OHSAA Votes To Add Girls Wrestling, Boys Volleyball

COLUMBUS, OH — Girls wrestling and boys volleyball will be added to the Ohio High School Athletic Association's (OHSAA) list of emerging sports.

The OHSAA Board of Directors voted unanimously to add both to the emerging sports list, while moving girls and boys lacrosse into the recognized sports category. The Board also agreed to discuss partnering with another group to provide a tournament in Esports.

“The OHSAA has been talking with the boys volleyball and girls wrestling leaders for several years and we are now in the position to bring these two sports into the OHSAA,” said OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute. “This move will help those sports continue to grow and allow those student-athletes to compete for an OHSAA state championship. It gives more kids opportunities and that is the mission of the OHSAA.”

Both girls wrestling and boys volleyball already conducted state tournaments. The Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association organized a girls tournament starting in 2020, while the Ohio High School Boys Volleyball Association started running its own tournament in 1988.

“We will look to keep a very similar format for the girls wrestling and boys volleyball tournaments as what the coaches associations have been doing,” Ute said. “The girls wrestling state tournament is held in mid-February and the boys volleyball state tournament is held in the spring. We have not yet developed tournament regulations, but we’ll start working on that so that those two sports hit the ground running next fall for the start of the 2022-23 school year.”