“You see children enjoying”

An emerging sport, without rules, played by children. That is a guarantee for chaos, you would think. But it actually brings a lot of positive outcomes. Finn, a student of Future Planet Studies at the UvA, volunteers to oversee 3×3 basketball through the 3×3 Unites foundation.Once a week, Finn acts as a leader on a basketball court in Amsterdam East. Here he organizes 3×3 basketball activities – where two teams of three players compete against each other – and tries to attract as many children as possible to join. “In America, this is known as a real street sport. There are no rules; the players determine them themselves. Of course, I make sure that everything continues in good harmony. I try to build a sort of community, so that children who enjoy it keep coming back.”

Volunteer in a new sport

“Two years ago, I was playing basketball on a court near my house when I was approached by someone from the 3×3 Unites foundation. They asked if I was interested in becoming a volunteer. They had just set up a leader course consisting of 6 workshops, and upon completion, you would receive a certificate to work as a leader. 3×3 basketball was new to me, but it caught my interest, and before I knew it, I was a volunteer!”

Everything comes together

“In Amsterdam, you have many different ethnicities, but during play, that boundary fades and all inequality disappears. Everything comes together. It’s so cool to see. Additionally, I see children growing and developing. Taking responsibility, being flexible, and making decisions (daring to do so). Skills that come in handy on the playing field, but are also useful in everyday life outside of it. What we do on the basketball courts is accessible to everyone, all activities are free. If there are children with parents facing financial difficulties, they can still play sports with us and join in the fun.”No content to translate.

There is a lot of laughter among each other

“One of the most beautiful things is seeing the children truly enjoy themselves, friendships form, and seeing the same children come back. Of course, the atmosphere can sometimes become less relaxed, and children can tease each other a bit. This is also part of it and creates competitiveness. There is a lot of laughter together, if someone slips or stumbles, they call it an ‘ankle breaker’ and everyone finds it funny. The sense of community is growing more and more, which is amazing.”

Future Plans

“The organization is also active in Africa; they are practicing sports with very large groups of children there and laying down fields. It also seems very exciting to me to go there at some point. Building connections between countries is important. Sport is something innocent, and it is very beautiful when children from different countries can play together. The organization also offers many opportunities for us. I am increasingly involved within the organization myself and now work within the social media team. Whether I would ever exchange being a leader for a larger role within the organization? I don’t know, I get a lot out of it, the contact with the children and ensuring that the atmosphere remains good, I find that very valuable.”Interview: Kiki DuseboutPhotos: Huub Zeeman

Are you excited?

Look atwww.3x3unites.com–Of checkour job boardHere you can find over 1000 fun volunteer opportunities in the city. See what suits you!