Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Sport: Volleyball

Butch May

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2010  –  Zambia

Robert “Butch” May is a former volleyball player who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics and is the father of multiple Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor. He was a part of the Santa Monica College national collegiate championship team in 1964 as well as an alternate on the US men’s olympic team that same year.

Butch has most recently coached the Irvine Valley College’s volleyball team, helping them win its second straight state club title. He was an assistant coach for the IVC women’s sand team.

Ashley Dean

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2008  –  Brazil

Ashley Dean is a former volleyball for Dartmouth College. She grew up playing soccer, softball, and volleyball but decided to exclusively play volleyball during her sophomore year of high school. As a senior, her volleyball skills earned her recognition as La Jolla High’s female athlete of the year. During her first year at Dartmouth, she averaged 13 digs over 10 games, including 30 digs against Princeton during the Ivy League tourney. As a sophomore, she set a record for 476 digs during one season and was ranked 12th in the nation. Her skills earned her All-Ivy first team selection.

Patty Dodd

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2017  –  Marshall Islands
  • 2019  –  Honduras

Patty Dodd was a 2 time ALL- American at UCLA. After competing professionally in Italy and the United States Patty made the transition to beach volleyball. Patty won 15 Opens, including the Manhattan Beach Open. Along with her professional volleyball career, Patty taught Elementary School for 18 years. In 2015, Patty founded MBsand Volleyball Club where the club has earned over 1500 medals in youth Beach Volleyball.

MBsand has won Gold in all the major events, AAU Nationals, USA HP Championships, AVPFirst Nationals, BVCA Nationals, Rise P1440 and CBVA Cal Cup. In 2018 and 2019, MBsand Volleyball club earned Best Club in the country out of 90 clubs at the BVCA Championships in Hermosa Beach, 2018 and 2019.

Patty Dodd is part of USAV BCAP Cadre, Master Coach and Founder of Beach Nation, HP USAV Coach for 9 years and Assistant to the US National Team 2017-2020. Patty lives in Hermosa Beach with her husband of 34 years, Mike Dodd. They have 2 daughters Dalas, Dominique and granddaughter Dustin. She speaks Spanish and Italian.

Playing Career:
Colombian National team 1978, 1979
UCLA 1980-1984, 2 time All-American
USVBA National Champion, Open, 1980
Major League Volleyball, 2-time champion with L.A. Starlites
Italian professional indoor league, 1985
Forum Team Coed Professional Cup, 1987-1988
Professional Beach Volleyball, WPVA and AVP, 16 years
15 Career Beach Open wins, including Manhattan Open, 1989
1997 FIVB World Tour
Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame, 2013 induction.

Heather Brown

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2017  –  Micronesia

Heather Bown is a 3 time member of the United States Olympic Team and Olympic Silver Medalist in the sport of Indoor Volleyball.
She was born and raised in Southern California, however now calls South Florida home.

Heather attended the University of Hawaii on an athletic scholarship where she earned First Team All-American Honors and Conference Player of the Year honors in back to back seasons. She joined the United States National Team in January of 2000 and made her
first Olympic appearance that summer in Sydney, Australia helping the United States Women finish 4th overall, falling to Brazil in the Bronze medal match. She continued with TeamUSA through the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China where the United States Women earned a Silver Medal.

Heather retired from the US National Team in October of 2012 after being named an alternate for the Olympic Games in London, England in August of 2012. In between summers competing with the United States national team Heather enjoyed an adventurous professional career. Beginning in 2000 and spanning 14 years she was fortunate to live and compete in Italy, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia, and China.
On the personal side, Heather earned an Undergraduate degree in Psychology, and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing.

She enjoys challenging herself and constantly learning. She continues to do so with many of the organizations that she spends her time working with. (Classroom Champions, Ready, Set, Gold!, ACE Mentor Program, United Way) She is constantly focused on sharing her love for sport, the joys and lessons it brings to life, and a desire for personal growth. Heather enjoys working with youth and helping them realize and maximize their potential in the classroom and on the field of play through coaching and mentoring. After years of living abroad travel and culture are at the top of her To Do List. Heather Speaks both English and Italian and is currently learning French

Esther Johnson

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2018  –  Trinidad and Tobago

As the Assistant Volleyball Coach & Recruiting Coordinator for the Howard University Volleyball Team, Esther helped lead the Lady Bison to back-to-back Conference Championships and NCAA appearances in 2016 & 2017. Esther’s responsibilities included, but were not limited to: recruiting, practice court and game coaching, supervising individualized strength and conditioning sessions, marketing and game promotion, coordinating team travel, evaluating student-athlete academic progress, and initiating community service programs.

