3X3 Leaders Shine During Diploma Ceremony at the 3X3 Festival

20 June, 2026

From the streets to the top. Nowhere was the motto of 3X3 Unites better reflected than at the 3X3 Festival on the NDSM Wharf. While the best 3x3 basketball players in the world competed against each other in the stadium during the FIBA 3x3 World Tour & Women’s Series, the young people of 3X3 Unites stepped onto the court between games to receive their 3X3 Leader Course diplomas.

Applause echoed from the packed stands as the 3X3 Leaders entered the court one by one with their diplomas and received a high five from their trainers. “Yes, let me hear you, people”, shouted the MC. “These young people have worked hard for it, so they more than deserve this.”

Koen van Ginneken was one of approximately 200 Leaders who received their diploma during the 3X3 Festival. He was clearly enjoying himself on the court. “It’s really cool to be on the court yourself in such a big stadium for once”, says the 17-year-old basketball enthusiast from Leusden. “Now I know what it’s like for the players to look from the court towards the full stands.”

Koen looks back on the 3X3 Leader Course with a good feeling: a free nine-week course in which young people use 3x3 basketball to work on their life skills, such as building a community, learning positive coaching and showing leadership. “As a Leader, you can really make an impact”, says Koen. “I think it’s really cool to experience that.”

According to him, one of the things he learned was how to communicate clearly. “You have to keep repeating things, and that’s not a bad thing at all. And I personally message young people who don’t come to the activations every week. I want to make the threshold as low as possible for them and keep encouraging them to come and play.”

Koen followed the 3X3 Leader Course together with Felix Kersch (17) in Amersfoort. According to Felix, he mainly learned what it means to be a role model. “At first I thought that being a role model meant setting an example, but now I know it’s more than that. As a role model, you not only set a good example, but you also actively help others.”

Together with Koen, he organises activations once or twice a week in Leusden and Amersfoort. “We play 3x3 games and especially in Leusden we try to build a 3x3 community. Although we have only been doing this for a few months, we already have a WhatsApp group with almost 100 young people. We share everything there and encourage young people to come along and join us.”

Bo Mooren was one of the other 3X3 Leaders who walked off the court with her diploma and a big smile on her face. “The mission and vision of 3X3 Unites aligns with my own vision”, she says. “I think it is incredibly valuable to use sport as a tool to help others.”

According to her, the 3X3 Leader Course contributes to that. “I have learned what the impact of a community is and how to build one,” says 24-year-old Bo, who followed the Leader Course in Amsterdam North. “I show more leadership, I approach people more quickly on my own initiative to ask if they want to join. I step outside my comfort zone more easily.”

When asked what a community means to her, she says: “A community is a certain place or group where you feel comfortable and welcome. Where you can be yourself and create psychological safety. That is really valuable”, says Bo, who works as a Program Lead in Amsterdam North. “I really enjoy it and want to build a great community together with the other 3X3 Leaders in Amsterdam North.”