Mike Dodd
Encyclopedia
Michael Dodd (born August 20, 1957 in Manhattan Beach, California
) is a well-known retired professional beach volleyball
player from the United States
who attended San Diego State University
. With his partner Mike Whitmarsh
he won the silver medal in the men's inaugural beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics
. Since winning silver in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he has worked the Olympic Games of 2000 as a beach analyst and 2004 as an indoor analyst for NBC. In 2008 Dodd coached AVP stars Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal in the Beijing Olympics. Dodd also captained Team USA to a win over Brazil’s best players in the inaugural AVP World Challenge in 2009.
Born and raised in Manhattan Beach, Dodd won five Manhattan Beach Open titles. In 2009 he became the first person to coach the men’s and women’s champions of the same Manhattan Beach Open (Gibb and Rosenthal and Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs). Dodd was named AVP Sportsman of the Year in 1994 and 1996 and AVP Most Inspirational Player three times in a row from 1995-1997. Since earning his AAA volleyball rating at age 15, Dodd has represented the U.S. National Team and played professionally in Italy in addition to his AVP career as a player and coach. He is in the California Beach Volleyball Association Hall of Fame.
Mike Dodd currently serves as Commissioner of the AVP. He oversees all competition, athlete welfare and sport development. One of beach volleyball's all-time greats, Dodd won 75 titles in his illustrious 18-year career and a silver medal in the first Olympics to feature beach volleyball.
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
) is a well-known retired professional beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
player from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who attended San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
. With his partner Mike Whitmarsh
Mike Whitmarsh
Michael John "Mike" Whitmarsh was an American volleyball player, who won the silver medal in the men's inaugural beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics, partnering Mike Dodd. He was born in San Diego, California, graduated from Monte Vista High School in nearby Spring Valley, and...
he won the silver medal in the men's inaugural beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. Since winning silver in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he has worked the Olympic Games of 2000 as a beach analyst and 2004 as an indoor analyst for NBC. In 2008 Dodd coached AVP stars Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal in the Beijing Olympics. Dodd also captained Team USA to a win over Brazil’s best players in the inaugural AVP World Challenge in 2009.
Born and raised in Manhattan Beach, Dodd won five Manhattan Beach Open titles. In 2009 he became the first person to coach the men’s and women’s champions of the same Manhattan Beach Open (Gibb and Rosenthal and Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs). Dodd was named AVP Sportsman of the Year in 1994 and 1996 and AVP Most Inspirational Player three times in a row from 1995-1997. Since earning his AAA volleyball rating at age 15, Dodd has represented the U.S. National Team and played professionally in Italy in addition to his AVP career as a player and coach. He is in the California Beach Volleyball Association Hall of Fame.
Mike Dodd currently serves as Commissioner of the AVP. He oversees all competition, athlete welfare and sport development. One of beach volleyball's all-time greats, Dodd won 75 titles in his illustrious 18-year career and a silver medal in the first Olympics to feature beach volleyball.
Awards and honors
- AVP Best Defensive Player 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
- AVP Best Spiker 1989
- AVP Most Inspirational 1995, 1996, 1997
- AVP Sportsman of the Year 1994, 1996