History of Volleyball - How the Popular Game Spread Across the World
Volleyball moved across America as it spread from one YMCA to another. Within 10 years, volleyball spread to other countries through YMCA and the military. The history of volleyball shows that the Canadians began playing it in 1900, the Caribbean began playing it in 1906, and the Japanese began playing volleyball in 1908. It then moved onto other countries such as China, the Philippines, and South America.
The first Open Invitational Tournament was sponsored by YMCA and held in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Prevost Idell was the YMCA director in Germantown, and he was also one of the game’s strongest supporters. The secretary of the YMCA War Office enjoyed the game of volleyball and decided that it should be integrated into the recreation and physical education programs for soldiers. Because of this decision, soldiers began playing volleyball during their free time, espeically during World War 1. Eastern Europe caught onto the game while US soldiers were stationed there, and it quickly became very popular because it could be played inside during the winter. The game also spread through US soldiers to Africa and Egypt.