Volleyball in Spain
Volleyball is one of the most popular team sports in Spain. There are regular league and cup competitions in different categories for both men and women play in which teams from all over the country. Spanish teams are taking part in the most important international competitions for both club and national team. In the summer months also varied beach volleyball competitions will take place, not only on the beaches but also in many places inland.
History
Volleyball became popular on the beaches of Catalonia for the first time in the 1920s. Even after the Civil War remained a minority volleyball sport that has been practiced in schools and youth organizations. Nevertheless, the increasing importance especially at the international level for the introduction of organized structures in Spain, first, however, within the Spanish Handball Federation ( 1948-1950 ).
The very restrained funding by the Handball Federation will cause the volleyball in 1950 as a section of the National Basketball Association reorganized and regional associations grew in all parts of the country. 1951, the first Spanish national championship was played. In 1953, the volleyball section member of the International Volleyball Federation.
After this first period of greater activity, the Basketball Federation was keen to end the current arrangement with the volleyball. In the season 1958-1959 | 59 came the attempt to annex the volleyball national rugby union, but eventually was constituted on 26 January 1960, the independent Federación Española de Balonvolea / Voleibol ( RFEVB ).
Finally, in the 1990s it came to the final breakthrough of volleyball to one of the most popular sports in Spain. The Spanish national teams took part with good results at international championships, and numerous world-class players playing in clubs in the Spanish league. In July 2003 the final phase of the World League was held in Madrid. In the women Tenerife Marichal dominated for many years the national club scene and won the 2004 in their own stadium, the European Champions League.
The biggest success on national level succeeded at the Volleyball European Championship for Men in Russia in 2007, where you defeated the favored hosts in the finals and surprisingly won gold.
In parallel, the rise of the Spanish beach volleyball took place, which in 2004 his confirmation was held at the Olympic silver medal for Pablo Herrera and Javier Bosma at the Games of Athens.
Credentials
- HISTORIA DEL Voleibol ESPAÑOL ( Spanish)
- Volleyball in Spain