Girls wrestling and boys volleyball have been approved as fully recognized sports by the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) board of directors during their annual meeting. This comes after both sports were previously approved as emerging sports in 2022, with a plan to become fully recognized this year.
The impressive growth of girls wrestling, from under 300 girls five years ago to 1,444 girls from 177 high schools in the state this winter, led to the decision to fully recognize it as a sport. On the other hand, while the growth of boys volleyball was expected to be slower due to the number of athletes needed for a team, there are now 105 schools registered to play it this spring. This surpasses the 100 school threshold across the state’s three districts required to make it a fully recognized sport.
During a straw poll at a meeting with athletic directors and administrators, the vote was unanimous in favor of adding girls wrestling and boys volleyball as recognized sports. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story. Contact Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649 for more information.
