John Bestebroer has been committed to supporting adapted sports and began this work with the Foundation Sport Compass. Below are some examples of the actions he has taken over the years.
Equipments and training
By providing training to sports coaches and officials, and training players/athletes, he made contact with different sports organisations and Paralympic Committees in many countries. When it became clear that there was not enough sports equipment available in various countries, John ensured that large amounts of sports equipment, such as balls, nets, wheelchairs, as well as sports clothing, were supplied, and he even provided office space. By receiving donated equipment from sports clubs and hospitals, full sea containers were shipped primarily to African countries.
Paralympic dreams
He also supported several players who with a Paralympic dream, and ensured that the achievements of athletes with physical disabilities were seen and appreciated.
Personal support
John ensured that an African official could attend specific courses in America by supporting their transportation and accommodation. Partly due to completing the course, the African official has regularly attended international sitting volleyball tournaments over the past 10 years.
Having seen many athletes from Africa in action during his stay there, Bestebroer also provided financial support to players and teams to participate in international tournaments.
Although he succeeded keeping many media appearances on Dutch television to a minimum, we could still find John Bestebroer in the media every now and then, mostly in newspapers.
Communication
Since 2007, John Bestebroer has been telling the official sitting volleyball organisations and many national volleyball federations that he believes the promotion and communication about sitting volleyball were limited and could be improved. In 2010, he asked why there was still no website for the Africa sitting volleyball zone and why no sitting volleyball Facebook pages had been created. (As of 2025, there is still no website Paravolley Africa.)
Since 2015, John Bestebroer began conducting more research into how these official sitting volleyball organisations managed their communication, and it became clear that the situation was even worse than he had previously thought.
Facebook
Since 2016, he took the initiative to create sitting volleyball fan Facebook pages to promote the sport in different continents. In particular, his Facebook page ParavolleyNED in The Netherlands provided a lot of new and current information, which earned him considerable appreciation. All these Facebook pages gave a great boost to sitting volleyball.
Websites
John created a website about sitting volleyball in The Netherlands—not only because the information provided by the National Volleyball Federation was limited, but also because after the announcement in March 2016 that The Netherlands would host the World Championship 2018, no information had been shared about the upcoming event.
From October 2017, the website Paravolley.nl became active. After the World Championship in July 2018, some articles were posted until March 2019, when the website went offline.
Own Paralympic venue
In 2017, John Bestebroer repeatedly observed similar problem situations at various sports halls and other venues regarding the implementation of different Paralympic sports. There was well-intentioned attention for people in wheelchairs, but it was not aimed at accommodating a large group of wheelchair users. Organising an international wheelchair basketball tournament in venues with too small elevators, limited space behind the playing field, and cramped changing rooms clearly requires improvement.
What would it take to create a unique Paralympic sports venue, combining sports facilities with classrooms, sleeping quarters, and restaurants?
At the end of 2019, an opportunity arose to purchase a sports hall in the south of The Netherlands with the goal of making the venue 100% accessible and uniquely suited to host international Paralympic sport events. Preliminary discussions were met with enthusiasm, plans were developed further, and architects began work. John Bestebroer brought not only his experience as a real estate expert but also his deep understanding of the needs of Paralympic athletes and sports.
At the start of 2020, the first financial feasibility plan was approved, and negotiations for the purchase of the sports hall began. A small number of sports associations were informed, and enthusiasm grew.
However, the plans and final steps towards completing the purchase came to an abrupt halt due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
To this day, such a Paralympic sports venue remains a desirable goal.
History Sitting Volleyball
In 2023, John Bestebroer shared and explained that he was missing information on the internet about the past results of sitting volleyball worldwide. His idea to create a website dedicated to the history of sitting volleyball, particularly connected with the Paralympic Games, gained support.
In a small group of four people, information was shared, research was conducted, and a website was developed.
A few weeks before the start of the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024, the website went live. It was encouraging to see and hear that the website received positive feedback and appreciation.
