Sports Gala Schagen

About three months ago, I contacted Dani from Team Sportservice. They were looking for an informal, engaging evening event for the sports gala in Schagen. At this sports gala, all athletes are honored. We agreed on the program: a freestyle basketball show and interaction with the athletes and the audience through various challenges and statements that encourage interaction. In keeping with the elite athletes, the focus will be on the elite sports mentality, as well as learning from each other.

After a 1,5-hour drive, I arrive at the venue with Vincent Krieger, who will be filming everything. Everything is well organized, so within 10 minutes we're done with the sound check and the lights. Backstage at Alpha Schagen, I'm sitting with the presenter for the day, the singer, and the harpist.

The evening kicks off with a well-prepared buffet. The singer and harpist put on some great performances, and then I'm announced for the freestyle basketball show. The energetic audience easily gets caught up in my energy. People clap and move along to the music. Immediately after the show, I grab my headset for the challenging challenges we've devised for the athletes. There are challenges with reaction balls, balance challenges, and challenges where you have to spin the ball on a microphone or finger for as long as possible. The audience gets on board, and together they count along loudly.

We finished the day at the bar, where we enjoyed a delicious dessert. In keeping with the evening's informal atmosphere, a few young people and their parents wanted to learn a few more tricks. It was a real laugh-out-loud affair. A fantastic way to end a fantastic day for top athletes.