Esther has also worked as an athletic scout and videographer recruiting high school and club athletes in Colorado and across the U.S. As an athletic scout, Esther travels the country identifying potential recruits and helps them achieve maximum exposure through her company’s services so that they may be recruited to the appropriate collegiate program.

Esther, who played as an outside hitter for Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD from 2004-08, was a four-year letter winner and captain of her volleyball team. During her time at Morgan State, she was named MEAC Rookie of the Year, received first-team and second-team All-MEAC honors, was the recipient of the MEAC Commissioner’s All-Academic Award and was an Arthur Ashe Scholars first team selection. A two-time All-MEAC Tournament Team selection, Esther became the first player in school history to reach 1,000 kills as a sophomore, and later became the program’s all-time leader in kills and third on the charts in digs.

In May 2008, Esther earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Morgan State University and earned a master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Science with a specialization in Sports Administration in December 2012 from the University of Northern Colorado.

Eric Hodgson

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2015  –  Philippines
  • 2019  –  Honduras

Eric Hodgson is the Director of Outreach for the Arizona Region of USA Volleyball. He wears many hats as he is also the Coaching Education Director and PR-Marketing Director for the Region. Eric started the Arizona Region’s High Performance Program from its inception until 2012.
Eric also works with Gold Medal Squared doing camps and clinics during the summers. His passion for leading camps and clinics has taken him to several countries including Canada, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands. Eric has recently been a US Embassy Sports Envoy to the Philippine Islands.

His job as Outreach Director takes him to places where there is no volleyball, including inner city schools and Native American Reservations. Eric also works with PE teachers, clubs and parents to help educate and develop programs to grow the sport.

Danielle Scott-Arruda

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2019  –  Fiji
  • 2021  –  United Arab Emirates

Danielle was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is a single mother of her daughter Juliánne. She attended the University of California at Long Beach and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Sociology. After competing in five Olympic Games, she became the USA Indoor Volleyball Olympic appearance record holder, Danielle has now touched and inspired thousands of boys and girls, women and men, teams and corporations around the nation by sharing the same methods she used to win two silver Olympic medals, and become inducted in multiple Halls of Fame. Danielle is also a crusader for financial literacy and helping families make and save money. She has spoken at women’s leadership conferences, empowering girls programs, schools, churches, athletic events and fundraisers. Since 2014, Danielle has been working with USA Volleyball’s High Performance Program.

Bill Doyle

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2016  –  Moldova

Apex Director and coach, Bill Doyle, was introduced to volleyball in the early 70’s on the sand at the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek Virginia. Over the years he developed both a passion for both playing and teaching the game. Coach Doyle began working with the Rhinebeck High School Volleyball program in the late 80’s and became the Junior Varsity Coach in ‘91 and the Varsity Coach in ‘92.

From there, he and some Rhinebeck athletes joined what was then known as Mid-Hudson Juniors Volleyball. Within a few years Coach Doyle inherited the club and moved its center to Poughkeepsie, NY.
In 1994 Doyle signed on with Vassar College where he helped coach the Men’s team to become the ’95 Division III National Champions. In 1997 Mid-Hudson Juniors rebranded as Apex Volleyball and won their first Regional Championship in the 15u age group, moving on to Denver Colorado to compete in the Girls Junior National Championships. As Apex succeeded over the years, Rhinebeck did as well as a top performer in a crowded Section I, finishing as Class C champions twice. In a twenty-two year career Doyle coached Rhinebeck to nearly three hundred wins, perennial post-season play, seven Sectional Championships, six League Titles, four State Final Four appearances, and two years as State Runner-Up.

During 2001-2002 Coach Doyle also served as the Head Coach For the Bard Raptors Men’s and Women’s Volleyball programs finishing second in conference with both teams. At Apex, Doyle has been the Director since 1993. He has coached four Regional Championship teams as well three runner-up teams. He has coached four teams to place in the Girls Junior National Championships.
Coach Doyle also serves as an Officer of the GEVA Board of Directors.

