High school is a stereotypical place. Girls are cheerleaders and volleyball players. Boys play more masculine sports, like football and basketball. What if everything were to flip, and boys played girl sports?

There are very few males that play volleyball and that are cheerleaders, however breaking away from the set “standards” would be a monumental change. Men’s volleyball should be added as another high school sport.

To begin, volleyball is becoming more popular all across the globe. The benefits of another volleyball team in high schools could change the outlook of the sport for many. Scholarship opportunities are readily available to boys from when they begin playing and communicating with colleges.

To continue, the girls’ volleyball teams could also benefit from this big change. It takes a lot of scheduling and time to set up scrimmages before regular season play. The girls Varsity, JV, and Freshman teams compete against each other for extra practice, but playing the same people over and over again can be unproductive for the teams.

On the other hand, a boys team for the school can eliminate all the stress and lack of competition during practice the girls’ experience. For instance, men naturally have more upper body strength than women, so it would provide the girls with more of a challenge. Therefore, when the girls enter season play, the balls will seem to be traveling a lot slower, which can make plays seem easier to execute.

In past years, many of the students have only been filling the stands at games for boys sports rather than girls. With boy’s volleyball being another outlet for a student section, it may help promote the sport so that fans begin to support the girls as well.

Jenson Daniel, a former student-athlete at Yonkers High School in New York, played on the girl’s volleyball team because a boy’s team was not offered. The following year he returned to help carry the Bulldogs to more victories; however, he was benched and not allowed to play because he was a boy, and hit too hard.

Daniel was crushed when he heard the news and he saw the decision as “unfair.” He looked for other ways to continue playing volleyball: “Playing with the girls doesn’t matter to me,” Daniel said. “I wish there was a boys team (at Yonkers); I even tried forming a city team, but Yonkers doesn’t have a lot of money for a team.”

Likewise to Daniel, some might say that there aren’t enough funds for another team to be formed. However, fundraisers and other school teams could donate money to support them while the team is just getting started. The school already has volleyball nets and balls, so only jerseys, shoes, and knee pads are required for the players. Also, in Bowling Green, there are lots of adults interested in volleyball that would graciously accept the role as a head coach.

They play continually year round for the Co-Ed teams in town. The girl’s coaches may also help out. There are boys’ club, college, and Olympic volleyball teams, but why not high school? These teen years are the crucial times when athletes are building up their skills.

All in all, men’s volleyball should be added to the list of high school sports. Gender does not play a role in which sport you are supposed to play. Sure some may be seen as more feminine, however until you actually play the sport you won’t realize how challenging it really is. Breaking away from stereotypes change futures in a highly successful way. Both boys and girls should be equal, especially in high school.