A group of De Pere High School students have been trying to start a boys volleyball team, but what is the likelihood of this happening?
Sophomores Mason Seehafer, Ge Thao, Jake Mleziva, and others have approached athletic director, Jeff Byczek, about starting a boys volleyball team.
According to Seehafer, students have been in contact with Byczek to start planning how this can be done.
“He’s (Byczek) working on it. He seems like he’s willing to let it happen,” said Seehafer.
However, Byczek believes that adding a boys volleyball team can be a complicated process. Additionally, there is no set system in place for adding a new sport to the high school. Byczek expressed that adding a new sport comes with difficulties such as finding gym time, equipment and coaches, budgeting, and being in compliance with Title IX.
Title IX is a federal law that ensures gender equality in school sports.
“It’s not a deal-breaker,” said Byczek about whether Title IX will affect adding a boys volleyball, “but you don’t want to be in violation.”
Despite this, Byczek believes that adding a boys volleyball team is a possibility. Furthermore, he thinks that there are a significant number of DPHS boys who would participate.
“I think there’s probably enough interest to have its own team,” said Byczek.
Students who are working to start the team are also convinced that there are many DPHS boys who want to be involved.
If not enough DPHS boys show interest in a team, Byczek said co-oping with West De Pere could be a realistic solution.
In the Green Bay area, students from Notre Dame, Ashwaubenon, Bay Port, Sturgeon Bay, and Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran have created a boys volleyball co-op as well. Schools such as Appleton East, Appleton North, Appleton West, Kaukauna, Kimberly, and Neenah already have an individual team.
Although Byczek said that a boys volleyball team is unlikely to happen for the 2025-2026 school year, it is certainly a possibility for years to come.
“We would probably be just as competitive as any other sports and a lot of people want to play,” said Seehafer.