He is currently in his Third term as the Junior Director and Director of Sport Development. He also serves as the Director of Garden Empire Volleyball High Performance Program. He founded the program fifteen years ago and has nurtured it to the present state of excellence. In the program Coach Doyle has served as the Head Coach for 2015 National Select Bronze Medal High Performance Championship Team and Head Coach for 2017 National Youth Gold Medal High Performance Championship Team.

Barbara Chilcoat

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2010  –  Bolivia

Barbara Chilcoat played volleyball at Lynchburg College, and then after graduating, on a USVBA Women’s A team until she started her family. Barbara is a 5th grade teacher at Lakeside Elementary School, in Henrico County, near Richmond, Virginia. She has taught children from 5th – 8th grade for thirty years. She is married with two children who both play volleyball on national travel teams at the Richmond Volleyball Club. (RVC)

Barbara has been coaching volleyball on and off for 30 years. When volleyball was in it’s infancy in the Richmond area, she was at the forefront in developing her high school teams, running volleyball camps for all players in the area, and coaches clinics, to bring up the level of play in the area. Then she developed the boy’s side of the RVC youth program.

Barbara enjoys camping with her family in the summers. She enjoys cooking, reading, photography, and gardening. She looks forward to retirement to spend more time traveling around the world to meet more wonderful people.

John Kessel

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2010  –  Bolivia
  • 2021  –  United Arab Emirates

Since 1985 John has been working for the National Governing Body of the sport, USA Volleyball (USAV), now as Director of Sport Development. He has been coaching since 1971 at the collegiate level or above, including Women’s U.S. Open titles in 1986 & 1987. A sought after international lecturer, he has conducted seminars in all 50 states, and in over 60 nations. He has been part of every summer Olympics or Paralympics but two starting in 1984 and many Beach and ParaVolley Volleyball World Championships. He is currently Secretary of the NORCECA Development Commission, and Director of Development for World ParaVolley, and part of the national staff of Beach Nation.

In 1995, Volleyball Magazine’s special Centennial issue named him one of the 50 most important people in the world within the sport in the past 100 years.

In 2013 the American Volleyball Coaches Association inducted him as their 60th ever member of the AVCA Coaches Hall of Fame.

In 2019 he became the 50th recipient in history of USAV’s highest award for a lifetime of service, the “Frier Award”-named in 1965 in honor of Dr. Harold T. “Frier” Friermood, the second President of the USVBA (1952-1955) and one of the principal individuals responsible for volleyball in the Olympic Games.

Also in 2019, Colorado College, his alma mater, awarded him the school’s highest honor, the Louis Benzet award in recognition of his influence in shaping the lives of players and coaches around the world and his achievements in advancing and elevating the science of teaching and coaching.

He is a busy author, with over half a dozen USAV books, including the IMPACT coaching manual, the Jr. Olympic Volleyball Program Guide, and more recently the Minivolley 4 Youth , Youth Coloring Book, STEM Volleyball program and countless articles. His blog called “Growing the Game Together” is the second most popular blog of the hundreds found on the US Olympic Committee’s Team USA website and he promotes the “Grassroots” Button on the USAV website with material, mobile coach apps, videos, posters, and information for clubs, schools, coaches, parents, players, and officials. He pioneered USA Volleyball on the Internet, helping the late Tom Jack develop the original site, one of the first 1,000 websites listed on Yahoo. He is an administrator of over 21,000 closed membership Facebook page “Volleyball Coaches & Trainers” and his Twitter account @JohnKesselUSAV has over 5,000 followers while following less than 100.

He has received many other awards, including USA Volleyball’s Honorable Mention in 1978 and 1986, the Harry Wilson Distinguished International Service in 2004, the George Fisher Leader in Volleyball in 2006 and in 2007 was named a Sport Ethics Fellow by the Institute for International Sport. His work in breaking down the silos of learning between sports has seen him keynote speaking for USA Hockey, USA Shooting, USA Sailing, USA Synchronized Swimming, USA Swimming, USA Polevaulting, the American Hockey Coaches Association, US Olympic Committee & US Paralympics, FIVB, IOC and IPC and several Major League Baseball teams.

