World ParaVolley is deeply saddened by the passing of Tammo van der Scheer, one of the pioneers of Dutch and international Sitting Volleyball. Van der Scheer passed away on 15 June 2026 at the age of 94.
Together with Anton Albers, Tammo played a foundational role in the development of Sitting Volleyball in the Netherlands. In 1956, the two pioneers introduced the sport publicly in Amsterdam, bringing together elements of traditional volleyball and sitting ball games to create a new form of sport for people with physical disabilities.
At a time when opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in organised sport were still limited, Van der Scheer and Albers saw the potential for a dynamic team sport that could be played by athletes with different physical abilities. Their work would become the foundation for the development of Sitting Volleyball as an international sport.
From the Netherlands to the world
The game developed in the Netherlands during the late 1950s and gradually spread beyond the country. Differences between various forms of sitting ball games remained an obstacle to international competition, but efforts to establish common rules eventually helped create a unified form of Sitting Volleyball.
The Dutch rules developed in 1956 became the basis for the international game, with Sitting Volleyball gaining international recognition in the following decades. The sport made its Paralympic debut at Arnhem 1980, marking a significant milestone in the international development of the discipline.
Tammo’s contribution was recognised by the World Organisation of Volleyball for the Disabled (WOVD), the predecessor of World ParaVolley. In 1996, during celebrations marking 40 years of the Kennemer Invaliden Sportclub (KIS), Van der Scheer was awarded WOVD Honorary Membership alongside Anton Albers and Pieter Hoogeveen for their significant contributions to the development of volleyball for people with disabilities.
A lifelong commitment to Sitting Volleyball
Van der Scheer’s contribution extended well beyond the creation of the sport.
He was closely involved with the Kennemer Invaliden Sportclub in the Haarlem region for four decades, serving as a trainer and board member and continuing to support Sitting Volleyball and disability sport at grassroots level.
In a 2021 interview reflecting on his involvement in the sport, Van der Scheer recalled how he first became involved with disability sport in the mid-1950s and subsequently began training members of the club that would become KIS.
His commitment helped Sitting Volleyball develop from a pioneering Dutch initiative into a sport played internationally today.
Remembering a pioneer
More than seven decades after its creation, Sitting Volleyball is now part of the global ParaVolley movement, with athletes, coaches, officials and communities around the world continuing to develop the sport.
The foundations laid by Tammo van der Scheer and Anton Albers remain an important part of that history.
World ParaVolley extends its sincere condolences to Tammo’s family, friends, former colleagues and all those across the Sitting Volleyball community who knew him.
We honour his contribution to our sport and remember him as one of the pioneers whose vision helped shape the Sitting Volleyball we know today.
Thank you, Tammo.