Soccer may be the third most-played team sport in the U.S (behind football & baseball/softball) but one look inside the Walter E. Washington Convention Center this past weekend, and you could argue that volleyball is the new "it" sport, at least with females 12-18. Over 10,000 girls participated in the 8th annual Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic, hosted by the Metro American Volleyball Club. If I had to describe the atmosphere in one word, I'd beg for two... awesome and overwhelming.
I wonder what William G. Morgan would say about the sport he invented back in 1895, had he been part of the scene yesterday... the final day of the three-day combine. 821 teams, playing across 111 courts with 30,000 involved spectators over a whopping 750,000 square feet of real estate (the combine literally filled all five Exhibit Halls and the Ballroom! I've never seen anything like it.)
If you've never seen live volleyball, you're really missing out. I started covering the George Washington University Colonials a couple of years ago, and nothing matches the enthusiasm and sportsmanship you'll encounter at every match. Don't ask how, but I saw much of the same intensity on display at each & every court at the Convention Center. What are they feeding these kids anyhow?
You simply have to circle President's Day weekend on your 2015 calendar (February 14-16.) Tickets this year were $10 per day, $25 for a weekend pass. Talk about a small price to pay for hundreds (and hundreds) of competitive, entertaining volleyball matches.
These ladies play and shop |
We're definitely past the Recession... Almost $10M spent in 3 days |