Volleyball is ‘spiking’ in popularity locally with the Y NSW launching a new program at Mount Annan Leisure Centre to meet the sport’s mass appeal.
Late Night Volleyball is a new free program made up of multiple social 6 on 6 games, warm up drills and coaching. Young people must be at least 16 years old to participate.
The program launched on February 12 with sessions to run on the second Friday of each month from 9-11pm.
Mount Annan Leisure Centre Programs Coordinator Daniel McLellan said volleyball is by far the biggest growing sport in the Camden/Campbelltown region.
“Our volleyball numbers have increased ridiculously in the last year,” Daniel said.
“We’ve gone from 8 to 23 in the senior competition and after starting small with just 12 in Learn-to-Play we now have 110 kids in the program.”
Daniel puts the youth volleyball boom partly down to a Japanese anime called “Haikyuu!!” about students in a high school volleyball club.
The new program follows in the footsteps of the popular Late Night Basketball sessions at Mount Annan Leisure Centre, which relaunched on January 29 following a COVID-19 pause.
Late Night Basketball sessions run from 9-11pm on the last Friday of each month, with the next session coming up on February 26. The program is also free for young people 16 years and older.
The Y NSW has run Late Night Basketball at the centre since 2018.
“Late Night Basketball began as a Youth Week initiative and has had great success ever since. Running basketball and now volleyball sessions after dark gives the sport more of a cool vibe for youth from the area... it makes participants feel like they’re part of something,” Daniel said.
“Both sessions are great for people of all abilities and we encourage everyone to come on down and give it a go. No bookings are required, just rock up, QR in, start warming up and have some fun.”
Mount Annan Leisure Centre is proudly managed by the Y on behalf of Camden Council.
