Sitting NTDP Contacts
Elliot Blake, Manager, Sitting
Bill Hamiter, Director, Sitting National Teams
The Sitting National Team Development Program welcomes athletes with physical disabilities to learn and train in sitting volleyball toward National Team consideration. Through year-round training camps, athletes develop their volleyball skills and learn team strategies that will prepare them to compete at the elite/international level. The Sitting National Team training site is at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.
No previous volleyball experience is required. The Sitting NTDP simply looks to identify athletes who have a good level of fitness, can track a ball in flight, can anticipate and adjust to changing conditions, and are willing to listen and accept critical feedback and implement the instruction in their play.
Email sitting.volleyball@usav.org with questions on the program, or if you are interested in becoming involved as a player or coach.
About Sitting Volleyball and Sitting NTDP
Sitting volleyball is the recognized discipline of volleyball by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to be held at the Paralympic Games. It’s governed by the international federation, World ParaVolley (WPV), which is subdivided into four zones. The ParaVolley Pan America Zone oversees all paravolley activity in North, Central and South American countries.
Sitting volleyball is fast and exciting, and it’s nearly identical to the standing indoor game. There are seven key rule differences.
- Smaller court: 10m x 6m
- Lower net: 1.15m for men and 1.05m for women
- Contact with the ground: When playing the ball, a player must have a small portion of their body (from the buttocks to the shoulder) in contact with the ground when contacting the ball.
- Court position is determined by the contact of the buttocks with the court (not the feet).
- A net violation only occurs when there is contact with the top band of the net while playing the ball.
- A center line violation only occurs when a player’s limb in the opponent’s court interferes with the opponent’s ability to play the ball
- Blocking of the opponent’s serve is legal.
- Review the specific WPV sitting volleyball rules.
To represent Team USA in World ParaVolley competitions and at the Paralympic Games, all athletes must have a measurable loss of function in the foot, ankle, knee, hip, shoulders, elbow, wrist and/or hand as determined through classification. This loss of function could include loss of muscular strength, loss of range of motion, and/or limb length difference.
Classification is the process in which all athletes are evaluated by internationally trained classifiers who measure each athlete’s loss of function to determine if an athlete meets the minimum requirements to be eligible and to determine, based on the measured loss, what classification category each athlete should be placed in.
Read the classification rules.
New athletes who are interested in learning more about Sitting NTDP and to begin training should send an email to sitting.volleyball@usav.org.
The first youth national team was fielded in 2017 for the Sao Paulo Youth Parapan American Games.
A second youth national team will be developed for the Bogota 2021 Youth Parapan American Games (delayed until fall 2022).
Volleyball coaches with a strong background in youth development and elite competition are needed to support both the national teams and NTDP.
Coaches with previous experience at the collegiate level, region high performance programs, and other elite experience are encouraged to get involved by contacting the sitting volleyball department at sitting.volleyball@usav.org.
As Sitting NTDP conducts year-round training, the program’s roster is a pool of athletes who are eligible for the program and can commit to attending training camps regularly.
To become part of the athlete pool, contact the sitting volleyball department at sitting.volleyball@usav.org.
FAQ
In all USA Volleyball domestic sitting volleyball events, all athletes, with or without a physical disability are encouraged to play sitting volleyball.
To compete on a national team or participate in NTDP, athletes must have a physical disability.
The most common types of physical disabilities include amputees, limb difference, and/or a significant loss of muscle strength or range of motion in a joint.
If an athlete is uncertain if they are eligible, please send an email to sitting.volleyball@usav.org for further information.
No. The NTDP hires coaches with exceptional knowledge of the game of volleyball and sitting volleyball, and will teach all athletes all skills of the game, leading toward future national team consideration.
The simple goal is to find individuals with significant athletic abilities who are coachable and willing to learn.
Sitting volleyball is the only discipline recognized by the International Paralympic Committee to participate in the Paralympic Games. It’s fast, highly skilled, and extremely fun to play.
If you are an athlete with a physical disability and have always dreamed of winning a gold medal in volleyball, sitting volleyball is the best way to do it.