Beginning in the spring of 2017, beach volleyball will become an official high school sport in the state of Florida. The announcement was made on Wednesday (April 20) when Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a bill allowing high schools in the state to join other athletic conferences without any consequences.
The Sunshine Sports Athletic Conference and USA Volleyball partnered on the initiative. It will start off exclusively for girls, with a 3A classification and below. But don’t worry, indoor volleyball is still offered to everyone. The season will be directed by USA Volleyball rules and regulations.
The change comes as no surprise. Volleyball has been an Olympic discipline for the last 20 years, and has recently been recognized as an official National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sport. It was only a matter of time before we found our high school athletes playing the game. Having the full support of both the Florida Region of USA Volleyball and the Sunshine State Athletic Conference is probably the best way to expand the sport, seeing that they’re established experts in the sport. Predictions are leaning toward a fruitful first season and a quick jump in popularity. The goal is the have at least 20 teams compete in the opening season. The growing popularity of the sport will likely attract high numbers.
The competition will involve a minimum of three pairs of girls per squad competing against the opponent school’s team in the best two out of three matches. Games are set to start next April at Hickory Point Beach located in Tavares, Florida. Various venues throughout Florida will be used for in-season matches. Game dates haven’t been set yet, but one thing is for sure, we all need to stock up on sunscreen.
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