Sitting volleyball is a Paralympic team sport where players compete while sitting on the court — serving, blocking, and attacking across a lowered net on a smaller court. It is a full Paralympic sport (at every Summer Games since 1980 for men, 2004 for women). Volleyball Australia and Paralympics Australia govern sitting volleyball. This guide covers the key funding sources for sitting volleyball in Australia.
Volleyball Australia governs sitting volleyball:
- National competition
- Development programmes
- Paralympic pathway
Paralympics Australia oversees Paralympic sport investment:
- High performance programme
- National team
Contact Volleyball Australia and your state volleyball body for access to sport investment.
Paralympics Australia funds sitting volleyball:
- National programme investment
- High performance pathway
- Paralympic selection
State Paralympic councils fund community sitting volleyball.
Sport Australia funds sitting volleyball through Volleyball Australia and Paralympics Australia:
- Para-sport development investment
State sport agencies fund community disability volleyball:
- Equipment grants for clubs
- Disability sport inclusion programmes
Gaming grants fund sitting volleyball clubs:
- NSW ClubGRANTS: Disability sport development
- State gaming trusts: Equipment and programme grants
Gaming trust applications for sitting volleyball:
- Sitting volleyball net (lower height than standing volleyball — 1.05m men, 0.80m women): $200–$600
- Volleyball balls
- Court tape and markings
- Team kit
Sitting volleyball equipment is relatively affordable compared to other disability sports:
- Net: Sitting volleyball specific net (lower than standard) — $200–$600
- Balls: Volleyball balls — $30–$80 each
- Court tape: Court marking for sitting volleyball dimensions (10m × 6m per team)
- Knee protection: Many players use knee pads for movement on court
The relatively low equipment cost makes sitting volleyball an accessible disability sport to establish.
Beyond sport funders:
- NDIS: Sport participation for eligible individuals
- Disability foundations: Inclusion grants
- State disability organisations: Para-sport development
- Community foundations: Inclusive sport programmes
Sitting volleyball's integration potential:
- Able-bodied players: Sitting volleyball can be played by anyone
- Inclusion programmes: Mixing disability and non-disability participants
- Schools inclusion: Sitting volleyball in physical education
Sitting volleyball in rehabilitation:
- Amputee sport: Sitting volleyball is particularly accessible for lower limb amputees
- Acquired disability: Players transitioning to disability sport
- Rehabilitation through sport: Therapeutic value of team sport post-injury
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Players by disability classification, age, and gender
- Equipment: Net, balls, court — justified per programme
- Paralympic pathway: Connection to national competition
- Disability inclusion: Accessible for various disability types
- Integration: Inclusion of able-bodied players in training and social play
- Rehabilitation connection: Partnership with rehabilitation services if applicable
- Organisation governance: Affiliation to Volleyball Australia and Paralympics Australia
Tahua's grants management platform helps sitting volleyball clubs manage grant applications across Paralympics Australia, state sport agencies, disability funders, and gaming trusts, tracking participation, disability inclusion, and Paralympic pathway outcomes.