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William G. Morgan
(1870-1942), who was born in the State of New York, has
gone down in history as the inventor of the game of
volleyball, to which he originally gave the name "Mintonette".
The young Morgan carried out his undergraduate studies
at the Springfield College of the YMCA (Young Men's
Christian Association) where he met James Naismith who,
in 1891, had invented basketball.
After graduating, Morgan
spent his first year at the Auburn (Maine) YMCA after
which, during the summer of 1896, he moved to the YMCA
at Holyoke (Massachusetts) where he became Director of
Physical Education. In this role he had the opportunity
to establish, develop, and direct a vast program of
exercises and sports classes for male adults.
His leadership was enthusiastically accepted, and his
classes grew in numbers. He came to realize that he
needed a certain type of competitive recreational game
in order to vary his program. Basketball, which sport
was beginning to develop, seemed to suit young people,
but it was necessary to find a less violent and less
intense alternative for the older members.
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