wanting to play. 

         Now you can see why there is such a low percentage of male volleyball players. If we want any change to happen, we need to let them have the opportunity to play earlier, in school, where it matters. Speaking of which, do me a favor and sign my petition, every name counts: chng.it/8CfwN8C5Mn I leave you with this quote: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance” (Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972).