Former Olympian and Team SA beach volleyball star, Grant Goldschmidt, has made a successful transition from player to coach and is now enjoying the second part of his sporting career at the age of 42, writes MARK LEMKE.
Goldschmidt competed in the 2012 London Olympics, a year after winning the 2011 All-Africa Games title in Maputo. He played for over two decades before retiring in 2022. His passion for the sport did not ended there though and the Capetonian is now is influencing the game from off the sand court.
He is a full-time lecturer at eta College Cape Town, which takes up most of his professional time. Despite an already full workday, Goldschmidt jumped straight into sharing his expertise and experience with the next generation.
“In 2023, I received an offer to coach UCT’s women’s side, and I have been their coach ever since. We have been doing well and are looking forward to hosting the USSA championships at the end of June. I hope we can win a medal there as it would be our first ever.”
Goldschmidt has extensive experience in volleyball, having competed in the 2012 London Olympics, the 2022 Commonwealth Games, with plenty of elite competitions in between.
This experience brought him the opportunity to join the Cape Town Volleyball Federation in 2024.
“I am the vice president and beach volleyball commissioner for the Federation. We have a massive event in October. You can think of it as the Roland Garros of volleyball. My involvement will be supporting our national federation with hosting the tournament and we will also be working hard on the ground at the event to bring it as much success as we can.”
The competition being referred to is the Elite16 Beach Pro Tour. It will bring with it the top players from around the globe and presents a great opportunity to make a good impression on the rest of the volleyball world.
Goldschmidt’s devotion to volleyball is showing no sign of dissipating. The second half of 2025 will see him continue to pass his wisdom on to the next generation, both in his college lectures and in his coaching sessions. He also looks forward to an action-packed calendar in his vice-president role with the highlight being the Elite16 Beach Pro Tour in October.
Image: Goldschmidt pictured (right) with teammate Leo Williams
