Welcome
On this website, you will find more information about the activities that John Bestebroer has undertaken over the past 20 years in relation to sport.
In 2025, John decided to become more actively involved in Paralympic sports—including sitting volleyball, and to play a greater role in organising events.
After selling his companies in 2005, all of John’s activities were carried out on a voluntary basis, with all project expenses personally funded by him from 2006 until early 2025.
Following years of encouragement from friends and family to write a book about these unique experiences, he recently decided to begin this project, not out of a desire for public recognition, but to share his stories and insights with students studying sport business, sport management, and event management. He also hopes to leave a personal legacy for his daughter, Emma.
In preparation for the book, this website was created to provide more information and to begin sharing his journey.
John Bestebroer-Background
After selling his real-estate companies in 2005, John was introduced to sitting volleyball at the beginning of 2006. Despite having no prior experience in this Paralympic sport or in working with people with physical disabilities, he quickly developed a deep interest in sitting volleyball due to his life passion for volleyball.
Not only did he reach the highest level in the sport, becoming the head coach of the Dutch national women’s sitting volleyball team with impressive results, but he also shared his knowledge and ideas with others around the world. Over a period of 15 years, John drew on his background as a successful entrepreneur to introduce and promote sitting volleyball in many countries.
His efforts extended beyond coaching. Through his actions and innovative ideas, sitting volleyball was not only introduced but also expanded in various countries, contributing to the sport’s growth on an international scale.
From 2006 to 2014, John Bestebroer was actively involved in sitting volleyball and worked in various countries, focusing on training sports coaches and organising sitting volleyball tournaments.
In addition to sharing his expertise in sitting volleyball, he also provided sports equipment to several countries and teams, and advised both national and local sports organisations.
While his well-considered and direct approach led to impactful results, it was not appreciated by everyone. As a result, some official Paravolley organisations expressed resistance to his efforts.
Since 2015, John has been less active on the sitting volleyball court and has instead focused on researching and promoting the sport through online platforms and networking.
Through his research into how Paravolley organisations promote and manage the sport, it has become increasingly clear that sitting volleyball faces significant challenges. There are growing concerns about its future, as many opportunities for development have consistently been overlooked. As a result, both the sport and its athletes are not being adequately supported or served.
2024 Considerations
For several years, John has maintained contact with members of the international sitting volleyball community. The feedback shared with him reflects a widespread sense of dissatisfaction regarding current sitting volleyball events and the decisions being made by Paravolley federations.
During his visit to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, several representatives from National Paralympic Committees approached John and asked whether he would consider becoming actively involved in sitting volleyball once again. In Paris, he also encountered similar expressions of concern from others across the global Paralympic community about the state of sitting volleyball today.
This led John to reflect deeply on the future of the sport. What might sitting volleyball look like if it were approached in a more professional and strategic way over the coming years?
Over the past few months, he has been considering two key questions:
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What would be the purpose of re-engaging with sitting volleyball and organising events again?
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What added value could he offer to the sport and its associated events?
New start
The decision has been made: there is confidence and belief that John Bestebroer can once again make a positive contribution, not only to sitting volleyball, but to other Paralympic sports as well. In 2025, John will make a new start.
In recent years, John remained active in a limited capacity, offering valuable advice internationally while choosing to stay in the background. In the period ahead, however, he intends to take a more public role, sharing his experiences and introducing new ideas to inspire and support the growth of Paralympic sport.
This website marks the first step. Here, you can explore John’s journey and contributions to sport since 2006, most of which were undertaken without any formal support from sports federations or external funding.
