Volleyball

Invented in 1895 in the United States, volleyball or "vôlei" arrived in Brazil two decades later. Since then, Rio de Janeiro has been one of the most important cities in its development, spread, and popularization. Whether in clubs, parks, or on beaches, volleyball is one of the sports most practiced by cariocas.

Volleyball was created by William George Morgan, then Physical Education director of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in the city of Holyoke, state of Massachusetts (USA). Initially called minonette or mintonette, it was conceived to replace basketball (created in 1891) and its excessive physical contact in the sports routine of middle-aged men. Morgan then had the idea of bringing together, in a single activity, characteristics of other sports, such as basketball and tennis. From 1896 onward, the name volley ball was coined.

Due to the ACM's international branches spread across other countries, by the 1900s volleyball was already circulating the world. After the US, Canada was the first country to record the practice. In South America, it was Peru, in 1910. In Brazil, there are two possible points of entry: one at the Marist College in Recife, in 1915; the other in the city of São Paulo, at the Associação Cristã de Moços, in 1916.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a men's volleyball team. The players are arranged in two rows: in the front row, they are seated, and in the back row, they are standing. All are wearing white uniforms with numbers and symbols printed on the shirts. The spatial arrangement goes from left to right, starting with the first player in the front row and ending with the last player in the back row.

Fluminense Football Club, in Rio de Janeiro, was one of the first clubs to hold an open volleyball tournament, in the 1920s. The goal was to spread the sport beyond the YMCAs. In 1951, the club was a pioneer once again, hosting the 1st South American Volleyball Tournament, which ended with Brazil's men's and women's teams as champions.

In 1938, the Rio de Janeiro Volley-Ball League was founded. Among the signatories were América Football Club, Clube de Regatas Botafogo, Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama, Clube dos Tabajaras, Grajaú Tênis Clube, São Cristóvão Atlético Clube, and Tijuca Tênis Clube. The league would later become the Metropolitan Volley-Ball Federation. In 1976, it became the Volleyball Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FEVERJ), affiliated with the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation, created in 1954.

The professionalization of national volleyball began in the 1980s, when the president of the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV), Carlos Arthur Nuzman, suggested that the sport adopt the club-business model, already used in Italy and Japan. One of the most important figures in the history of Brazilian volleyball, businessman Antônio Carlos de Almeida Braga (Braguinha), embraced the idea and created his own club: Atlântica Boavista, coached by Bebeto de Freitas. After Braguinha and his Boavista's success, several companies adopted the format and began investing in volleyball teams, such as Pão de Açúcar, Transbrasil, Sadia, Supergasbrás, and Banespa.

Many stories are told about the folkloric Braguinha, always with his dedication to volleyball as a common thread. According to Bebeto de Freitas, in 1981 nine of the twelve athletes on the Brazilian National Team played for Boavista – the other three played for the São Paulo club Pirelli. One day, after a victory by the Rio club, Pirelli tried to acquire two rival players. Braguinha supposedly released them immediately. When questioned by the coach, he is said to have replied: "Hey kid, go to work, because for me to pay your salary you need to have an opponent."

Image description: This is a photograph of a volleyball game. From the background to the foreground, we see a crowd of spectators watching the match. In the center, two players in yellow are in defensive position, with one of them raising a hand to block. In the foreground, a player in white and blue is jumping to attack the ball. The number "10" is visible on the yellow player's jersey.

Rio de Janeiro produced some of the most important names in Brazilian volleyball. Among them Bernardinho, Bernard, Fernandão, and Badalhoca, players from the so-called Geração de Prata (Silver Generation) – runner-up at the Los Angeles Olympic Games (1984) and the country's first Olympic medal for men's volleyball at the Olympics. Also from Rio are other great names in the sport, such as Nalbert, Thaísa, and Fabi Alvim – the last two, champions at the Beijing Olympics (2008).

Image description: The image is a photograph of a men's volleyball team. The players are arranged in two rows, with the members of the front row seated on the floor and those in the back row standing behind. They are all wearing white uniforms with the name "Brasil" and numbers printed in black. The team is in a gymnasium, with a volleyball court in the background.