Headcoach sitting volleyball
Since early 2006, John Bestebroer has been actively involved in sitting volleyball. He began his journey in the Netherlands as assistant coach of the Dutch men’s sitting volleyball team. Six months later, the Dutch Volleyball Federation promoted him to become the head coach of the Dutch women’s sitting volleyball team, consistently achieving podium finishes in all four official tournaments in which the team participated under his leadership.
To date, John remains the only head coach in sitting volleyball to have achieved such results while serving under the Dutch Volleyball Federation (Nevobo). Remarkably, since the founding of Nevobo in 1947, he is only the third coach ever, across all volleyball disciplines, to win a medal at the Games while officially representing the Dutch volleyball federation.
Later, John Bestebroer became the first-ever head coach of the Great Britain women’s sitting volleyball team, guiding them in preparation for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Within just three months of training, a period during which new players were selected and introduced to sitting volleyball for the very first time, the team went on to compete at the 2010 Sitting Volleyball World Championships in Oklahoma, USA.
Recognising that there was still limited understanding of sitting volleyball among the players, John saw participation in the World Championships as a crucial opportunity to gain international experience and lay the foundation for long-term development.
The fact that John Bestebroer led the newly formed Great Britain women’s team to a bronze medal in the B division at the World Championships, after only a short period of preparation, was widely admired by fellow head coaches, players, and officials.
Following John’s departure in July 2010, the Great Britain team was unable to return to the podium and did not win any matches during the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
John Bestebroer’s last role as head coach at an official sitting volleyball tournament took place in 2011. After just two weeks of preparation with the Uganda men’s national sitting volleyball team, he led them to compete in the African Championship held in Rwanda. The team secured a bronze medal, achieving a podium finish once again.
This success provided a significant boost to the development of sitting volleyball in Uganda, leading to the establishment of local club competitions and increased interest in the sport.
As head coach of several national teams, John Bestebroer’s winning mentality, combined with his professional and approachable attitude towards players, made his coaching style highly valued. He effectively managed opposition and setbacks, ensuring they did not impede the progress and cohesion of the teams he led.
John consistently achieved excellent results at official sitting volleyball tournaments, with his teams regularly reaching the podium. This success earned him significant appreciation and respect from fellow sitting volleyball coaches worldwide.
Sport Compass
After his period as head coach in The Netherlands he started the foundation Sport Compass in 2009 to promote Paralympic sports worldwide.
From 2009 until 2014, John Bestebroer travelled extensively to numerous countries to introduce and promote the sport of sitting volleyball, establishing connections with many National Paralympic Committees. The Sport Compass Foundation, which he founded, did not seek subsidies or external funding but focused primarily on building collaborations with schools and businesses.
All financial responsibilities, including travel costs, accommodation, transportation of sea containers, and the purchase of equipment, were personally covered by John.
From 2015 onwards, John Bestebroer shifted his focus to researching sitting volleyball by closely following the promotion and communication activities of official Paravolley organisations. In response to the limited attention these organisations gave to major events, and to support the growth of sitting volleyball across different continents, John established several social media channels and created dedicated websites.
These platforms have been, and continue to be, frequently visited by the sitting volleyball community and supporters worldwide.
Since 2020, John Bestebroer has been living in Australia, where he has been actively introducing sitting volleyball in his local area.
Below, you will find an overview highlighting his extensive experience in sitting volleyball.
After selling his companies, John initially planned to take a three-year sabbatical. However, at a relatively young age, doing nothing proved difficult for him. At the beginning of 2006, he became involved with sitting volleyball.
His interest was sparked through internet research, and after observing a local club training session, he made contact with the head coach of the Netherlands men’s national sitting volleyball team, subsequently becoming the assistant coach. Despite having experience in volleyball but no prior direct experience in sitting volleyball or working with people with physical disabilities, John quickly familiarised himself with the sport. Through careful observation, listening, and asking many questions, sitting volleyball soon became an integral part of his life.
With the men’s national team, he participated in the 2006 Sitting Volleyball World Championships, finishing in 8th place, a result the Dutch men’s team has yet to surpass since.
Following this tournament, John was appointed head coach of the Netherlands women’s sitting volleyball team, a role he held until the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.
After commencing regular training with the Dutch women’s sitting volleyball team, John also began promoting the sport throughout the Netherlands by organising demonstrations. These efforts attracted new players to the national team.
