Volleyball is one of those flexible sports which can be played on many surfaces. The traditionalists stick to its indoors or sand versions, Ecuadorians play it on tarmac, while others turn to the trendier adaptations such as grass or even inflatable courts. Yet, one form of volleyball is often disregarded and almost never part of the sport’s news feed.
It does not have its own federation, nor its professional leagues but it is capable of generating over £500 000 a day. No one has become popular for playing it but people spend lots of money to take part in it. It is usually organised as a one-off event which can last over 30 years. The idea was born in the most pro-commercial country in the world but it is not-for-profit. It has its specific, niche audience.
Mud volleyball (or mudd volleyball) gained its popularity in the US and is a specific type of volleyball played in the mud. It sounds straightforward and one might ask what is so special about it? After all, isn’t mud volleyball in effect sand/beach volleyball when played in a drizzle? The answer is no. In mud volleyball, players are covered in mud up to their knees and the dirt reaches every millimetre of their skin, including their all-brown faces. It is, as one organiser says, ‘sloppy, messy, grimy and slimy’. But why do people decide to play it like that?
Well, apparently, it is quite fun (especially if you plan to take a shower afterwards). But more importantly, the outcome of everyone’s participation is not just related to their personal welfare. An enormous majority of all mud-related volleyball activities are run by charities which raise money for various different good causes. Although there is almost no information about the sport on the Internet, and it is not organised and structured by a governing body, there are more than a hundred regular charity events taking part each year just in the US. The bigger events can reach attendance figures of thousands of people and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. For example, the event organised by the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation in New Mexico managed to raise £565 000 in 2014.
One is left to wonder how such a combination between volleyball, mud and charity came about. Maybe playing in mud is indeed exciting and fun, and the charity elements is there because (as often the case is) donating money works well as an excuse for acting weirdly or getting involved in unusual activities. Whatever the reason, if it is fun, works well for charities, and works well for volleyball, there is nothing more you can ask from mud volleyball.
You can take a look at the event in New Mexico here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jgvRnsnK4E
Photo Source: ABQ Mudd Volleyball
