IHSAA names high school boys volleyball, girls wrestling ’emerging sports’

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — High school boys volleyball and girls wrestling are a step closer to being officially recognized as sports by the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

The organization voted unanimously on Monday to add the sports to its new Emerging Sport Process. It’s the first time since the creation of the process one year ago that new sports have been approved.

The Emerging Sport Process helps create a path for the two sports to grow, with the goal of eventually becoming recognized sports with IHSAA sponsored state tournaments.

By earning a designation as an emerging sport, the IHSAA will provide both sports with rule books, and both sports will be subject to all IHSAA rules and policies.

For a sport to become officially recognized and a state tournament be sponsored, 50% of the organization’s 407 member schools must participate. The IHSAA says 42 schools have boys volleyball teams, while 350 girls represented 113 schools in this year’s girls wrestling tournament.

The Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association has held a state tournament since 1994, while the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association has conducted a girls wrestling state tournament since 2017.

In addition to designating boys volleyball and girls wrestling as emerging sports, the IHSAA also approved a measure establishing that any coach, contest administrator, school administrator, or fan ejected from an event will be suspended for the next two contests. A second ejection will be a four-game suspension.