Leaders of Unites #81 – Daen van Tilborg
So, in basketball terms, I’m definitely a role model for her when it comes to “working hard,” “keeping at it even without results,” and “putting things aside for basketball.”
Watching the NBA with Dad was incredibly fascinating for young Daen.
I’m Daen van Tilborg. I ampatient, energetic, athletic, and driven. I’m from Amersfoort, where I was born and have basically lived my whole life. I have a 19-year-old brother and a 15-year-old sister, and I try to be a role model for both of them. My sister, like me, plays basketball and recently became a Leader of Unites during the World Tour in Amsterdam. So, in basketball terms, I’m definitely a role model for her when it comes to “working hard,” “keeping at it even without results,” and “putting things aside for basketball.” The same goes for my brother. He’s doing a bit better academically than I did, but he’s also into elite sports. He’s currently in Birmingham for a trampoline competition. It’s kind of funny, because our parents never really competed at a high level in sports, but somehow all three of us ended up doing so.
I got into basketball mainly through my dad. He followed the NBA, and for young Daen, it was incredibly fascinating to watch those guys play, so of course, I wanted to do that too! Maybe if my dad had been watching the Champions League, things would’ve turned out very differently… I started my basketball journey with Crackerjacks, where I played until I was 17. When I was younger, I was actually pretty good. I picked up the basics quickly. But once I got to the U16 level, I really struggled with my growing body. I felt like a kid who didn’t quite know what to do with himself. I mostly stood in the corner, throwing up the occasional shot and that was about it.
Something had to change in my life
In my second year of U18, Crackerjacks played in the national league. That summer, I trained and played a lot, which gave me a huge confidence boost. I started playing with more courage and self-belief — I wasn’t just standing still anymore, I was dribbling, making moves, creating plays. After that season, I was invited to join the Basketball Academy in Zwolle. That was an amazing experience, training twice a day under professional guidance! But after two years, I unfortunately wasn’t quite good enough to take the next step.
Of course, you go into something like that with a lot of energy and optimism, but there were simply guys who were better than me, and you have to be able to accept that. Alongside basketball, I was studying Commercial Economics in Zwolle, and that combination just didn’t work out. At that age, it was really hard to balance elite sports and academics. I realized I needed to make a change in my life, so I decided to take a step back. It felt a bit like giving up, because at that moment, you realize you’re not achieving that childhood dream of playing at the highest level.
I worked extremely hard on myself
After that, I went back to Crackerjacks, which took some adjusting. You go from a high-performance environment back to a more recreational one, playing for fun, three times a week. Luckily, the team I joined was very motivated, so every practice we went all in. Around that time, I also started a new study: teacher training (Pabo). That’s where I really discovered my passion for teaching young children, something Unites definitely helped me with. So, there was a real fresh wind blowing through my life after the Academy period.
All these changes happened around the time of the COVID lockdown. Even though I couldn’t train as much, I worked incredibly hard on myself. I kept playing basketball alone and focused on my body. That gave me more confidence in my game, and eventually led to me joining UBALL in the Promotion Division, and things went really well there. I’ve also always kept playing 3x3 basketball during the summer. I’ve loved it from the start and joined every fun tournament I could, including the very first Pro League organized by Unites. During one of those tournaments, a good friend and fellow Leader got noticed by the national team coach, and he recommended me. That’s how I ended up playing for the Dutch National 3x3 Team!
You see what a real family 3X3 Unites is
That was such a huge change. Thinking back from that eight-year-old kid watching the NBA with his dad, especially after the Zwolle Academy chapter, I never would’ve dreamed this. I’ve always worked hard because I truly love the game and wanted to get better. It’s surreal when one day you find yourself booking a ticket to Marseille on a Thursday night to play a World Tour game against Düsseldorf! That’s also when you really feel what kind of family Unites is, suddenly you’re flooded with messages from people in the community: Leaders, Founders, everyone cheering you on. That makes you so proud, it’s the best feeling in the world.
The support from Unites has been a huge part of my journey. I joined one of the very first Leader Courses in Amersfoort back in 2016 or 2017, and I’ve stayed in close contact with Bas ever since. At first, I was pretty shy, but he kept encouraging me to come to a 3x3 training session. And that’s exactly what Unites is about, stepping outside your comfort zone, learning new things, and passing them on to the next generation.
That sense of connection with the 3x3 game and with 3X3 Unites, it has meant so much to me. I hope I can continue to carry that forward. As a teacher, I get to help thirty kids prepare for their futures, and if there’s one thing I want to pass on, it’s the sense of community and the life skills that Unites has taught me. Wherever I go, I’ll always carry the spirit of Unites with me.
