What we do

In the United States alone, more than 74 million people have a physical disability, including over two million people living with limb loss. These individuals often face tremendous barriers to physical activity, including a lack of knowledge of how to exercise, inability to obtain adaptive equipment or prosthetic devices, social exclusion from sports, and more. In fact, about 25% of individuals with any disability report being inactive during the week.

Beach volleyball represents an incredible opportunity for people with disabilities to get active and excel in sport. While the beach volleyball community is known for acceptance and inclusion, it is not known for a strong representation of individuals with disabilities, and there are few ways for these individuals to get involved. ICN is working to change that.

ICN provides training opportunities, creates educational programs, and offers equipment support to make it normal for adaptive athletes to step onto any beach volleyball court and to excel in life. Learn about our programs and clinics.

 
 

  • ICN serves as a bridge for adaptive athletes to reach the highest levels of beach volleyball. We create opportunities for adaptive athletes to succeed; they put in the work to make it happen.

  • When we close our eyes, we see a fiery sunset above endless rows of beach volleyball courts filled with athletes of all kinds; a beach volleyball community that embraces anyone and everyone; and a world where the success of adaptive athletes is not just inspirational or extraordinary—it’s normal.

  • ICN empowers adaptive athletes—from those who were born with limb differences or mobility issues, to those who experienced traumatic accidents or disease, to wounded warriors who have made tremendous sacrifices for our loved ones and neighbors. But our impact ripples beyond the adaptive community, providing opportunities for able-bodied individuals to learn new ways to play and love beach volleyball.

 
 
 
Jon Aharoni


  • Founder and President

    Jon lives and breathes volleyball. After playing indoor and beach volleyball competitively for more than 15 years, he transitioned to coaching and leading programs for youth and adults. Throughout his career, he has helped Olympians, Paralympians, professional athletes, and rising stars become better volleyball players and better people.

    Jon served as Assistant Coach for the USA Volleyball National Sitting Teams, helping the Women’s National Sitting Team become the top ranked team in the world and earn a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. He was also Head Coach for the USA Beach Paravolley teams, and he led the men’s team to a gold medal and the women’s team to a silver medal at the first-ever 2019 Beach Paravolley World Series in Pingtan, China.

    Additionally, Jon partners with San Diego State University, Challenged Athletes Foundation, and the Colombian national sitting and beach paravolley teams to lead adaptive volleyball programs.

    He founded ICN to make it normal for adaptive athletes to compete on any court at any level, and to champion the push to make beach paravolley a Paralympic sport.

    Jon has earned countless accolades throughout his volleyball career—on and off the court—but he perceives his greatest accomplishments to be his two children, Jaime and Alton; he shares partial credit for this with his lovely wife, Doris.

 

Who we are

Jon Aharoni and Dave Newkirk founded ICN in 2022. Together, they develop and lead programs and outreach activities that empower adaptive athletes and enhance the sport of beach volleyball.

 


  • Cofounder

    From his earliest years, Dave excelled in sports like soccer, basketball, and golf. Eventually, he found his passion in volleyball.

    Missing his left arm below the elbow since birth, he began participating in adaptive athletics as a teenager. In 1990, he earned a spot on the US Men’s Standing Volleyball National Team and competed in three Paralympic games from 1992 to 2000, before standing volleyball was replaced with sitting volleyball. He also played volleyball in college for Texas Tech.

    More recently, Dave has led adaptive training seminars for individuals with upper-limb differences or other disabilities. He also helps trainers and gym owners across the country incorporate adaptive training principles to make it normal for all athletes to excel. At Dave’s Squat Emporium—a commercial-strength and conditioning center he constructed in his garage—he holds workshops to teach adaptive athletes to modify exercises and create training programs.

    Additionally, Dave has championed the effort to make beach paravolley an official Paralympic sport, earning a gold medal at the first-ever 2019 Beach ParaVolley World Series in Pingtan, China.

    Dave cofounded ICN to continue to light the way for beach paravolley and help others—especially youth—with limb differences and other disabilities achieve their athletic dreams.

 
Austin Pippen

  • ICN Coach

    With over a decade of dedication to Volleyball, this accomplished volleyball athlete has built a distinguished career both on the court and in the sand. A proud member of the U.S. Virgin Islands Beach Volleyball National Team since 2014, he notably secured a fifth-place finish at the NORCECA Continental Cup Olympic Qualifier, marking a significant milestone on the international stage. His competitive beach volleyball presence continues through the California Beach Volleyball Association and AVP Next. His indoor volleyball journey began in High School, where he was a four-year varsity setter and team captain, and continued at Palomar College from 2012 to 2014. There, he stood out as a two-time starting middle blocker, leading his team with the highest blocking percentage and earning recognition as the Best Defensive Middle Blocker.

    Beyond his playing career, he has made a lasting impact through coaching, mentoring athletes across a wide range of ages and abilities. Since 2011, he has coached at both SD Beach Volleyball Club and Genuine Volleyball Club, fostering growth in youth athletes. His passion for inclusive athletics is reflected in his ongoing work with the Howard Beach Adaptive Program and his role as a Challenged Athletes Foundation Adaptive Beach Volleyball Tournament/Clinic Coach. Blending elite-level competition with a deep commitment to coaching, he continues to be a vital force in advancing the sport and inspiring the next generation of volleyball players.

 
 
 

Meet our featured athletes

  • Berklee Andrews

    Berklee Andrews

    Seguin, Texas

    In 2024, Berklee became the first beach volleyball student athlete with a limb difference to compete at NCAA Division I level, playing at Stephen F. Austin State University. Her accolades include capturing gold at the 2022 World Beach ParaVolley Regional Development Event and earning 2023 second-team All-American honors at Lake-Sumter State College. In 2024, Berklee received the inaugural ICN Transcend Award, given annually to an adaptive athlete who embodies excellence and transcends sport.

    “I am deeply honored to be part of ICN. Growing up playing sports with a disability has been a privilege, and ICN is making it normal for athletes like me to compete at the highest levels.”

  • Emma Schieck

    Emma Schieck

    Wilmington, North Carolina

    Emma has been playing volleyball for over 16 years. Since earning a spot on the U.S. Women’s National Sitting Volleyball Team in 2019, she has competed in 11 international tournaments, medaling at each, including gold at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. A 2023 graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, she also competed on the club beach volleyball team and has coached both standing and sitting volleyball.

    “ICN opens the door for the conversation of disability in sport. As someone who loves all disciplines of volleyball, it is incredible to see people with and without disabilities train and compete alongside each other on the sand and the court.”

  • Cami Wood

    Cami Wood

    Fort Wayne, Indiana

    Cami fell in love with volleyball early, attending her first camps in kindergarten. After undergoing an above-knee amputation at age seven, she didn’t step away from the court—instead, she stepped in. Her journey has included club teams, training camps, ICN clinics, and a gold medal at the United We Sit tournament. At just 13, Cami earned a spot on the USA Women’s National Sitting Volleyball Development Team.

    “My story isn’t just about overcoming, it’s about becoming. ICN is more than volleyball.  It's a community of support that is welcoming of all levels and skill differences. The organization’s expert guidance not only provided me with adaptive techniques but also connected me with a supportive volleyball community that is like family.”

 

Our athletes make big impact

Our adaptive athletes make a difference in the sport of beach volleyball and in the world. They are not extraordinary because of or despite their disabilities—they are extraordinary because of the positive impact they make on their teams, peers, and communities. They are making it normal for any athlete to step on any court and excel.

 
 

Athlete bio on Skye McDermott courtesy of our partners at p1440 and World ParaVolley.