Growing up, Alex Ukkelberg played basketball, football and baseball, and ran track. He knew he wanted to be an athlete. From the messages he was getting, he thought that meant he couldn’t be gay.
Now a professional beach volleyball player based in Los Angeles, Ukkelberg has shared that story publicly in an Instagram video. One line captures how far he’s come: “I’m thankful that I’m gay.”
Why He Shared It Now
Ukkelberg had been out to family and friends for years. As he explained in the video, he still found it difficult to talk about his sexuality on social media. Even after recording it, he felt the pull to delete it.
He decided to share it because he remembered what he’d needed when he was younger: to hear an athlete talk openly about being gay. He says he’s come to see his sexuality as part of what has made him more empathetic.
Friends on the Sand
Ukkelberg took a winding route to professional beach volleyball. His Stackletics profile traces his path from indoor volleyball at Grand View University to playing professionally in the United Kingdom and eventually competing on the sand. Outsports reports that he and playing partner Logan Webber won the AVP Laguna Beach Open in 2025.
Among his friends on tour is fellow out pro Charlie Siragusa. The two have played together and share a group chat with other gay volleyball players. They call it GayVP.
That kind of visibility has already made a difference for other players. When Kyle Friend and Tim Brewster shared their engagement story, part of what made it so lovely was hearing how much it had meant to Brewster to know a player who was out and comfortable with himself.
Ukkelberg remembers wanting to see someone like that when he was growing up. Somewhere, a kid who loves sports can now hear it from him.
📷 @alex.ukkelberg @crabclaw.shots