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Félix Emilio Chapman Piñeiro, best known as Félix Chapman, is a 6-foot-7 inch tall volleyball player who was born in Cuba in 1996. Growing up in Cuba, Chapman would spend most of his time outside having fun with friends. His favorite sport was baseball, and he started playing volleyball after one of his teachers in school invited him to play with the class.   

The teacher knew Chapman could become a talented player based on his physique. He was already much taller than most kids, so the teacher asked him to join the volleyball team. After that, Chapman started playing regularly, with and against older kids. Chapman said this was key for his development as a player. It improved every aspect of his game, and when he would play kids in the same age group as him, it was almost too easy.  

In 2014, when Chapman was 18 years old, he joined his first professional team called Mayabeque, located in San José de las Lajas, Cuba. The 18-year-old was part of the Cuba Men’s National volleyball team at the 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in Poland. Cuba finished the competition in 11th place, tied with Argentina. It was a great experience for Chapman to play in a competition where the best players in the world are, at such a young age. Still for Cuba, Chapman played the 2015 NORCECA Champions Cup in Detroit, Michigan. It was the first edition of the tournament that would send the top two teams to the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup. Cuba didn’t make it to the World Cup due to finishing third place, behind the United States and Canada, but the competition played a big role in Chapman’s career and his life.  

Before coming to the United States, in 2016 Chapman went to a university in Puerto Rico called Universidad del Turabo, where he stayed for one year. He wanted to become a professional volleyball player, but at the same time he wanted to get a degree and was focused on using his volleyball skills to pay for it. In 2017, Chapman decided to come to the United States and received a scholarship to play and study Spanish Healthcare at Grand View University, in Des Moines, Iowa. Chapman said he struggled in the beginning of his journey for Grand View because of the language barrier and weather. 

“I had difficulties communicating with my teammates because most of them were English speakers, and my English wasn’t as good back then,” said Chapman. “I was always a very communicative player on the court, and this made my game a little harder.”  

Although the circumstances were not the best, Chapman managed to have a successful first season at GV. The team went on that year to win the Conference Tournament, and the National Championship for the first time in GV’s history, on their home court. In the 2018 and 2019 season, Chapman garnered the honors of Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-American, Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference. 

Raphael Seabra, a volleyball player from Brazil, was a junior when Chapman joined the team. He said since the first day of training, the team could tell that Chapman was a special player. They played together for two years, winning back-to-back conference tournaments and one National Championship. 

“He was always very nice to us and a real partner on the court, but he always made it clear that he wanted to win. He was always very competitive in training and during games,” said Seabra.“He just wanted everybody to do their best. Some people understand that it is part of the sport, but for the people that aren’t as competitive it can be a little annoying.”  

 During the 2021 season, GV won the conference tournament for the third time, and won Nationals for the second time. Chapman led all scorers with 28 kills in the final game and surpassed the championship record that he set himself in 2019. He also collected the same awards that were previously given to him his last three seasons.  

“His mentality helped him a lot, he always wanted to be the best in everything. But he was also humble in understanding he had to learn English, and that he had to adapt to the team other than making the team adapt to him,” said Seabra.  

In April 2021, Chapman graduated from GV with a degree in Spanish Healthcare, which was the main reason why he came and stayed in the United States for four years.  

“One of my goals was to finish college, and I did it. I am glad that I did that, because there are a lot of people out there that don’t have the opportunity,” said Chapman.   

Chapman is done playing for GV, but is still helping the program by coaching the women’s volleyball team.  

“It’s something I really like to do, because it keeps me learning and keeps me engaged in the game, which I love. I like to help and I like to share my knowledge and help people out there get better every day,” said Chapman.  

During his senior year at GVU, Chapman also experienced the biggest event of his life, the birth of his daughter. He said it was hard to have a new born baby, play volleyball and study at the same time, but this experience has made him more mature.  

“I had to stop doing many things to be able to put more focus on my baby,” said Chapman. “I think I figured it out on the way. I got a lot of help from my girlfriend, from her family and from coach Donan.”  

Chapman’s trophies, awards and numbers show the type of player he is and the impact he can make on a team. After his graduation at GV, he signed a professional contract for three years with Stade Poitevin Poitiers, from France, where he is planning to move within the next couple of months. Chapman feels he’s ready for the next level, and has support from all of his teammates, friends and family.