Mover & Shaker | Daniel Lopez (ESP) > World ParaVolleyWorld ParaVolley

Daniel Lopez has been involved in Volleyball as a player, national referee and coach for 30 years.  He discovered Sitting Volleyball about after about 10 years thanks to a coach, Rafa Lara, who helped develop an instant intrigue for the sport.  Then in 2019 he decided to start a club with Flavio Calafell, and since then Sitting Volley Sevilla has not stopped growing the sport across the region and beyond.

In a return of “Mover & Shaker”, we asked him 5 questions to see what drives him and how he is doing his bit to grow the game:

1 – How did you get involved in Sitting Volleyball?

After many years of following the sport and thinking about starting a project myself, in 2019 I decided to take the step created Sitting Volley Sevilla. In all this time, and with the support of the entity Comunidad Vóley, Sitting Volley Sevilla has achieved much in Spain and there is now talk of paravolley far and wide.  Other conventional volleyball clubs, from different points of Spanish geography, have joined the development of this. Among them is CV Martorell, where a group of people, led by Lluis Turró, have been training sitting volleyball for several years now as well.

In July 2022 we signed an agreement with Paravóley Europe and from that moment on we are in charge of developing the different disciplines in Spain. It is here where the Hefesto Project is launched and different actions are initiated at a national level. All of them with the hashtag #sentadosjugamostodos #sitandplaytogether.

2 – What is it that motivates you each day to further develop our sport?

I am a faithful defender of sporting inclusion. Sport must be the vehicle that leads us to full inclusion, and sitting volleyball is the ideal discipline to support it.

3 – What has been your biggest achievement in Sitting Volleyball to date?

All beginnings are complicated and slow, but the greatest achievement is to see the smiles of those who practice it. Whether they are disabled or not.

4 – How would you explain Sitting Volleyball to someone in 12 words or less?

Step up, grab a ball and enjoy because #sitandplaytogether.

5 – Where/how do you see Sitting Volleyball in 10 years time?

I can assure you that in 10 years we will have national concentrations of para volleyball throughout the season, from here we will establish national teams to participate at international level.

The Hephaestus Project will be a national and international reference. By the way, where does the name of…