In 1975-79 he served at Outdoor Volleyball Director for Colorado Volleyball Association and assisted its transition from USVBA Region 8 to stand alone USAV Rocky Mountain Region. From 1982 to 1990 he was Director and Coaches’ Coach of the Albuquerque Junior Olympic Volleyball Program. For a month in the summer of 1991, he was one of four featured speakers at the first ever International Youth Volleyball Coaches Symposium in Olympia, Greece, attended by over 50 nations, and he repeated that role in the International Volleyball in the Schools Seminar in Canada in 1995 and 2007 and in Thailand and Vietnam in 2013 and 2014. During the Centennial year of volleyball he was the principal speaker at the Centennial Advanced Teaching and Coaching Seminar in Beijing, China. He was on staff for both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics and served as producer for both the 1996 Centennial Olympics for indoor volleyball in Atlanta, and subsequently producer and announcer for the 1996 Paralympics in Sitting and Standing volleyball. For 1999-2000 he was director of the U.S. Olympic Challenge Series, the Olympic qualifying series, which included an FIVB World Tour Grand Slam stop in Chicago with $400,000 in prize money for that one stop alone. He also served as head coach/team leader for the 1999 and 2003 USA Pan Am Games Beach teams, with a silver medal, and 4th and 5th place finishes in the four events. In 2004 and 2005, he directed the

National High Performance Beach Camp, worked his 10th US Jr. Olympic Beach Volleyball Championships for USA Volleyball in Hermosa Beach, an event he started in 1994 with Dale Hoffman of the California Beach Volleyball Association, and worked with the AVP.

For over a decade he served as one of 8 members of the International Volleyball Federation’s Technical Commission, as Secretary, and he remains a FIVB Level IV Instructor, beginning in 1988. Since 2001 to 2016 he served as Secretary on the NORCECA Technical and Coaches Commission, and for 2016-2020 is Secretary of the Development Commission, developing clinics and the “Leave a Ball Behind” Program to enhance zonal volleyball growth, and directed a two year State Department Sports United Grant to assist coaches in six NORCECA nations in 2011-12. He helped run the World Sitting Volleyball Championships in 2010, and the Director of Development for the World Organization of Volleyball for the Disabled (WOVD – now known as World ParaVolley or WPV) for 2012-2020.

He was Team Leader for the 2000 USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Teams in Sydney, which brought home one gold medal, and for the 2004 USA Paralympic Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team in Athens, which came home with the bronze medal. For over a decade he served as one of 8 members of the International Volleyball Federation’s Technical Commission, as Secretary, and he remains a FIVB Level IV Instructor. He served on Jury at the London 2012 Paralympics for Sitting Volleyball, in 2014 and 2018 for the ParaVolley World Championships, 2016 and 2019 for the WPV Intercontinental (the final Rio qualifier) and in 2016 Rio Paralympics where the USA women won the gold medal and will be on jury in 2020 for the last qualifier for the Tokyo Paralympics.

As a player he has participated in 16 U.S. Open Championships and was a 7 time Regional Champion. He also has played professionally with the Denver Comets in the old International Volleyball Association, and a year in Italy for the Alessandria Volleyball Club. Recently he competed for the Time Lords in the 55 & over division, 36 years after his first US Open in 1973.

His son Cody was a three time All American and four year starter at Princeton leading the nation as a freshman and senior in kills per set. For the past five years Cody has been a starting outside hitter in the top German professional league – currently for Berlin Recyling, the top team in the Bundesliga – after captaining the USA World University Games team and playing for the USA Men in the two PanAmCups and other international events. Five summers ago Cody also become the youngest doubles player in 42 years to win the Aspen “MotherLode” men’s Open, and Atlantic City “Big Shot” Open, plus 10 other Beach Open events in the west. His daughter was a member of Cheyenne Mountain HS, which won four straight state titles in volleyball, and played for Bowdoin College, graduating Cum Laude in Neuroscience. She has guided climbs up Kilimanjaro and in Patagonia, Chile, taught two years at the Asian Pacific School in Hawaii, and after a gap year traveling the world she is a TA getting her masters in Speech Pathology at CU Boulder. He is married to Lily Fernandez, who has 3 kids, Jose, Dan and Elysse – and Elysse is the assistant women’s volleyball coach at the US Air Force Academy.

His main goal is to help make coaches more efficient, positive and creative, no matter what level – 7 year olds in an elementary school program or National team players and programs. He challenges old ways of thinking and help coaches create what they need, while having fun in the process. John has a BA in Biology and Economics received from The Colorado College in 1974, and from 1996- 2015 he was a single dad. His pastimes beside volleyball include fly-fishing, writing, skiing, lacrosse, mountaineering, upland game hunting, deep-sea fishing and travel. John can be reached at USA Volleyball.