Todd Rogers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Todd Rogers
Rogers in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Todd Jonathan Rogers
Nickname	The Professor
Born	(1973-09-30) September 30, 1973 (age 51) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Hometown	Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	90 kg (198 lb)
College(s)	UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
Beach volleyball information
Current teammate
Years Teammate 2013– Theo Brunner
Previous teammates
Years Teammate 1996–2001 2001–2005 2006–2012 2013 Dax Holdren Sean Scott Phil Dalhausser Ryan Doherty
Medal record Men's beach volleyball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Beach World Championships Gold 2007 Gstaad Beach Bronze 2009 Stavanger Beach World Tour Gold 2006 Austria Beach Gold 2008 Paris Beach Gold 2008 Stavanger Beach Gold 2008 Moscow Beach Gold 2009 Marseille Beach Gold 2009 Klagenfurt Beach Gold 2010 Brasília Beach Gold 2010 Rome Beach Gold 2010 Myslowice Beach Gold 2010 Patria Beach Gold 2010 Gstaad Beach Gold 2010 Klagenfurt Beach Gold 2010 Stare Jabłonki Beach Gold 2010 Otera Beach Gold 2010 PAF Beach Gold 2011 Brasília Beach Gold 2011 Shanghai Beach Gold 2011 Québec Beach Gold 2011 Stare Jabłonki Beach Gold 2012 Brasilia Beach Gold 2012 Shanghai Beach Silver 2006 Croatia Beach Silver 2007 Brazil Beach Silver 2008 Berlin Beach Silver 2010 Moscow Beach Silver 2011 Prague Beach Silver 2011 Gstaad Beach Silver 2011 PAF Beach Bronze 2006 Mexico Beach Bronze 2007 Berlin Beach Bronze 2008 Adelaide Beach Bronze 2008 Italian Beach Bronze 2010 Stavanger Beach Bronze 2011 Moscow Beach Bronze 2011 Klagenfurt Beach Bronze 2012 Prague Beach Bronze 2012 Stare Jabłonki Beach Bronze 2014 Long Beach Beach
Last updated: October 5, 2014

Todd Jonathan Rogers (born September 30, 1973) is an American professional beach volleyball player. He is famous for winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games and the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship.

Todd Rogers and his former partner, Phil Dalhausser, were champions of the AVP Tour for many years. They won in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. In October 2021, Todd Rogers was honored by being inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Education

Todd Rogers was born in Santa Barbara, California. His parents are David and Heidi Rogers, and he has a brother named Dean.

High School Sports

From 1987 to 1991, Rogers went to San Marcos High School. There, he played indoor volleyball for coach Jon Lee. In 1990, he and his teammate Dax Holdren won a league championship. The next year, Rogers led his team to win the CIF Southern Section Boys' Volleyball Championship. He also played soccer during his time at San Marcos High School.

College Volleyball Career

After high school, Rogers attended the University of California, Santa Barbara. He played for the men's volleyball team from 1993 to 1996. The American Volleyball Coaches Association named him a Second Team All-American twice, in 1995 and 1996.

Rogers set a school record for career digs (783), which means he saved many balls from hitting the ground. He also placed second in career assists with 4,831. He earned a degree in religious studies and also studied coaching.

Playing Career Highlights

Todd Rogers first started playing beach volleyball to stay in shape for the indoor volleyball season. His high school coach, Jon Lee, encouraged him to try it.

Starting as an Amateur

Rogers' first beach volleyball teammate was Clay Holdren, a cousin of Dax Holdren, in 1987. Later, he played with Dax Holdren. They started entering professional tournaments in 1993.

However, Rogers could not take any prize money. This was because he was still an amateur student-athlete playing for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. He needed to keep his amateur status for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In August 1995, the duo played in the Manhattan Beach Open and finished 25th.

Becoming a Professional Player

After college, Rogers became a professional player and continued to partner with Dax Holdren. They competed in the domestic AVP Tour and the international FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.

Rogers was named AVP Rookie of the Year in 1997. Their first tournament win together was in July 1998 at the AVP Minneapolis Open. They won their first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament in June 2000 in Mexico.

Rogers and Holdren played together for six years. They won five first-place finishes on the AVP Tour and one each on the FIVB Beach World Tour and the Beach Volleyball America Tour. Rogers mostly played with Holdren during this time. He later switched to playing with Sean Scott at the end of 2001.

Partnering with Sean Scott

At the end of 2001, Rogers teamed up with Sean Scott. They played their first tournament together at the Brazil Open. The duo had some good success, winning four AVP Tour events.

They just missed out on going to the 2004 Summer Olympics. Only two American teams could go, and they were the third-best team. Rogers played most matches with Scott during this period. In 2005, he played with Phil Dalhausser at the 2005 Beach Volleyball World Championships. He then made a permanent switch to Dalhausser in 2006.

Dominance with Phil Dalhausser

While playing with Sean Scott, Todd Rogers noticed Phil Dalhausser, a tall and talented new player. Rogers decided to partner with Dalhausser for the 2006 season. He also started coaching Dalhausser on how to play the game better.

2006 Season Success

In 2006, Rogers and Dalhausser won eight AVP events and one FIVB event. Rogers also won a special tournament called "God of the Beach." Despite their many wins, they finished the 2006 AVP season in second place.

2007 and 2008 Victories

Rogers and Dalhausser became the top team in the 2007 AVP season. They won 10 tournaments and finished with many more points than the second-place team. They also won the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Switzerland. This was the first time a U.S. men's beach volleyball team had won this championship.

In 2008, they continued to be a very strong team on both the AVP and FIVB tours. They had eight wins in the U.S. and three big international wins. In 2011, Rogers and Dalhausser set new records for the most wins in a single season on the FIVB tour. They ended that year as the world's number one ranked team.

Olympic Games Appearances

President George W. Bush with Rogers and teammate Phil Dalhausser at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Athens 2004 Olympics

Rogers and his partner, Sean Scott, were ranked as the fourth-best team in the world. However, they did not get one of the two spots available for U.S. teams at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Rogers was named an alternate player but did not get to play.

Beijing 2008 Olympics Gold

Rogers and Dalhausser qualified as the top team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. They had a surprising loss in their first match against Latvia.

However, they bounced back and won the gold medal in beach volleyball on August 22, 2008. They defeated the Brazilian team of Fabio and Marcio in an exciting three-set match.

London 2012 Olympics

At the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Rogers and Dalhausser tried to win another gold medal. But they lost in the round of 16 to a young Italian team, Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo. They were unable to defend their gold medal.

Coaching Career

Todd Rogers was an assistant coach for the men's volleyball team at UC Santa Barbara from 2000 to 2005. He stopped coaching to focus completely on his professional playing career.

In early 2016, Rogers was hired as the head coach for the Cal Poly Women's Beach Volleyball team.

Personal Life

Todd Rogers has been recognized for his achievements in both indoor and beach volleyball. He was inducted into the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Hall of Fame. In his free time, he enjoys surfing.

Awards and Honors

• AVP Best Defensive Player: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• AVP Crocs Cup Champion: 2007 (with Phil Dalhausser), 2008 (with Phil Dalhausser)
• AVP Most Valuable Player: 2006
• AVP Rookie of the Year: 1997
• AVP Team of the Year: 2007 (with Phil Dalhausser), 2008 (with Phil Dalhausser)
• FIVB Best Defensive Player: 2006, 2007, 2008
• FIVB Most Inspirational: 2008
• FIVB Best Setter: 2005

See also

In Spanish: Todd Rogers para niños