RASMUSSEN Brent (USA)

Brent started playing sitting volleyball in August of 2003 after becoming disabled in Feb 2002, after a bad car accident. He was introduced through Wheelchair Softball and after the first camp made the US sitting team and trained and played on the US team through 2011

“I would say Bill Hamiter had the greatest influence on my development in the sport. We were all new to the sport after the 2004 Paralympic Games and we worked to make the sport a household name in the US. As Captain of the men’s team, we figured out how much practice was too much and not enough and worked to create the US High Performance plan for Sitting Volleyball. I would say Edgar Miraku had just as much of an impact on me personally as a coach. One that truly cared for his players and went above and beyond to show that. He was there from the beginning too to make sitting volleyball what it is in the US today.”

2004-2019 Tournament Director for the largest Sitting Tournament in the US. Hosted in Omaha, NE where we have had international teams and up to 24 teams for the largest year. Usually hosting 16 teams ranging from first time players to international WPV athletes. Ran the tournament while also playing each year.

Event involvement:

2006-2008 Started US Open for Sitting volleyball
2015-2018 supported a local Sitting team to take to US Opens
2003 Mar de Plata, Argentina – Pan American Games – Player – Gold medal
2004 Athens – Paralympic Games Player/Captain
2006 Roermond, NED – World championships Player/Captain
2007 Guadalajara, Mexico – Pan American Games, Player/Captain
2010 Edmond, Oklahoma -World Championships Player/Captain
2011 Rio de Janeiro – Pan American Games Player/Captain

As well as being a player Brent worked in the fields of Coaching (2008-2017), Event Organisation (2004-2019) and Sponsorship (2003- 2017)

Awards received:

USA Volleyball All Time Great Male Player Sitting 2017 (Hall of Fame)
2015 MVP US Open National Championships
2015 Gold Medal US Open National Championships – Team Florida
2016 Gold Medal US Open National Championships – Nebraska High Rollers
2017 Bronze Medal US Open National Championships – Nebraska High Rollers

Official posts held:

USA Volleyball Board of Director Sitting Athlete 2015-2022
USA Volleyball Chair of Personnel Committee 2017-2021
USA Volleyball Foundation Director Member 2017-2020
USA Volleyball Audit, Finance, & Budget Committee 2018-2022
USA Volleyball Sitting Commission Chair 2016-2019
WOVD Athlete Rep for 2 years in the mid 2000s