Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two players each on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side of the court. Each team also works in unison to prevent the opposing team from grounding the ball on their side of the court.
Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically 3–12 kilometres (1.9–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road and minor obstacles. It is both an individual and a team sport; runners are judged on individual times and teams by a points-scoring method. Both men and women of all ages compete in cross country, which usually takes place during autumn and winter, and can include weather conditions of rain, sleet, snow or hail, and a wide range of temperatures.
The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) is a voluntary, non-profit association for the support and governance of interscholastic activities at high schools in Minnesota, United States. The association supports interscholastic athletics and fine arts programs for member schools. Membership includes nearly 500 schools, including special schools, home schools, and 435 high schools. The State High School League is an affiliate of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
USA Lacrosse is the national governing body of men and women's lacrosse in the United States. It provides a leadership role in virtually every aspect of the game and has more than 450,000 members throughout the United States, and offers programs and services to inspire participation while protecting the integrity of the sport. The USA Lacrosse national headquarters is located in Sparks, Maryland along with the Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame. In addition, the headquarters campus features the IWLCA Building, Tierney Field and a memorial to the members of the lacrosse community that died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. USA Lacrosse also oversees the U.S. National Teams, which have won a combined 30 world championships.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have single, statewide championships for all sports; instead, for some sports, the CIF's 10 Sections each have their own championships.
Charles Frederick "Karch" Kiraly is an American volleyball player, coach, and broadcast announcer. He was a central part of the U.S National Team that won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. He went on to win the gold medal again at the 1996 Olympic Games, the first Olympic competition to feature beach volleyball. He is the only player to have won Olympic medals of any color in both the indoor and beach volleyball categories. He played college volleyball for the UCLA Bruins, where his teams won three national championships under head coach Al Scates. Kiraly is widely regarded as the greatest male volleyball player of all time.
The African Volleyball Confederation is the continental governing body for the sports of volleyball in Africa. Its headquarters are located in Rabat, Morocco.
Sports in the United States are an important part of the nation's culture. Historically, the national sport has been baseball. However, in more recent decades, American football has been the most popular sport in terms of broadcast viewership audience. Basketball has grown into the mainstream American sports scene since the 1980s, with ice hockey and soccer doing the same around the turn of the 21st century. These sports comprise the "Big Five".
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
The Turkish Volleyball Federation (TVF) is the governing body of volleyball and beach volleyball in Turkey. Formed in 1958, it is based in Ankara. The TVF is a member of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV). Federation's president is Mehmet Akif Ustundag since November 21, 2016.
High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partly due to risk of injury, particularly concussions. According to The Washington Post, between 2009 and 2019, participation in high school football declined by 9.1%. It is the basic level or step of tackle football.
Sports in Massachusetts have a long history with both amateur athletics and professional teams. Most of the major professional teams have won multiple championships in their respective leagues. Massachusetts teams have won 6 Stanley Cups, 18 NBA Championships, 6 Super Bowls, and 10 World Series. The New England Revolution won the MLS Supporter's Shield in 2021. Early basketball and volleyball was created in Massachusetts, which homes the Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield), and the Volleyball Hall of Fame (Holyoke). Massachusetts also houses the Cape Cod Baseball League. It is also home to prestigious sports events such as the Boston Marathon and the Head of the Charles Regatta. The Falmouth Road Race in running and the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic in bicycle racing are also very popular events with long histories.
Lloy James Ball is an American former volleyball player, who was a member of American national team from 1993 to 2008. Ball is a four-time Olympian, and a gold medalist of Beijing 2008. He is also a gold medalist of the 2007 NORCECA Championship and 2008 World League, silver medalist of the 1995 Pan American Games, bronze medalist of the 1994 FIVB World Championship, and 2015 inductee to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.
David Cameron Lee is an American volleyball player, currently working as the head coach for Indian Club, Bengaluru Torpedoes. As a member of the United States men's national volleyball team, he is an Olympic Champion at the 2008 Summer Olympics, an Olympic bronze medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and a three-time Olympian. He is also a two-time NORCECA Champion, a gold medalist at the 2015 World Cup, and a gold medalist of the World League.
Kelly Ann Murphy is an American indoor volleyball player for the United States women's national volleyball team. Murphy played collegiate volleyball with the University of Florida Gators from 2008 to 2011. Murphy won gold with the national team at the 2014 World Championship and bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league that governs most levels of basketball in the United States. Basketball is the second most popular sport in the United States, after American football. In terms of revenue, the NBA is the third most profitable sports league in the United States and the world, after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Basketball was invented in 1891 by Canadian physical education teacher James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Sara Elizabeth Hughes is an American beach volleyball player. With teammate Kelly Cheng she achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 2 in August 2023. Hughes has won six tournaments on the AVP Pro Tour and seven gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals on the FIVB World Tour/Pro Beach Tour.
Scottish Volleyball is the national governing body for volleyball, beach volleyball and sitting volleyball in Scotland. It is responsible for the development, promotion and delivery of district, national and international volleyball in Scotland. Legally, it is a private company limited by guarantee, with its members acting as its guarantors.
Water polo in the United States is governed by different organizations. The USA Water Polo (USAWP) governs most levels of water polo in the country, including the national teams and amateur tournaments. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs colleges, and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) governs high schools. No professional water polo leagues run in the United States.
Krista Vansant is a volleyball player and coach who played collegiately for Washington. In 2022, she was the assistant coach for the University of Illinois volleyball team after spending 3 seasons as an assistant coach at Indiana.