Additionally, training camps were organised both within the Netherlands and through international matches against teams from America.
John travelled extensively to sitting volleyball tournaments worldwide to gather information about other national women’s sitting volleyball teams. He attended the 2007 Asian Championship in Shanghai-China, where the USA team was also competing.
Due to limited financial support from the Dutch Volleyball Federation for sitting volleyball, John took the initiative to organise his own tournaments involving various national women’s sitting volleyball teams.
European Championship 2007 Nyiregyhaza-Hungary
In September 2007, John served as head coach at the European Sitting Volleyball Championship held in Hungary. The team’s initial goal was to finish in the top four; however, they exceeded expectations by winning all their matches and were crowned European Champions, securing the gold medal.
This outstanding achievement guaranteed their qualification for the 2008 Paralympic Games.
With the Paralympic Games in Beijing as the primary focus, 2008 was set to be an important year. John developed a comprehensive team programme that prioritised increased training sessions, participation in more tournaments, and additional training trips as standard practice.
Intercontinental Cup 2008- Ismalia-Egypt
In April 2008, the World Sitting Volleyball Federation organised the Intercontinental Cup for the first time, featuring teams from across the globe. Winning this tournament was a significant achievement, earning increasing respect from coaches worldwide for both the team and John’s effective development of the players and overall team progression.
Finland Open 2008 - Lapaarentaa-Finland
In June 2008, the team participated in the Finland Open tournament and once again won all their matches, securing another gold medal.
2008 Osaka-Japan
In agreement with the other staff members, John decided to acclimatise with the team in Japan for the Paralympic Games in Beijing. Despite facing unexpected setbacks, John’s creative solutions helped maintain a positive atmosphere and strong team unity.
Paralympic Games 2008 Beijing-China
Before the first match was even played, a player had to be sent back to the Netherlands due to injury. This was an emotional challenge for the team, prompting John to focus closely on team cohesion and keeping everyone aligned with their ultimate goal.
In the end, the team won all their group matches but lost in the semi-final. However, they secured victory in the bronze medal match, ensuring a place on the podium.
Award 2008
After the Paralympic Games, John received an award from the National Paralympic Committee of the Netherlands (NOC*NSF) in recognition of his dedication and outstanding results. He was named Paralympic Coach of the Year for men.
Despite John’s exceptional record, finishing on the podium at all four major tournaments as a national coach and winning 23 out of 24 matches (a 96% win rate), the Dutch Volleyball Federation chose not to offer him a new contract due to his high ambitions.
In the 17 years since John’s departure, the Dutch women’s sitting volleyball team has never again matched his success, achieving a podium finish only once, a bronze medal at the 2017 European Championships. The team was ranked in the world’s top three in 2008 but, due to a lack of victories at major tournaments, had fallen to last place on the world rankings by 2023.
Despite this, several people have approached John over recent years to ask if he would consider coaching the Dutch women’s sitting volleyball team again. However, John’s current focus is on other aspects of sitting volleyball.
2. 2009-2010
Drawing on his experiences in both sitting volleyball and business, John Bestebroer was motivated to dedicate his time and energy to supporting and expanding the sport of sitting volleyball. His plan was enthusiastically received by the World Organization Volleyball for Disabled (WOVD), although it was considered too ambitious and costly.
With WOVD’s approval, John Bestebroer proceeded to establish his own foundation.
The Netherlands-Roermond:11-17 July 2009
John delivered several sitting volleyball training sessions to youth players from different European countries. When it became apparent that there were not enough youth sitting volleyball teams registered for the 2009 World Cup in Roermond, John quickly assembled a Dutch youth team to ensure the tournament could proceed.
Rwanda-Kigali 24-26 July 2009
Together with the president of the World Organisation Volleyball for Disabled (WOVD), John attended the first ever international sitting volleyball tournament in Rwanda. This event marked the beginning of significant success for both national and international sitting volleyball in Rwanda.
Prior to the tournament, a three-day referee training was held. During the tournament preparations, John provided advice to the local organising committee. Throughout the event, he remained actively involved by supporting sitting volleyball coaches and establishing contacts with teams from other African countries.
