From the article: 2010 World League Volleyball Schedule and Results
World League and World Cup share many similarities. Interest is not one of them. World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world while World League operates in relative obscurity. What does volleyball need to do in order to raise the interest level for World League? What Do You Think?
Grassroots Levels Count
- Looking from the outside if you want to parallel the two like you're doing it has to do with grass roots participation. Until a few years ago I never had much interest in boys VB at the high school level or collegiate because the best athletes rarely played except the West Coast. Until more high schools and colleges embrace VB for boys like they do for girls it will remain tempered. I love the idea of beach in college "should have men's and mixed that combination would explode". It's perfect sport for mixed participation. Our world revolves around mixed participation for a sport and the interest men and woman share because they know the sport. I know football is contrary to that statement but it's had 100 years in the US to nurture and the raw attraction of testosterone and body's colliding appeals to both sexes.
- —Guest Russ
VB Needs More Time
- I think it just takes time to build up the fan base. True growth of the sport takes a combination of top-down promotion (TV broadcasts, etc.) and bottom-up grassroots growth (high school participation and fanship, recreational play). I know budgets must be limited but whatever advertising the national team can do, it will help attendance at events. You can do a lot of advertising on the internet without a lot of money. I’m going to be at the Charlotte MNT matches so I’ll see how attendance is there. But how many volleyball players go out of their way to watch a match in which they don’t have a relative? I think everyone who plays should attend (and pay for) at least one match a season just to watch some good teams play, whether it’s high school or college. As for bottom-up growth, John Kessel at USA Volleyball has some good ideas. One thing he mentioned is to have more intramural high school teams or even unofficial “rec” leagues between teams from different schools. As it is no
- —Guest Mark
