The Fastest Growing Sport in 2025
Volleyball has experienced a remarkable surge in popularity among youth athletes and families in the United States. In 2024, i9 Sports® recorded a 33% increase in volleyball registrations compared to 2023, with almost 13,000 additional children participating. This growth reflects broader national trends and underscores the appeal and the much-needed additional opportunities for kids to play the sport.
Trends in Youth Volleyball Participation
Nationally, volleyball has seen significant growth, particularly among girls. USA Volleyball reported 333,208 junior girls (ages 11-18) registered with clubs as of July 2023, marking a 40% increase since the 2013-14 season. Volleyball has become one of the most popular sports for girls at the high school level, but that has also started to trickle down to the youth space.
Volleyball’s appeal is also growing among boys in the US. Over the past decade, boys’ participation in high school volleyball has increased by 56%, with more than half of US states now offering official boys’ high school volleyball championships.
Factors Contributing to Volleyball’s Growth and Popularity
Accessibility and Inclusivity
Volleyball is open to a wide range of participants, requires minimal equipment, and offers opportunities for both boys and girls. This inclusivity has broadened its appeal across communities around the world.
Health and Developmental Benefits
Volleyball participation promotes physical fitness and strategic thinking. As a team sport it also fosters teamwork, communication, and leadership skills that are beneficial to a player’s success off the court as well.
Increased Visibility and Investment
The sport has gained visibility through media coverage and significant investments. For instance, League One Volleyball (LOVB) secured $100 million in funding ahead of its professional women’s league launch in January 2025, aiming to become the “NBA of volleyball” and retain top US talent. The more parents and young athletes see the sport played and role models at the forefront, the more likely they are to participate.
Programs Expansion
More sports organizations are offering the sport beyond high school. The number of clubs registered with USA Volleyball nearly doubled in less than 10 years, providing more opportunities for youth engagement.
Volleyball is geared toward pre-teens and teens, so it’s a great option for those that are looking to get started in sports later in childhood but feel intimidated joining a sport like soccer where many of the players have played their entire lives already. As volleyball continues to flourish in 2025, youth sports organizations play a crucial role in nurturing young talent and fostering a lifelong love for the game.
How To Get Started in Volleyball
i9 Sports® offers volleyball leagues, camps, and clinics for ages 7-14. With focus on age-appropriate instruction, our youth volleyball programs are perfect for both beginners and those with more advanced skills that may want to play recreationally outside of other school or club sports. Find your nearest volleyball programs and sign up today!
About the Author
Tyler Munoz
Manager Of Sport, i9 Sports®
Tyler is responsible for creating and implementing national training programs for coaches and over 240 franchisees to achieve the company’s mission to help kids succeed in life through sports.
Tyler grew up in Modesto, California, playing baseball, basketball and football from the age of 5. Sports have always been at the center of his life and have been something that he has dedicated his life to making a positive impact in.
He discovered his passion - supporting coaches to ensure they can provide a quality sport experience to the athletes that they coach during his education at California State University, Fresno. He earned his Master of Arts in Kinesiology – Sport Psychology and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in Sport Coaching from California State University, Fresno.
After graduating, Tyler spent a year in New Zealand and Australia, where he studied and participated in the two countries’ sport environments, athlete development systems, and coaching models.
After his travels, he joined the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) Coaching Education Department as the American Development Model and Youth Development fellow. Tyler was able to collaborate and coordinate sport development projects with several National Governing Bodies and assist the Coaching Education team with creating and updating resources related to coach training and the American Development Model.
Tyler continued to consult with the USOPC on initiatives related to the American Development Model the Quality Coaching Framework and ultimately, developed an online course, Foundations of the American Development Model. In 2020, he accepted a position with USA Football as the Senior Manager of Coach Education.
During his three years there, he was able to redesign the organization’s coach education certification, which led to USA Football achieving its’ one millionth coach certification in 2022. Tyler has coached football, baseball, and basketball at all levels of sport (recreational, scholastic, national, and international) throughout his life and is passionate about giving back to the communities in which he has lived.
Presentations and Awards:
College of Health and Human Services- Outstanding Project Award
Presented graduate project at the 39th Annual Central California Research Symposium
Olympic & Paralympic Coach Magazine Spring 2020- ADM & Me: Insights in Learning from my USOPC Fellowship
Presented at the USA Football National Conference 2020
Presented at the National Post Olympic and Paralympic Conference of Sport & Science at the Wingate Institute in Israel
What Does Fun Look Like? - Interview with Athlete Era
