Leaders of Unites #132 - Marc van der Oordt

15 April, 2026

"Sports have always been my way to meet new people"

Sports have always been my way to meet new people

My name is Marc van der Oordt, and I am 24 years old. I was born and raised in Heerhugowaard. As a child, I was always playing outside. In front of our house, there was a grassy field. I played football there every day with friends from the neighborhood. Back then, we still used to knock on each other’s doors to ask if someone wanted to join.

I still live in Heerhugowaard, but my family moved a long time ago to the other side of town. Because of that, I lost some social contacts from my old neighborhood. But through sports, I also made new friends in this area. Sports have always been my way to meet new people.

At home, it was always cozy, although I spent most of my time outside. I am the youngest of three children and have two older sisters. I still live with one of my sisters and our parents. She has a daughter, so I also live with my niece.

Playing basketball games against the teachers at school

I have always been a big football fan and still play in a friends’ team at V.V. Reiger Boys in Heerhugowaard. When I started studying, I stopped for a few years because I thought I wouldn’t have time for football. That was the biggest mistake of my life. I missed the social contacts and sometimes needed an outlet.

I have also always liked basketball, partly because I am tall. In high school, I would sometimes shoot hoops with two friends. That grew into games against the teachers during breaks or after class. At some point, we started playing on the local court ourselves.

At first, there were just two of us. We played a lot of one-on-one games. But the group quickly grew. We played small matches among ourselves and signed up for a 3x3 tournament in Haarlem. Once we got there, we also learned about all kinds of activations and pick-up games. Not long after, we were driving to Haarlem every week with several full cars, haha.

The 3X3 Leader Course proved that sports can teach many life lessons

It was Thijs Michielsen, the program coordinator in Haarlem, who gave us an idea. He said: “If you do the 3X3 Leader Course here in Haarlem, you can then organize a Leader Course in Heerhugowaard and run your own activations.” That sounded great to us.

The Leader Course was fun and educational. You have to think about questions like: what is a role model for you? And what does a community mean to you? It encourages self-reflection and sharpens your own values. For me, the Leader Course proved that sports can teach many life lessons.

In 3x3 basketball, you learn to take ownership. You play without a coach, and on the courts, there is no referee. You have to organize things among yourselves. And if you make a mistake, you have to admit it honestly. That’s part of taking responsibility. All these skills are useful in everyday life as well.

The jewelry I wear symbolizes the strong bond with my family

I wear two pieces of jewelry. I received a signet ring from my father and a bracelet from my sister. The jewelry symbolizes the close bond I have with my family. When I look at them, I think of them and feel happy. My family means a lot to me.

The funny thing is that I used to feel very differently. I had a big mouth and often said I wanted to live abroad one day, preferably on the other side of the world. I didn’t care that I would be far from my family. But now I know better. I am very happy to have them close, and I wear the jewelry with pride.

My dream is to work full-time in the sports sector or be involved in sports

By now, we have our own 3x3 community in Heerhugowaard and organize all kinds of activities, including the 3x3 Rabo Street League. I am already looking forward to that. As a local coordinator, I sometimes give clinics myself, but I am also busy with other tasks: I have many meetings with our partners who help us run our programs in Heerhugowaard.

Besides my work for 3X3 Unites, I work three days a week at an online store for ink cartridges. But my dream is to work full-time in the sports sector or to be professionally involved in sports.