Head coach Great Brittain women's team October 2009-July 2010
An introduction at the 2009 European Championship in Poland to a representative of Great Britain’s sitting volleyball marked the beginning of a new chapter in John Bestebroer’s involvement with the sport. While the representative expressed optimism about the progress of the Great Britain (GBR) sitting volleyball program, highlighted by the participation of the GBR men’s team at the 2009 European Championships in Elbląg, John was surprised to learn that there was no established women’s team and no coach had been appointed.
Recognising this gap, John offered his expertise by providing training sessions for coaches to build capacity and enable the creation of a GBR women’s sitting volleyball team in preparation for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Over the following months, he made several visits across England, Scotland, and Wales to promote the sport and develop grassroots support.
Ultimately, John was appointed the first-ever head coach of the GBR women’s sitting volleyball team. Within just three months, players were selected, training commenced, and a unique, focused training plan was developed to prepare for the Paralympic Games. To gain valuable international experience, the team participated in the 2010 World Championship sitting volleyball tournament held in Oklahoma, USA. Their efforts culminated in a bronze medal in the B-division, achieved after defeating Canada, an accomplishment widely praised within the international sitting volleyball community.
However, shortly after the World Championships, John’s role as head coach was unexpectedly terminated, with the assistant coach taking over leadership. Following this change, the GBR women’s team has struggled to reach the podium in major tournaments. Their participation in the London 2012 Paralympic Games was disappointing, as the team did not win any matches or even a single set. Subsequently, many players left the sport, leading to a decline in women’s sitting volleyball in Great Britain.
Uganda 2010-2013
Multiple visits were made to Uganda to train coaches, provide training to the national teams and supply sitting volleyball equipment such as balls, nets and sport clothes.
HEAD COACH UGANDA MEN TEAM AT THE AFRICA CUP 2011 IN RWANDA
Due to the sudden disappearance of the head coach just before an important international tournament, the London 2012 qualifying tournament, John was asked to step in and assist the Uganda men’s sitting volleyball team. Under his guidance, the men’s team won a bronze medal.
Burundi 2010-2011
In collaboration with the organisation Right to Play, John introduced sitting volleyball in Burundi. He made several visits to the country, including road trips to remote areas where sports generally received little attention.
This work led to the establishment of national sitting volleyball tournaments and the participation of both the women’s and men’s national teams in international competitions.
John was invited to assist with a volleyball tournament at a major annual multisport event. He agreed on the condition that sitting volleyball would also be included in the program. He trained sports coaches in both volleyball and sitting volleyball, and ultimately organised a sitting volleyball tournament. This initiative proved successful, and since 2011, sitting volleyball has been included in the event’s program every year.
The Netherlands-Rotterdam European Championship Sitting volleyball 9-15 October 2011
The European Sitting Volleyball Championship was organised in John’s hometown. John invited several national sitting volleyball coaches from countries outside Europe to attend the tournament. This created an opportunity to share experiences and discuss future plans and ideas for the development of sitting volleyball.
FRANCE-MULHOUSE 2013-2014
At the invitation of the volleyball association ASPTT Mulhouse, sitting volleyball was introduced in France. Several tournaments were organised there.
In cooperation with the University of Sports in Bucharest, students were introduced to sitting volleyball. Due to their enthusiasm, a decision was made to establish a national sitting volleyball organisation. John Bestebroer moved to Romania for over 20 months and provided office space for 25 students to support this initiative. In Bucharest, training sessions were conducted, talent identification days were organised, and visits were made to other Romanian cities to train local coaches.
Sitting volleyball in Romania grew rapidly, giving rise to new challenges and opportunities for development.
Romanian sitting volleyball federation at the World Championship 2014 in Elblag-Poland15-21 June 2014
To connect the Romanian sitting volleyball community with the international sitting volleyball scene, it was decided to attend the Sitting Volleyball World Championships in Poland. John organised the travel and accommodation arrangements and facilitated several introductions between the Romanian group and international coaches, players, and officials. However, the world governing body, World ParaVolley, and the European federation, Paravolley Europe, insisted on maintaining direct contact with the Romanian sitting volleyball group, without John’s involvement.
As a result, John chose to step away from his support for sitting volleyball in Romania, making room for the world and European federations to take over. Unfortunately, agreed arrangements were not upheld, and by the end of 2014, sitting volleyball activity in Romania had come to a halt.
