Leaders of Unites #136 - Flint Sonnenberg

22 July, 2026

"Thanks to the 3X3 Leader Course, I now have the confidence to approach people on the court and get them involved."

I always liked basketball, but in primary school there were very few other children who felt the same way

Amsterdam South and Amsterdam New-West. My parents divorced when I was seven years old. They continued living close to each other. As a child, I was often outside playing football with friends. Until I was eleven, I was a member of Pancratius, the football club in Badhoevedorp. There was no room for me at a club in Amsterdam.

I had always liked basketball. But at primary school, there were only a few other children who felt the same way. That changed when I went to secondary school. There I made friends who also loved basketball. We played on the schoolyard or on outdoor courts in our neighbourhood, often at Museumplein; which is a great place to play basketball.

I enjoy going to the court by myself: I put on some music and just mess around with the ball or practice my shooting

When I was fifteen, I wanted to join Harlemlakers. But that would have meant going straight into the under-18 team. I had been born just a little too early to still play in the under-16 team. I wasn't very keen on playing against boys who were a few years older than me in my very first season. It was also quite expensive. So I decided not to join after all.

Instead, my friends and I started playing on the courts in our neighbourhood. If they couldn't make it, I would go by myself. Now that I'm a bit older, I actually enjoy going to the court alone. I put on some music, dribble around a bit or practice my shooting. For me, it's also a way to relax and clear my mind. I can easily spend two hours there.

Thanks to the 3X3 Leader Course, I now have the confidence to approach people on the court and get them involved

In my third year of secondary school, my school took part in a basketball tournament in Amsterdam Southeast. To our surprise, we won the tournament. Afterwards, Jacopo Bertotti from 3X3 Unites came over to me. I had caught his attention. He thought I was a very enthusiastic player. We started talking, and he explained what 3X3 Unites does. He also told me that I could come and work for 3X3 Unites if I wanted to.

I thought that sounded amazing: earning money by doing something I really enjoy. I immediately signed up for the 3X3 Leader Course. It was a lot of fun and incredibly educational. I learned how to organise an event, and I now have the confidence to approach people on the courts and involve them. Before taking the Leader Course, I found it very difficult to make that first move and always waited for someone else to come up to me.

The course helped me enormously during the activations I organised as a Leader over the past few years. By now, I have grown into the role of Regional Lead for Amsterdam South. I am responsible for several courts and make sure everything runs smoothly. I am very grateful for the trust I have been given and for the personal growth I have experienced. I also have a lot of contact with the Leaders.

The 3X3 Mentor Course has helped me tremendously: I can express my feelings much better and put them into words

Last year, I also completed the 3X3 Mentor Course, which focuses on mental health. Partly because of my parents' divorce, I had quite a difficult childhood. I was never very good at expressing my emotions or talking about my feelings. When I heard about the Mentor Course, I thought: this could be a good first step towards working on my mental health.

The Mentor Course has helped me tremendously. I am now much better at expressing my feelings and putting them into words. Because of that, I feel much better about myself. I experience less inner conflict and doubt. I think it is great that 3X3 Unites offers a Mentor Course. Mental health is incredibly important, but it is still often an overlooked topic, especially among young people.

For me, everything that 3X3 Unites stands for came together at the 3X3 Festival

This year, I helped out at the 3X3 Festival. I was at the Rabo 3x3 Street League courts, where I kept the scoreboard, refereed games and met many 3X3 Leaders I had never met before. That was quite special. I have been working for 3X3 Unites for four years now, and I felt that everything came together for me at the 3X3 Festival.

At 3X3 Unites, it is also about building a community. We definitely did that during the 3X3 Festival with 3X3 Leaders from all over the country. At the same time, you also had the freedom to go and watch the games in the arena whenever you wanted. It was really awesome to see the best players in the world in action up close. The atmosphere at the festival was great as well. Everyone was relaxed and took the time to chat with each other.

At the end of this school year, I completed my HAVO final exams. After the summer, I am taking a gap year and I want to go on a two-week holiday to Austria. After my gap year, I want to train to become a detective. The tactical investigation department seems the most interesting to me. There you deal with criminal organisations or work in the vice squad.

Besides that, I also plan to get even more involved in 3x3 basketball after the summer. I want to take on more responsibilities at 3X3 Unites and, at the very least, help make the courts in Amsterdam South fun and welcoming, so that there are always people to play with. I can also see myself working for 3X3 Unites in the future.