After the success of the first Cruyff Education Hub in Heerenveen, a second one will open in Papendal, offering athletes, educational institutions, and sports professionals a place to study, learn, and connect
The Cruyff Education Hub in Papendal will be located at the beating heart of Dutch elite sports. Following the launch of the first hub in Heerenveen, this second location marks a natural next step in expanding a concept where sport and education strengthen each other every day.
Located within Sportcentrum Papendal, a leading high-performance environmen in the Netherlands where athletes live and train, the Cruyff Education Hub will expand existing opportunities for learning and personal development. It will bring education even closer to the daily routines of athletes and professionals, making it easier to combine performance, study and future planning.
Koen Mühlradt, General Manager of Sportcentrum Papendal, highlights the natural fit of the initiative: “If you walk around Papendal, you see how everything comes together. Sports, education and development are already part of the DNA here.”
“The Cruyff Education Hub fits in naturally. It gives athletes and professionals even more opportunities to grow beyond their sport, right where they train and live every day”.
At the new Cruyff Education Hub: Melissa Wijfje (Cruyff Education Hub Heerenveen), Robin van Galen and Fleur Schouten (students, Johan Cruyff Academy Amsterdam), Jochem van Essen (student, Johan Cruyff Academy Tilburg), and Sybrand Pietersma (professor, Johan Cruyff Academy Amsterdam).
For Cruyff Education, this new hub builds directly on the experience in Heerenveen, reinforcing a model designed to integrate performance, learning and personal growth. Athletes will be able to combine their sports careers with education in a flexible and supportive environment, while professionals will have a space to exchange knowledge and continue developing within the sports sector.
Carole Thate, Interim Manager of Johan Cruyff Institute and CEO of The World of Johan Cruyff, explains: ““For 25 years, Cruyff Education has been committed to supporting athletes’ dual careers.”
“Being able to support and facilitate them in their own environment is an important step forward. At the same time, we aim to further intensify collaboration with sports federations and companies, given their key role in the sports ecosystem”.
Cruyff Education Hub: more than just a study space
The Cruyff Education Hub will not be a traditional classroom. It will be a dynamic environment where education adapts to the rhythm of sport. Athletes will be able to study flexibly alongside their training schedules, while professionals connect, collaborate and share insights. Education will meet real-world practice, and new opportunities will emerge through interaction and networking.
Rooted in Johan Cruyff’s vision, the hub will focus on developing the whole person. Athletic performance will go hand in hand with mental, personal and professional growth, preparing participants not only for their sporting careers, but also for life beyond sport.
Building the future of sport
With the opening of this second Cruyff Education Hub, Papendal will further strengthen its position as a key environment where sport, well-being and education come together. The hub will contribute to a future-oriented ecosystem in which athletes and professionals can grow in every dimension, supporting both individual development and the continued evolution of the sports sector.
Cover photo: Jos Klijn.