2015 Communication research and actions
From 2015 onwards, John Bestebroer was no longer active internationally in promoting sitting volleyball. Instead, he began investigating how the official Paravolley organisations around the world were promoting the sport. He closely followed the websites and social media channels of various Paravolley bodies to assess their approaches to visibility, communication, and engagement with athletes, coaches, and the wider community.
2016 Paravolley Facebook pages
After a few months of research, John Bestebroer discovered that the communication and promotion of sitting volleyball by official bodies was even poorer than he had initially expected. The use of social media platforms and website content was limited and lacked consistency. From 2016 onwards, John took the initiative to create Facebook pages aimed at increasing the visibility of sitting volleyball and raising awareness of the sport globally.
2017 Website Paravolley.nl
When it was announced in March 2016 that the World Championship Sitting Volleyball would take place in the Netherlands in July 2018, there was no follow-up promotion or communication about the event. Neither World Paravolley nor the Dutch Volleyball Federation (Nevobo), who were the organisers, took visible steps to raise awareness. For 19 months, it remained quiet in the Netherlands, and the public was largely unaware that a major international sitting volleyball event was approaching. In response, John Bestebroer decided in October 2017 to create a website focused on sitting volleyball in the Netherlands, with special attention given to the upcoming 2018 World Championship. The website proved to be a success. However, in March 2019, nine months after the championship, the website was taken offline, which was a disappointment for many sitting volleyball supporters in the Netherlands.
2018 The Netherlands- World Championship Sitting Volleyball
The criticism from John Bestebroer, about the limited attention beforehand for the World Championship Sitting Volleyball tournament, was explained as nonsense.
For seven days the men's and women's tournament took place in theaters in different cities. The last three days of the women's tournament took place in Rotterdam. A total of 20 matches were played and John Bestebroer who came over from Australia, was often the only spectator at several matches.
The municipality of Rotterdam made a report about the World Championship sitting volleyball event and in total there were only 134 paying spectators present during this period.
It makes sense that many international sitting volleyball players and coaches, are still speaking about the worst tournament ever.
With a friend from Finland who works in adapted sports and in collaboration with the Chinese University in Hong Kong, John Bestebroer gave a multi-day workshop in sitting volleyball and goalball in Hong Kong.
The goal was to introduce sitting volleyball and goalball to university students and make them enthusiastic about these sports.
Sitting Volleyball in Hong Kong
Goalball in Hong Kong
Because of his experience as a local trainer in goalball and his involvement in introducing the sport in several African countries, John was also invited to deliver a workshop in goalball.
2021 HONG KONG -ONLINE COURSE
Because of Covid-19 the second trip to Hong Kong for a follow-up training was cancelled. The solution was an online course.
2021
John Bestebroer received his visa to stay in Australia at the end of 2020. In early 2021, he began a volleyball course in the state of Victoria, starting from the foundational Level 1—despite his extensive experience and knowledge of volleyball. After completing the course, he sent an email to Volleyball Australia, informing them that the content in the course regarding sitting volleyball was incorrect. He also pointed out that incorrect information had been published on their website since 2017. In total, John outlined 11 specific issues in his email. Unfortunately, despite the time that has passed, most of the outdated and incorrect information remains visible on the Volleyball Australia website.
2022
A weekend away with the family to Canberra took an unexpected turn after John attended the first national beach paravolleyball training session. He observed that one of the players was also acting as the trainer, and no support staff were present to assist with ball retrieval or to provide coaching input, limiting the potential for more effective training exercises. Motivated to contribute, John returned on both Saturday and Sunday to offer his experience and time to support the training sessions. The Australian beach paravolleyball players expressed their appreciation for his unexpected involvement and assistance.
2023
John regularly promoted sitting volleyball in a variety of educational settings, including primary schools, secondary schools, and universities. He also participated in the first-ever Australian Paravolley Camp held in Canberra, where players and coaches came together to learn more about both sitting volleyball and beach paravolley.
2024
John Bestebroer brought more and more players on the floor to play sitting volleyball. During tournaments he was asked to give sitting volleyball demonstrations.
In 2024, John also trained some people with disability sitting volleyball privately.
In general
By visiting many sitting volleyball events over all the continents, it is clear that sitting volleyball became a part of John Bestebroer's life, sa you can see in the video below.
