Leaders of Unites #116 - Nordin Martina
"It's my mission to make sure that Velserbroek also gets a proper court"
I come from a family of eight children
My name is Nordin Martina. I’m 23 years old and live in Velserbroek. I come from a large family: I’m the oldest of eight children and have had a role model position from an early age, helping with homework and dropping off and picking up from school.
We were all born fairly close together. I’m thirteen years older than the youngest. I think having that kind of responsibility for my siblings from a young age has really helped shape me. I was always very aware of my actions because I wanted to be a good example for them.
Outside of my busy family life, I loved gaming and often played outdoors. At first, we played football on the court, but that didn’t really appeal to me. My neighbor had a basket in his yard. One day, the two of us played together - and I was instantly hooked. I knew: this is my thing.
I think basketball is way cooler than football. In football, the goal is so big that anyone can score. Basketball is much more difficult. The basket is smaller and also hangs high. That makes it more challenging. Plus, I was already quite tall as a kid, so that worked in my favor. As a kid, I also got into karate, judo, and jiu-jitsu.
My brother and I came up with all kinds of games to see who was better
I was nine years old when I joined Akrides Basketball in IJmuiden. When I had games on Saturdays, my parents and all my brothers and sisters were often there in the stands. Apparently, it inspired them: eventually, five of my siblings also started playing basketball.
But the club wasn’t the only place we played. We also played at home a lot. I shared a room with my brother, who’s two years younger, and we had a mini basket hanging on the door. We made up all kinds of games to see who was better. Who had the nicest shot or made the most spectacular dunk?
We even played together at Akrides for a while, but I quit because school got too demanding. Two years ago, I started playing again and formed a friends' team in Haarlem. Unfortunately, we didn’t play last season due to many injuries. I hope we’ll start again soon, but I’m not sure when.
I’m still recovering myself. Just over a year ago, disaster struck during the Street League. I tore my ACL, MCL, and meniscus in one move. I now train three times a week with a physical therapist. Things are going in the right direction, but it’s still too early to return to the court.
Luckily, I can still do my work as the local 3X3 coordinator in Haarlem. I’m the point of contact for all the 3X3 Leaders in Haarlem, after completing the 3X3 Leader Course myself last year. I heard about it through our club, and it was very educational and fun.
It's my mission to make sure that Velserbroek also gets a proper court
I mainly wanted to join because I heard that 3X3 Unites also works to renovate local courts. In Velserbroek, we have a court that’s completely rundown. There’s a basket, but the surface is terrible. There are loose, uneven bricks instead of a smooth surface..
During the 3X3 Leader Course, I also learned a lot more about building a community. I’ve always been known as a people person because I know a lot of folks. But now I’ve developed my skills even further - like connecting my younger brother’s friend group with mine.
In Haarlem, there are three good courts I’m involved with. Unfortunately, the court in Velserbroek hasn’t been renovated yet. But it’s my mission to make sure Velserbroek also gets a great court - somewhere young people actually want to play basketball. Right now, my friends don’t want to play there because of the poor surface.
Alongside my work at 3X3 Unites, I’m almost finished with my Master’s in Public Administration. I’m not exactly sure what I’ll do afterward, but ideally, I want to do something that benefits society. That’s one of the reasons I feel so at home at 3X3 Unites.
I really enjoy being able to contribute to building an ever-growing community through 3x3 basketball. When I look around, I see more and more young people coming together at local courts and playing basketball. How awesome is that?
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