Opening court: Dordrecht
What was the reason for building new 3x3 courts?
‘A few years ago, Wouter van der Spoel, a member of the Dordrecht municipal council, came up with the initiative to build a new, colourful 3x3 basketball court, also known as an art court. There was only a basketball hoop, but there were no court markings and the surface consisted of tiles, so the court was barely used.
‘At one point, the municipality approached 3X3 Unites and asked if we wanted to take care of the programming on the new court. We started the 3X3 Leader Course in Oranjepark and also started our activations there, because the courts at Energieplein were not finished yet. From August onwards, we started running activations at Energieplein.
What has been improved about the new courts?
‘There are now two new 3x3 courts next to each other at Energieplein. There are new basketball hoops, the surface has been renewed and court lines have been added, although it is not an art court yet. But that could still happen in the future. Before, the square did not really invite people to play basketball, but now that you see the courts there, you just feel like playing.'
What role did 3X3 Unites play in the realisation of the new courts?
‘We started talking to the municipality of Dordrecht about the programming on the courts. In addition, Lenno Witteveen, together with our local lead Luka Glušac, managed to get many young people from basketball club Rowic in Dordrecht excited about the project. Within no time, we had 18 young people who wanted to take part in the 3X3 Leader Course.
‘It was really great to see. We started in Oranjepark. But once the courts at Energieplein were finished, we also started going there once a week. From now on, we have two beautiful outdoor locations in Dordrecht where young people can play basketball and where we can run our activations.
Which partners and organisations contributed to the realisation of the new court?
‘We have a very good working relationship with Dordt Sport, which is part of the municipality of Dordrecht and promotes sport and physical activity in Dordrecht. They support us, think along with us and give us a lot of freedom and responsibility. The lines of communication are short, which means we can respond quickly and exchange knowledge with each other. Our long-standing partner Nijha, a supplier of sports equipment, also provided the basketball hoop.’
What was the official opening of the new courts like?
‘It was really great. There were many young people there, and the official opening was carried out by alderwoman Margret Stolk and Olympic champion Jan Driessen. The alderwoman passed the ball to Jan, and with an impressive dunk, the court was officially opened. It was great that Jan was there too. He is a role model for many young people.
‘After the official opening, there was a 3x3 tournament for young people under 16 and over 16. There was also plenty of good food, a DJ and the young people could take part in a graffiti workshop. FC Straat was also there with an activation. They also use Energieplein, so we thought it would be great to immediately make the connection with them.
What do the new courts mean for the 3x3 community in Dordrecht?
‘First of all, young people in Dordrecht now have a new place that invites them to come together and play basketball together. We are already hearing from the municipality that there is a lot of demand from schools for basketball activities. We are also going to look at how we can start working together with basketball club Rowic.
‘The new 3x3 courts also offer opportunities for our own 3X3 Leaders, of course. Because we have a new location, we can organise additional activations. That creates employment opportunities for our Leaders. Together, we will make sure that we get as many young people as possible moving and that the community in Dordrecht continues to grow.’
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