Heather Kursman’s love of sports began long before volleyball became her life’s work. As a young girl growing up in Bloomfield, Connecticut, she could often be found playing catch with her father in the street or sorting through her baseball card collection, memorizing players’ statistics. As a beneficiary of Title IX, she was among the first girls to participate in both Little League and Babe Ruth baseball in Bloomfield. A three-sport letter winner in high school, Heather continued to pursue her passion for athletics at the University of Connecticut, where she earned a degree in Sports Marketing and Management. While attending UConn, she worked part-time for the University’s Recreation Department, gaining valuable early experience in officiating and athletic program supervision. Following graduation, she played volleyball with the Connecticut Sports Club, where she was first introduced to officiating adult matches. Encouraged by program director and collegiate official Matt Manliguis, she pursued officiating more formally and connected with Barbara Startup, a member of the Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame’s Founder Class of 2011, marking the beginning of her extraordinary career in volleyball officiating.

For more than four decades, Heather has been one of Connecticut’s most respected, dedicated, and influential officials. Her officiating experience spans every level of the sport, from middle school competition to high school state championship matches, as well as collegiate volleyball through National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), USA Volleyball, and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) programs. Heather was also one of the founding officials for boys’ high school volleyball in Connecticut, helping establish and grow the sport throughout the state. Her extensive experience includes officiating the Unified Games, Nutmeg Games, the Town of Newington Men’s League, Travelers, Pratt & Whitney, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), the Town of Bloomfield Co-Ed League, and the IBM tri-State Volleyball League, among many others. For more than 40 years, she has also served as Coordinator of both the women’s and men’s volleyball programs for the South Windsor Parks and Recreation Department, continuing her lifelong commitment to developing opportunities for athletes of all ages.

Heather’s contributions to volleyball extends far beyond officiating matches. She currently officiates both boys’ and girls’ high school volleyball in Connecticut while serving as Head Rater for the Connecticut Board of Volleyball Officials (CBVO), mentoring, and evaluating officials throughout the state. She also serves as Scheduling Coordinator for CBVO-North and as President and Scheduling Coordinator for CBVO-Boys. In addition, Heather serves on both Executive Boards, the State Board, and the Boys’ Volleyball Committee, represents volleyball officials on the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Advisory Board, serves as the CIAC State Tournament Assigner for the Boys’ State Tournament, and acts as a liaison for new officials entering the profession. Her leadership and dedication have helped strengthen and support volleyball officiating throughout Connecticut.

Heather’s outstanding service has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) Boys’ Volleyball Official of the Year Award, the Boys’ Connecticut Volleyball League Official of the Year Award, and the Town of South Windsor Parks and Recreation Ben E. Award. Throughout her career, she has remained guided by a steadfast belief that youth sports should always place young athletes first. Her unwavering commitment to sportsmanship, positive competition, and the enjoyment of the game has reflected the values that have defined her distinguished career in Connecticut volleyball.

Beyond her many contributions to volleyball, Heather enjoys supporting her alma mater, the University of Connecticut, as well as fishing, gardening, playing cards, spending time with her dog, Vegas, reading a good mystery, and traveling to the Caribbean with her wife, Theresa. Through her leadership, integrity, and lifelong dedication to officiating, Heather Kursman has left a lasting impact on the sport of volleyball and has helped shape the standard of excellence for officials throughout Connecticut.