Nassau moves boys' volleyball to fall

To the disappointment of many coaches and student-athletes across Nassau County, the boys’ volleyball season has been moved from the spring to the fall, effective with the 2010-11 school year.

Section VIII made the decision in conjunction with one by the NYSPHSAA (New York State Public High School Athletic Association), which created state championships in the sport.

“Once the state championship was on the table, the majority of Nassau County Athletic Directors voted to approve the move to the fall,” Section VIII Executive Director Todd Heimer said. “We expect some growing pains in the first year or two.”

Moving boys’ volleyball to the fall, when girls play the sport, has created headaches with scheduling, officiating, coaching and gym availability, explained Long Beach varsity coach and county volleyball coordinator Bill Gibson. Most boys’ coaches opposed the change, Gibson said, for various reasons. “Of the almost 40 coaches, I think only a handful are happy with the switch,” he said. “I didn’t have a strong opinion. I think it’s going to be better for the sport in the long run, but it could be a disaster in the short term.”

Challenges to overcome

One big obstacle come September will be gym space. When a particular school hosts varsity and JV girls’ matches, which are played back-to-back, practice for the boys’ teams must start late or be held in another location. Same goes for the girls’ practices when the boys are in action.

“There will be late-night practices or practices away from the high school in some cases,” Gibson said. “We’ll either have to wait for the girls to finish before we start practice or bus to the Middle School and practice there.”