Volleyball: Big part of Hmong culture

Tradition. Culture. Family. Love.

All of these words mean something to everyone. To many in the Hmong community, the words can relate to volleyball. For years, the sport has been a part of the Hmong culture, being played at large celebrations.

Now, as the sport has grown into the boys’ high school ranks, it is quickly becoming an option for young Hmong student-athletes.

“(Volleyball) is just something that since I was a kid I knew about, but I didn’t play until my uncle from Chicago got me into it,” said Thoua Vang, a senior right-side hitter for Appleton East. “He told me, ‘It’s a good sport, you should try it.’”

And tried it Vang has, as have others. The varsity rosters of Appleton East and Appleton West are both examples that show the high interest level Hmong student-athletes have in the game — East has five Hmong players on a roster of 11, while West features three Hmong players on its nine-man roster.

The two teams meet in the WIAA playoffs on Friday at 7 p.m. at Appleton East.

The story of how each player arrives at the sport varies. For Vang, it was his uncle, and eventually a love of the game, that piqued his interest.

“I used to dance before this,” said Vang. “Volleyball was interesting after I got into it. For me, I like sports that deal with teamwork. I like to work with a team, so that’s a key thing.”

For teammate Bee Yang, his road to discovering the sport was a bit different.

“I started playing in gym class in junior high, but basically, I played outside of school,” said Yang, a senior setter for the Patriots. “I play at the park sometimes, and all my friends got me involved. They motivated me to play my best.”

The parks have long been a destination for Hmong boys looking to find a game of volleyball. Often, large tournaments are held, including during the Hmong New Year, and other tournaments take place throughout the year.

One of the largest tournaments is held each year at the Hmong International Sports Festival in St. Paul, Minn., at McMurray Fields by Como Park. The event routinely draws 40,000 people from all over the United States and boasts a combination of sports such as volleyball, soccer, takro, football and top spinning.

Festivals such as this all promote two very important aspects of Hmong culture — family and community unity. And from a sports perspective, takro may be the best to link the Hmong community to their interest in volleyball.

Takro is a mix of volleyball and soccer. Players use their head and feet to pass a small, woven ball over a four-foot net. Along with top-spinning, it was one of the first sports Hmong played in Laos, learning the games from the Laotians, Thai and Chinese. It’s only natural that takro developed into current loves such as volleyball and soccer.

“There’s a lot of Hmong kids that play volleyball, but they don’t play for school,” said Vang. “They play for outside tournaments and for fun, especially when we have tournaments or our New Year’s. I don’t know why they don’t play for school.”

But as high school boys’ volleyball continues to grow, Yang believes, and is hoping, that more Hmong will find their way from the parks to the gym. He’d love to see others from the Hmong community discover the sport at the high school level.

“The way it has worked, more people play after they see others playing. Younger generations follow what they see,” he said. “I’d tell someone if they are interested to just try it. Just have the time and the patience to try it out.”

Ryan Wilson: 920-993-1000, ext. 230, or rwilson@postcrescent.com

Source: http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20081027/APC020506/810270529/1009/APC02