From the Court to a Calling: Guus van den Elzen's Journey with Volleyball

From playing and coaching in the Netherlands to his presidency and continued volunteering at Let’s Keep the Ball Flying, Guus van den Elzen’s journey shows how volleyball can build community and create lasting impact far beyond the court.

The Path to LKTBF

Guus van den Elzen’s journey with volleyball began at age 13, when his parents insisted he pick up a sport. Following in his younger brother’s footsteps, he chose volleyball. Guus played until he was around 25, before getting the opportunity to coach. After working with a series of teams across the Netherlands, he was connected to Let’s Keep the Ball Flying founder Lesley de Jonge. Lesley was looking for support with logistics, which is Guus’s professional background. He started out supporting LKTBF by getting shipments to Tanzania and Senegal. He had no idea that small logistics role would soon change the course of his life.

The Beginning of Something Bigger

In June 2021, one text from Lesley changed everything: would Guus start up a volleyball camp in Greece for five weeks? This trip launched the concept of Volley Beyond Borders.

After arriving in Lesvos, Guus and the team connected with Yoga and Sport with Refugees (YSR), an organization rooted in building sport with refugee communities, alongside them. Together, they set up volleyball sessions for women in the area.

Word got around, and Guus was asked to come back. To date, he's traveled to Greece to support these camps between 15 and 20 times.

What stayed constant, Guus said, is what the court gives people while they're on it. "You're just a volleyball player at that moment."

He says the same thing happens in LKTBF's week-long coaching courses, for during that time, nobody is defined as anything but a player. Sometimes the payoff arrives later, in a text message: someone landed part-time work because they listed their LKTBF coaching certificate on a resume. "It gives people opportunities," Guus says. As his leadership and commitment to the organization grew, Guus took on a new role in 2022, accepting the presidency of Let's Keep the Ball Flying.

The Work Behind the Mission

When Guus stepped into the presidential role, the organization was just a few years old. The supervisory board was made up of mostly friends and family. While he was very inspired by Let’s Keep the Ball Flying, Guus’s focus during his presidency wasn’t the mission itself. It was structuring everything underneath it. He spent about a year working with Lesley and the board on roles, responsibilities, procedures, and finances, then stepped back once his own company took shape.

Continuing to Lead

Guus continues to serve Let’s Keep the Ball Flying as a volunteer, notably as the Volleyball Marathon MVP. He brought the idea of the 24-hour volleyball marathon to LKTBF partly out of frustration with traditional fundraising. "I don't love the concept of traditional fundraising where you have to ask for grants," he says. "I want people to get something out of it." 

The idea started at his local club, where he organized his first 24-hour volleyball marathon around age 20 — a night where teams play straight through morning. Guus loved not only the team building experience, but the memories it left behind. 

LKTBF eventually built out a format that clubs could run themselves, with schedules, marketing support, and organizing advice. In return, clubs donate at least 50% of what they raise to Let’s Keep the Ball Flying. Everyone walks away with something: the club gets a night worth remembering, and LKTBF gets support.

A Two-Way Impact

Volunteering with Let’s Keep the Ball Flying gives as much as it asks. Most volunteers already have full lives outside volleyball. A job, a family, other commitments. But many find that stepping into coaching ends up giving them far more than they expected. At first, Guus hesitated to call any of it life-changing. "But if I change it around, maybe it does do life-changing things — but in that the people we want to help have changed my life more than it probably changed theirs."

Do You See Yourself in Guus’s Story?

At LKTBF, volunteering takes many forms: coaching, logistics, fundraising, marketing, community outreach. It’s all the work that happens behind the scenes that make programmes last. Explore volunteering opportunities with LKTBF at lktbf.org/volunteer.

Whether your strength is on the court or off it, there's a role for you in our global volleyball community.