NVAPlayersChike Opurum Has Taken Great Strides In His First Year With the NVA

The NVA has players from all walks of life who bring a unique perspective to being a professional athlete in the United States. Of course, many athletes have taken the collegiate NCAA route. For others, they have developed their game by traveling the country and learning from different players along the way. Dallas Tornadoes Middle Blocker, Chike Opurum, has done just that as he’s made the jump to the professional ranks.   

Chike being the second member of his family to become a professional athlete, his older brother Toben Opurum got a head start in the race playing football. The Kansas Jayhawk alumni had a solid career as a fullback in the NFL, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, and the Denver Broncos. Coming from a near-dead zone for boys volleyball in Plano, Texas, Chike didn’t start his career until joining a club team at the University of North Texas.  

Since then, Chike trained and gained knowledge of the game learning from his travel teams competing in USAV and the North American Gay Volleyball Association tournaments. With the volleyball community being as small and spread out as it is, Chike is making the best of his time in the NVA to open even more doors for his future in the sport.  

“The chance to grow the sport and networking is probably the best part for me. Whether you’re on the winning or losing team, meeting and talking with so many great athletes is a fantastic opportunity to network and develop more as a player and person.                -Chike Oporum 

Off the court, Chike is a fashion and business leader who has worked for both Forever 21 and Bonobos and has also created with own product line (clothing line?). Other players in the league have already been seen wearing Chike’s iconic “This is a Gay Sock” line, which will likely be available for fans soon. Chike believes that there is an opportunity for everyone; if you can put your best foot forward and stand for who you are as a person, you will gain respect from those around you.  

“For younger players to see LGBTQ+ players in a professional sport’s league, it shows them that you don’t have to be a type-A person to live this dream and be an elite athlete.  The respect I’ve received from my teammates and allies in the league proves how much volleyball has become a leader in promoting positive change in society.” – Chike Opurum. 

At this point in the season, the Tornadoes are sadly out of the contention for the championship but will be back again next season. However, you can still follow Chike (@ch1k3), the Dallas Tornadoes (@dallastornadoes), and the NVA (@nvausa) on Instagram to stay connected with the team and catch highlight clips from Event 3.  

Happy PRIDE Month, Everyone!

• By NVA Staff Writer