Leaders of Unites #126 - Thijs Michielsen

26 November, 2025

"I wanted to do something in sports again and make an impact on the lives of others. That is exactly what I am doing now, and it gives me a lot of energy."

I lived in different countries during my childhood

My name is Thijs Michielsen and I am 34 years old. I was born in Eindhoven, but during my childhood I lived in many different places in different countries because of my father’s work. He worked at Philips and later at other companies for which he often had to live close to the head office.

I was two years old when our family, I have two younger sisters, moved to Bruges in Belgium. Two years later we moved to Portugal, after which we returned to Eindhoven when I was eight. When I was thirteen, we lived for another two years in Portland, Oregon, on the American West Coast.

That is where I first came into contact with basketball. I played field hockey and tennis, but they thought that was strange for a 13-year-old who was already 1.80 meters tall. They advised me to try basketball. I liked it immediately, and soon the sport became an outlet for me and a way to make friends.

As a child, I always enjoyed living in different places and starting a new adventure each time. I was lucky that I could adapt quickly and make new friends easily. From the age of ten to fifteen, I went to a different school every year, so that ability definitely came in handy, so to speak.

Only later did I notice that I found it difficult to maintain and preserve friendships. I wasn’t used to it and had never learned to speak up when I didn’t like something. When my friends displayed certain behavior I didn’t agree with, I wouldn’t say anything because I knew I would move again soon anyway. I never started the conversation, but slowly created distance.

I learned at a later age that in a friendship it is also necessary to speak up

It wasn’t until I moved to Groningen for my studies, around the age of twenty, that I learned that expressing yourself is also necessary in a friendship. Because things were left unsaid, tension built up and I lost friends. At a certain point, a few friends said: “You’re acting differently. If something is bothering you, you can say so.” I really had to learn that.

Alongside my studies, I was a fanatical basketball player. I played in the national youth league and was part of the Dutch U20 squad, but I was left out of the final selection right before the European Championship. Shortly after that, I tore my cruciate ligament. After a long rehabilitation I recovered, but I never reached the level I had before my injury.

Eventually, at 24, I decided to stop. It frustrated me too much to play at a lower level. After ending my sports career, I suddenly had to figure out what would give me energy going forward. I tried several studies, but didn’t finish any of them. Eventually, I worked for a few years in hospitality and in sales, but I noticed that I didn’t get any fulfillment from that.

When I asked myself two years ago what I really wanted, I thought of 3X3 Unites. I had met Bas and Ata in Groningen and they had already told me a bit about 3X3 Unites. I wanted to do something in sports, in a place where I could make an impact. I talked to Jesper. It quickly became clear to me that ownership and personal development were central at 3X3 Unites. That really appealed to me.

The 3X3 Leader Course was the confirmation for me that basketball can bring me a lot both on and off the court

I simply started joining in and at some point I heard that a 3X3 Leader Course needed to be set up in Haarlem, the city where I was living by then. I helped to set up the 3X3 Leader Course and I also participated in it myself. As the final event we organized the 3X3 Street League in Haarlem. That was really great.

During the 3X3 Leader Course I experienced again that basketball is so much more than a sport. Yes, you do basketball drills, but there is so much more behind it. You learn to trust each other, to work together, to communicate, to take initiative, and to build and maintain a community. For me, the 3X3 Leader Course confirmed that basketball can give me so much both on and off the court.

Nowadays, I am a program coordinator in Haarlem, Hoofddorp, Badhoevedorp and Heerhugowaard. I coordinate the 3X3 Unites programs with the municipality, keep in contact with social organizations, make sure our partner network is informed about our activities, and ensure that our 3X3 Leaders have the space to carry out their own initiatives.

In addition, I am also an educator and I teach 3X3 Leader Courses myself. I am extremely grateful to 3X3 Unites for the opportunity I have been given. I wanted to do something in sports again and make an impact on the lives of others. That is exactly what I am doing now, and it gives me a lot of energy.