The Virginia High School League (VHSL) has approved the addition of boy’s volleyball and girl’s flag football as official sports. The sound of a volleyball smacking the gym floor and cheering as a football is run in for a touchdown are commonly heard throughout the fall sports season. In the fall of 2026, similar noises will occur, but this time, they will be played in a different tune. 

However, the road to this change was far from easy. For many students, the previous lack of opportunities in high school sports has impacted their social and athletic lives. Jeremy Weaver, a senior at Woodgrove, fell in love with volleyball at a young age. After playing throughout middle school, Weaver had to give up the sport because there were not any boy’s volleyball options outside travel teams. “I stopped playing because I could not really pursue it because it [travel volleyball] cost so much,” Weaver explained. Weaver not only had to quit his sport, but was also forced to find another social group to be a part of. “I had to make friends with a lot of different people, and I feel like I missed out on what could have been such a big part of my high school experience,” Weaver expressed. 

Weaver wasn’t the only student that struggled within his sport. Cheyenne Jenkins, a junior flag football player, experienced firsthand how the lack of attention around a sport can make-or-break a season. “If we don’t get enough people, we just can’t play at all. So the league will get canceled and then we can’t play for the entire season,” Jenkins shared. Jenkins feels that because girl’s flag football is not commonly highlighted in athletic discussions, many students do not realize the benefits of playing. “People seem to be scared to join it because they don’t know how it is, but it is a really good community to be in,” Jenkins remarked.

While there’s an overwhelming excitement around the inclusion of two new sports in VHSL, some students are worried about their implementation of the sports and frustrated with the time it took to make these changes. Even though it will be an official sport, girl’s flag football practices and games will only take place on Sundays. Jenkins shared her concerns about the resources the team will receive, saying, “I feel like it’s just kind of an awkward position to be in. With boys varsity football, we have to compete for spaces [to compete and practice] with them,” Jenkins stated. For students like Senior Aidan Sphar, hearing of the change caused frustration. “I’m glad that we’re getting it [boys’s volleyball], but I wish that there was more [inclusion] earlier on because it is a big sport,” Sphar expressed. 

Despite the concerns raised among students, by implementing two new sports into the league, VHSL will create new opportunities for many student athletes. Spahr shared about how he thinks the Woodgrove environment will be affected, saying, “I think [the new sports] are going to have positive impacts… we’re making new groups in the community, and [there are] a lot of good things that will happen here.” Jenkins has already experienced the benefits of playing flag football, and hopes the amount of opportunities students are given will continue to grow. “I can meet so many different kinds of people and coaches, and just [experience] a lot of different playing opportunities,” Jenkins stated.