American physical education instructor who invented volleyball, originally named Mintonette, in 1895 while serving as physical education director at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He devised the game as a less strenuous alternative to basketball for older members, combining a ball derived from basketball, a net from tennis and the volleying action of handball. Sources differ on the exact date: the Mass Moments historical society records the invention in February 1895, while the International Volleyball Hall of Fame account places the first full game in December of that year. A spectator at a 1896 demonstration suggested the name volleyball, which Morgan adopted. In 1985 he became the inaugural member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Facts
RoleInventor of volleyball; physical education director at the Holyoke, Massachusetts YMCA 1 BirthplaceLockport, New York, United States 1 Death PlaceLockport, New York, United States 1 Role
Role (category) FAQs
How did the first game of Mintonette differ from modern volleyball?
The first Mintonette game had no limit on players per side and no limit on hits before the ball crossed the net.
The International Volleyball Hall of Fame says the first Mintonette game, played in December 1895, differed from today's volleyball in two ways. There was no limit to the number of people on the court at one time, and each side could hit the ball as many times as it liked before it went over the net. After some fine-tuning the game made its official debut eight months later. It was then renamed volley ball, since the object was to volley the ball back and forth, and the name became one word in 1952.
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Source William G. Morgan (International Volleyball Hall of Fame)tier 1
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Sources
1. William G. Morgan (International Volleyball Hall of Fame)
International Volleyball Hall of FameVolleyball Hall of Fame: William G. Morgan biography
William Morgan was born on January 23, 1870 in Lockport, NY. While there he realized that basketball was much too strenuous for the older gentlemen so he set out to invent a game for them to play.
William G. Morgan: Gender
He devised the game as a less strenuous alternative to basketball for older members, combining a ball derived from basketball, a net from tennis and the volleying action of handball.
View the Source Wikidata: William G. Morgan
Wikidata Q313949, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.In Era: The Late Modern PeriodView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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