Michael John "Mike" Whitmarsh (May 18, 1962 – February 17, 2009) was an American volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

 player, who won the silver medal in the men's inaugural beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics

1996 Summer Olympics

The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....

, partnering Mike Dodd

Mike Dodd

Michael Dodd is a well-known retired professional beach volleyball player from the United States who attended San Diego State University. With his partner Mike Whitmarsh he won the silver medal in the men's inaugural beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics...

. He was born in San Diego, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, graduated from Monte Vista High School

Monte Vista High School (Spring Valley, California)

Monte Vista High School is public, comprehensive high school located in Spring Valley, California, and serves 1,960 students in grades nine through twelve. Opened in 1961, Monte Vista is the seventh of twelve high schools built in the Grossmont Union High School District...

 in nearby Spring Valley, and then attended the University of San Diego

University of San Diego

The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...

. Throughout his career he earned over $1.5 million, as well as 28 titles.

The 6' 7" Whitmarsh played college basketball

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 at the University of San Diego and was drafted by the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...

 in the fifth round in 1984

1984 NBA Draft

The 1984 NBA Draft was the 38th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on June 19, 1984 before the 1984–85 season. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft,...

. He also narrowly missed making the roster of the Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...

, and played professionally in Germany for three years before abandoning basketball in favor of beach volleyball. Transitioning from the indoor hard court to the soft sand of beach volleyball (which is often played under hot and humid conditions) was not easy, and he developed a reputation for cramping late in tournaments. His leg cramps were so bad that he often required an I.V. to rehydrate and equalize his chemical balance.

Whitmarsh was in the midst of a divorce from his wife Cindy and was found dead in a friend's garage on Wednesday, February 17, 2009, leaving behind two young daughters. According to the San Diego County

San Diego County, California

San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...

 medical examiner, he had committed suicide

Suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

 from inhalation of carbon monoxide from automobile exhaust.

Awards and honors

• AVP Rookie of the Year 1990
• AVP King of the Beach 2000
• AVP Best Blocker 2002
• AVP Lifetime Achievement 2004
• AVP Role Model Award 2003
• AVP Special Achievement 2003

External links

• Player profile
• Obituary in the Los Angeles Daily News
  Los Angeles Daily News
  The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....