Hans van den Heuvel has worked at the Sports Center for over 35 years: ‘I’ll keep doing this until my very last day’

For over 35 years, Hans van den Heuvel has been a familiar face at the Sports Center. The sports instructor and sports manager has seen generations of students come and go and witnessed changing trends in sports. What has remained constant is his love of sport and his conviction that the Sports Center should above all be a place where students meet and connect.

He originally wanted to become a PE teacher at a secondary school, but in 1990 Hans van den Heuvel (65) joined the Sports Center as a tennis instructor and volleyball coach. He later also taught fitness classes. Today, he is the sports manager, responsible for the entire sports programme at the Sports Center.

‘It’s fantastic working here with all these enthusiastic young people,’ says Van den Heuvel in a room on the first floor of the Sports Center. ‘What’s the difference compared to teaching at a secondary school? Students who come here have voluntarily purchased a membership. They genuinely want to do something and learn.’

Since the beginning of this year, Van den Heuvel has no longer been teaching sports classes himself. ‘I really miss teaching, but things at the Sports Center never stop. We’re always open, even during university holidays. After forty years, I quite liked the idea of having a little more freedom to plan a holiday or go to a concert.’

Van den Heuvel will retire in two years. ‘I’m not thinking about that at all yet, because I have the best job in the world. Still, I’ll have to let go eventually, just as I let go of teaching. It’s also good to make room for young, new people.’ But that time hasn’t come just yet. He is emphatic: ‘I’ll keep doing this until my very last day.’

Opening the doors to vocational students

Tilburg University’s Sports Center opened in 1962 and was initially accessible only to university students and staff. Since 1984, students from universities of applied sciences have also been welcome. ‘It makes sense, because students from universities of applied sciences and research universities live together in student houses. So they should be able to play sports together too.’

Van den Heuvel believes it should be investigated whether the Sports Center could also open its doors to students from secondary vocational education (MBO). ‘But whether that’s feasible is another question. The difficulty is that many MBO students still live at home and focus on their local sports clubs.

‘University students and students from universities of applied sciences are more likely to live away from home, which makes it easier to draw them away from their home environment. Moreover, MBO institutions would have to contribute financially to the sports facilities. We also have agreements with Fontys and Avans.’

Hanging out in the sports café

MBO students have yet to find their way to the Sports Center, but international students certainly have. ‘When I first started working here, there were hardly any international students,’ Van den Heuvel continues.

‘Later, students started arriving from China, Germany and the former Eastern Bloc. I remember students from Eastern Europe looking at me in amazement and saying: ‘You’re talking to me.’ They weren’t used to that. They saw teachers as people who gave instructions, not as people you could have a conversation with.’ He laughs: ‘Fortunately, that’s no longer an issue.’

Van den Heuvel has noticed plenty of other changes over the years. ‘When I first started working here, young people could easily spend ten years studying. And we had a sports café where they would hang around until two or three in the morning after playing sports.’

A strong student club culture

‘Studying for that long is no longer possible, and the sports café’s opening hours have been adjusted. On top of that, everything has become more expensive, forcing young people to make choices. That applies to sports as well.

‘With 27 student sports clubs, there’s still a strong club culture, but we’re seeing more and more students opt for individual sports. They put in their earbuds and completely immerse themselves in their own world.’

Van den Heuvel admires students who combine their studies with serving on the board of a sports club. ‘Sometimes I see an eighteen-year-old with an incredible amount of energy and great ideas, putting in long hours on a club board. And I think: wow, so young, and already so sure of what you want.

‘And of course, having served on the board of a sports club looks good on your CV. That’s obviously part of it too.’

No padel

The Sports Center also keeps up with changing sports trends. ‘The major traditional sports, such as football, hockey, tennis and basketball, are here to stay. But recently, someone came up to me and enthusiastically asked: ‘Can I play Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) here?’ Absolutely, provided you can find fifteen other people who are interested too. Then we’ll add BJJ to the schedule. A student from abroad wanted to play chess. In that case, we’ll also arrange a meeting to see what’s possible.’

The absence of one particular sport is a bit of a sore point for Van den Heuvel. ‘We’d really love to offer padel. Students ask about it all the time.’ Pointing outside, he continues: ‘We have the space to build the facilities, but we’re not allowed to because of the noise pollution caused by padel. Unfortunately, we don’t have the room indoors either. We’re completely full.’

Relocating certain sports to other venues is not Van den Heuvel’s preferred solution either. ‘We see that students like coming to the Sports Center. It’s seen as the central place to play sports. Besides, you bump into friends and familiar faces here. There are a few exceptions, though: the gymnastics hall is a little further away, and the rugby pitches are located on Bredaseweg.’

A field and a ball

While students encounter digitalisation and AI in their studies and everyday lives, these developments are mainly relevant to office work at the Sports Center, Van den Heuvel says with a laugh. ‘The great thing about sport is that, generally speaking, all you need is a field and a ball. Everything else is about competition, respect and having fun.

‘Respect is extremely important here. Students are all in the same boat: they’re around the same age, they all make mistakes and they all feel insecure from time to time. That’s why we believe it’s important for the Sports Center to be a safe environment. We’re happy to see students reaching out to one another and looking out for each other.’

Looking out for one another

When something serious happens, the Sports Center also wants to be there for its students, says Van den Heuvel. ‘The most terrible thing a sports club can experience is the death of one of its members. For young people, the death of someone their own age is something almost incomprehensible. It has a profound impact.

‘We have protocols in place for these kinds of tragic events. The Sports Center can support the club’s board, and fortunately, the university has confidential advisers we can refer people to.’

Inappropriate behaviour

The Sports Center also tries to keep up with the times. ‘There was a time when communal showers were no problem, but nowadays students want to shower in individual cubicles. That probably has something to do with the cameras on mobile phones.

‘Young people are very conscious of how they come across on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. They often film themselves while exercising. So the Sports Center tells them: that’s fine, but make sure you’re only filming yourself and that nobody else appears in the footage.

‘Society as a whole has changed, and everything that happens in society is reflected at the Sports Center too: misogynistic behaviour and other forms of inappropriate conduct, the use of pills, that sort of thing.

‘Both the Sports Center and the university’s Executive Board are determined to prevent inappropriate behaviour. We certainly shouldn’t turn a blind eye to it; we need to take action. At the same time, it’s difficult to have someone supervising every corner of the facility at all times.

‘Sport also means that you have to touch one another,’ Van den Heuvel concludes. ‘Especially in contact sports. I’m glad we can offer activities such as judo, gymnastics and cheerleading, and that young people still feel comfortable touching one another.’

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