San Diego native to chase gold with USA Men’s Volleyball at Tokyo Deaflympics

For 21-year-old Zain Shahid, a phone call during Korean barbecue with friends in August of 2023 changed everything.

The Rancho Peñasquitos native had tried out for the USA Deaf National Men’s Volleyball Team in North Carolina two months prior. When his phone rang, he learned he had made the squad.

“It was unexpected. It was a big moment,” said Shahid, who coincidentally was wearing his USA Deaf Volleyball tryout shirt when he got the news.

Now, more than two years later, Shahid is preparing to represent the United States at the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo this November.

“It’s an honor. I always dreamed about playing at a higher level,” Shahid said. “I watched those guys who went to the Paris Olympics and I wish I could do that. I’m so grateful to be able to play.”

The Rochester Institute of Technology kinesiology student’s volleyball journey began casually, playing in the grass with friends before joining the Mount Carmel High School team his junior and senior years. He credits San Diego’s Seaside Volleyball Club with accelerating his development during those crucial high school years.

“I’ve really only been playing organized volleyball for five years,” Shahid said. “Really not too long compared to other people.”

Despite his relatively short career, assistant coach Ben Campman praised Shahid’s versatility at tryouts.

“Zain showed a great ability to pass and hit. While many men’s players just focus on the power of their hitting, Zain has clearly put a lot of work into making himself a more holistic player,” Campman said. “This past summer we had a must-win game in a tournament and Zain really bailed the whole team out.”

The Deaflympics present unique challenges that differ from traditional volleyball. Players must remove hearing aids and cochlear implants during competition to level the playing field, forcing teams to develop alternative communication methods.

“I can hear a little bit like screaming or clapping, but others can’t, so we have to find other methods. It’s a lot of trusting where your team is, glancing at teammates,” Shahid said. “Our setter does the ‘that’s mine’ motion, swinging his arms, and our libero stomps to call it. Any way to get attention without talking.”

Shahid has learned to adapt by becoming more aggressive in calling for balls, taking inspiration from David Smith, a nearly deaf star on the hearing USA Olympic team. Shahid met Smith during an international tournament stop in Anaheim. After the match, his mother struck up a conversation with Smith’s mother, leading to an introduction.

“I was freaking out,” Shahid said. “We talked a little, got a photo.”

Team USA earned its spot in Tokyo by finishing fourth at the World Championships, avoiding the need to qualify through the Pan American Games. Turkey looms as their primary competition, along with strong teams from France and Ukraine.

“We have a real shot at getting gold. That’s the dream, that’s the goal,” Shahid said.

But even as the team prepares for the medal chase, navigating communication challenges remains a constant hurdle.

“There is a language barrier, but there is even more of a language barrier because we know ASL, they know Japanese sign language or Turkish sign language,” Shahid said.

Born with hearing impairment, Shahid credits his mother’s involvement with the nonprofit California Hands & Voices for linking him to the deaf community.

“I’m grateful to be able to connect and realize I’m not the only deaf kid in my city,” he said.

His 15-year-old brother, also a volleyball player at Mount Carmel born hearing impaired, hopes to try out for the national team when he’s older. 

“I think that would be so cool, the two brothers on the same court,” Shahid said.

Shahid encourages young deaf athletes to embrace confidence in competition. 

“Being proud of who you are really helps with playing,” he said. “When you’re more confident, you’re able to play a little more loosely and comfortably.”

As November approaches, Shahid looks forward to the unique atmosphere of the Deaflympics. 

“The Deaflympics are unlike any competition in the world. Nowhere else do you have this same sense of community and shared experience and culture,” Campman said.

Shahid believes chemistry has been crucial to the team’s success and the bonds they’ve built will carry them forward.

“We’re all just a bunch of good friends,” Shahid said. “We’re playing to win, it’s super competitive, but we’re also having fun when we’re playing.”

That camaraderie is all the more remarkable given how rarely the athletes train together, since they are spread across the country.

“We train pretty much only two times a year, once in winter, once in summer and then before every major tournament. A lot of training is up to us,” Shahid said.

The team also faces funding challenges. With only partial support from USA Volleyball support, players must raise money for travel, lodging and meals.

To help offset costs, the organization has launched a fundraising campaign. Donate to Shahid and the entire team at www.givebutter.com.