Boys Volleyball and Girls Wrestling Gain IHSAA Recognition: A Commitment to Inclusivity in High School Athletics

The Indiana High School Athletic Association has officially sanctioned boys volleyball and girls wrestling as high school sports, marking the first new additions to its calendar in six years. From the 2024-2025 school year, girls wrestling will be a winter sport while boys volleyball will become a spring sport.

Both sports have worked tirelessly towards gaining full recognition and have been part of the IHSAA’s Emerging Sport Process since 2022. They have held matches during their respective seasons and will now have an IHSAA state tournament. Details about the tournaments will be announced in the coming months.

Boys volleyball has been hosting a state tournament since 1994 through the Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association, while girls wrestling has been holding their own tournament for the past seven years thanks to the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association. Both sports have experienced significant growth during their time in the Emerging Sport Process, with over 1,400 wrestlers from 177 schools participating in girls wrestling and more than 100 schools participating in boys volleyball.

The addition of these two co-ed sports partnered with Special Olympics Indiana shows a commitment to inclusivity in high school athletics. Unified flag football was the last sport to gain recognition by the IHSAA in 2018, while unified track and field was the only other sport to join the association back in 2013. These new additions bring a diverse range of sports to the busy IHSAA calendar, providing students with more opportunities to participate in high school athletics.