Oliver Hudson, Data and Insights Lead at Volleyball England, is at the heart of understanding the sport’s growth and challenges in the UK. Speaking with him provides a fascinating look into the statistics, trends, and future goals for volleyball. His passion for making sense of data to drive decisions is evident throughout our discussion.
Mapping Volleyball Participation
Hudson explains the range of data Volleyball England uses to understand participation: internal membership data and external surveys, such as Sport England’s Active Lives Survey. “The Active Lives Survey estimates participation across the entire population, with around 179,000 participants annually,” he notes, emphasising its scale and breadth. This contrasts with Volleyball England’s membership system, VolleyZone, which currently tracks around 8,500 registered participants, including players, coaches, and referees.
“There’s a gap,” Hudson acknowledges, “because there are a lot of people playing volleyball in the UK that we don’t know about.” Volleyball England estimates between 40,000 to 80,000 people play in regional and local leagues, while international data from the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) suggests 2.5 million people in the UK are interested in volleyball. “That’s a figure I love to quote,” Hudson says with a smile.
Data Growth and Challenges
Hudson tracks the growth of Volleyball England’s membership system since its inception. “In 2019-20, we had 3,500 people registered. By 2023-24, that number grew to 8,500.” However, this trajectory was not without obstacles. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the sport, with participation dropping during the lockdowns. “Those two years are a bit wrecked by COVID,” Hudson admits.
Despite this, Volleyball England’s data reflects a promising recovery. Hudson attributes part of the recent surge in registrations to a revamped membership platform introduced at the end of the 2022-23 season. “We’ve seen a lot more people registering on the system after that change,” he explains.
Balancing Data Sources
A recurring theme in our discussion is the decision between using internal data versus broader surveys. “Do you want to go with the Sport England data, which is comprehensive, or our own membership data?” Hudson asks. He recommends leaning on Sport England’s data due to its extensive sampling, even though Volleyball England’s numbers provide a more detailed view of competitive players. “Roughly 10% of the population playing volleyball in England are playing competitively,” he estimates.
Hudson is candid about the limitations of data, especially when attempting to predict future trends. “I don’t have predictions, but I do have aims,” he says. These aims include increasing participation across players, coaches, and referees by 2028, in line with Volleyball England’s strategic plan. “It’s all about correlating participation numbers with international success going forward,” Hudson adds.
Building for the Future
Looking ahead, Hudson is keen to see volleyball’s footprint expand. Volleyball England’s data initiatives will play a critical role, providing benchmarks and insights to guide strategic decisions. The organisation’s ultimate goal is to increase awareness and accessibility for volleyball, capitalising on its growing popularity.
Hudson’s work goes beyond numbers, collaborating with stakeholders like players and communication teams to ensure data-driven insights guide efforts. “We’re trying to build a stronger community and a better understanding of what’s possible for volleyball in England,” he reflects. His passion for the sport and commitment to leveraging data underscore the importance of both quantitative and qualitative approaches in fostering a thriving ecosystem. As Volleyball England looks toward 2028, Hudson’s contributions will remain pivotal in achieving its ambitious goals.
“Hopefully that was vaguely useful,” Hudson quips as we conclude our chat. Useful doesn’t begin to describe it. His data-centric vision offers a blueprint not only for volleyball but for any sport aspiring to grow and flourish in a competitive landscape.
