2 EARLY DAYS Take the high-flying action of basketball Mix it with a tennis net but leave the rackets out Throw in a bouncy ball made of leather This combination is the result of the game invented by William G Morgan in 1895 Morgan was the director of physical education at the YMCA in Holyoke Massachusetts He taught physical fitness classes It was his job to devise new sports and exercises Morgan took pride in his work His students appreciated him Attendance in his classes boomed US troops in the South Pacific play volleyball inside a bombed-out church during World War II 8
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EARLY RULES Volleyball was initially called mintonette Many early rules were different from those used today At first teams could have as many players on the court as they wanted Now each team can use only six players at a time The first mintonette rules allowed teams to hit the ball as many times as they wanted before hitting it over the net That is no longer the case Now teams have three hits to return the ball Morgan was a big fan of another new sport basketball He had met Dr James Naismith in 1891 Naismith invented basketball at the YMCA in nearby Springfield Massachusetts Basketball was becoming more popular by the day It involved intensity and physical contact Those aspects were great for young students who needed rigorous but safe physical activity But Morgan’s classes featured men and boys of various ages Basketball was too difficult for the older men He wanted to create a sport that was easy enough for middle-aged men to play during their lunch break Volleyball on the beach 1943 11
