The growth of boys’ volleyball as an interscholastic sport is real, including in New Mexico.  After the fourth season of some NM high schools sponsoring a boys’ volleyball program, we are respectfully asking you join us in encouraging high school administrators, school boards, superintendents, the NMHSCA, and the NMAA in continuing this growth in New Mexico.  

Since the inaugural season of spring 2022, 21 different NM public, charter, and private high schools and over 500 student-athletes have competed against one another. Some schools have even fielded more than one team (varsity and JV). This is without counting the number of boys who are interested in playing, but were either cut during tryouts or do not attend a high school that sponsors a team. 

On a national level, boys’ volleyball is the ONLY team sport to have GROWN after the COVID pandemic.  In addition, it has been the #1 growing team sport for boys for over a decade.  While many states around the USA have been voting to approve boys’ volleyball as an emerging or sanctioned sport, even our surrounding southwestern states have made their moves in growing the game…and now it is up to New Mexico to join the ranks.   

We know that adding boys’ volleyball at every school is not a reality, but please support and encourage the growth at the schools that can do it.  We would hate to see votes against boys’ volleyball prohibit the growth, passion, and participation of our student-athletes for those schools who want it added to their list of activities/sports. 

Why should we even consider boys’ volleyball in our NM high schools?  It supports the mission of interscholastic athletics/activities, is one of the lowest injury rate sports for boys, schools already have the equipment from the girls’ program, is played during the spring season when the gym is free from basketball and girls’ volleyball, and it creates additional opportunities for our boys to play at the collegiate level.

With the support of the First Point Volleyball Foundation and the American Volleyball Coaches Association, we can make this happen within our New Mexico high schools and the NMAA!