Monday’s annual meeting of the Indiana High School Athletic Association board of directors saw the approval of girls wrestling and boys volleyball as fully recognized sports. These sports had previously been approved as emerging sports in 2022, with a plan to become fully recognized this year. IHSAA commissioner Paul Neidig highlighted the significant growth of girls wrestling, with participation increasing from less than 300 girls five years ago to 1,444 girls from 177 high schools this winter.
Boys volleyball was also approved as a fully recognized sport, despite being anticipated to experience slower growth due to the number of athletes required to form a team. However, there are now 105 schools registered to participate in boys volleyball this spring, surpassing the threshold of 100 schools across the state’s three districts needed for full recognition. During a previous meeting with athletic directors at Plainfield, a straw poll showed overwhelming support for adding girls wrestling and boys volleyball as recognized sports, with a vote of 62 to 4 in favor.
This is an ongoing story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available. For further inquiries, contact Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.