Volleyball, born in 1895 in the USA

Volleyball, born in 1895 in the USA thanks to William Morgan, has come a considerable way from amateur game to world-class professional sport. The first professional players played a key role in popularizing and developing volleyball, bringing new techniques, strategies and setting high standards of skill.
The Beginning of Professional Volleyball
In the first decades of the 20th century, volleyball remained predominantly an amateur sport. However, with the growth of its popularity in various countries, national federations began to form, tournaments and championships were organized. The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was founded in 1947, which was an important step towards professionalizing this sport.
The first professional players and their contribution
Among the first professional volleyball players who left a significant mark on history, we can highlight the following:
Kirilos Papakristos (Greece): One of the pioneers of volleyball in Greece, who has actively contributed to the development of this sport in the country and internationally.
Bernard Reichert (Germany): A prominent German volleyball player, known for his skill and contribution to the popularization of volleyball in Europe.
Hiroyu Nakata (Japan): One of the first professional volleyball players in Japan, played a key role in the development of volleyball in Asia.
These athletes not only demonstrated high skill on the field, but also actively participated in the promotion of volleyball, training new generations of players and development of infrastructure for this sport.
Impact on the development of volleyball
The emergence of professional players has led to a number of significant changes in volleyball:
Improved techniques and tactics: Professionals introduced new techniques such as powerful pitches, fast attacks and complex combinations that made the game more dynamic and spectacular.
Increased level of competition: With the advent of professional tournaments became more competitive, which contributed to increase interest from spectators and media.
Infrastructure development: Thanks to the efforts of professional players and their clubs, specialized halls were built, improving conditions for training and competitions.
International recognition: Professional players contributed to the inclusion of volleyball in the program of the 1964 Olympics, which was a recognition of its importance at the world level.
The first professional volleyball players played a key role in the evolution of this sport. Their contribution has been reflected in raising the standard of play, popularizing volleyball worldwide and setting high standards that continue to inspire new generations of athletes.

For a sport that has been around for over a century, the origin of volleyball traces its roots to a rather humble beginning.

History has it that William G. Morgan, who invented the game of volleyball in 1895, came up with the idea so that people who found basketball’s ‘bumping’ or ‘jolting’ too strenuous could have an alternative physical activity to fall back on.

William G. Morgan, who served as the physical director at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Holyoke, Massachusetts, looked at the sports around and picked the aspects that he thought suited his brief the best.

The ball came from baske`tball, the net from tennis and the use of hands from handball. While this made up a game of volleyball, it was lent some competitive tone with the introduction of innings – later to be called sets – that was borrowed from baseball.