The Cruyff Foundation gives children the space to play sport and develop themselves. Not only physically, but also mentally, for both children and youngsters. Heroes of the Cruyff Court is our programme that empowers young people to be role models in their neighbourhood and keeps them actively involved with both the community and the Cruyff Court over the long term.
At Cruyff Court Verhulstplein, the first Heroes programme in Eindhoven has kicked off. Together with a Cruyff Foundation Coach, the new Heroes got moving and discovered the power of sports. With nine active Cruyff Courts in Eindhoven, the ambition is to activate two more courts in the spring of 2026.
One of the Heroes of the Cruyff Courts participants, Omar, looks back: "I really enjoyed these 10 weeks. It was a great combination of theory and practice, especially the football. The theory sessions also went well. We handed out flyers around the neighbourhood, which led to more sign-ups. I truly enjoyed these weeks and learned a lot about organising an event."
The Heroes of the Cruyff Courts programme in Eindhoven was guided by Daphne and Ilyas from Dynamo Youth Work. Over a 10-week programme, they worked with the youngsters, combining theory and practice.
Dynamo intern and co-coach Ilyas shares: "During the theory sessions, we first taught the youngsters which rules are important in sport and explored different ways to keep te game fun. During the practical sessions, we were active on the Cruyff Court and in the sports hall. In the end, we taught the youngsters how to organise an event independently. I am truly proud of what they achieved here today. What I personally learned is that with a small effort, you can make young people incredibly happy."
Explaining his motivation for doing this together with the youngsters, he says: " I am in my second year of the social work programme and youth work really suits me, partly because my family works in healthcare and I have previously worked a lot with young people. I joined Dynamo through Daphne and I am really enjoying it so far. I can defintely see myself working here in the future."
Cruyff Foundation Coach and youth worker Daphne adds: "With our Heroes project, we organised an event at Cruyff Court Verhulstplein together with 11 young people. We deliberately chose to hold it in December, as this period is usually affected by a lot of fireworks nuisance. In this way, we hope to strengthen connections in the neighbourhood in a postive way, by giving young people the opportunity to give something back to their community, now and hopefully more often in the future."
