On Thursday, October 1, Cruyff Alumni and former elite athletes Myrthe Schoot, Stan Pijnenburg and Melissa Wijfje officially opened the Cruyff Education Hub at Sportcentrum Papendal.
The Cruyff Education Hub officially opened its doors at Papendal. The new Hub offers a multifunctional space where education and sport come together, right at the heart of the daily elite sports environment.
During the opening, Bram Lomans, former Dutch field hockey international, alumnus and lecturer at Johan Cruyff Academy Amsterdam, spoke with representatives of Cruyff Education, including former elite athletes and Cruyff Alumni Myrthe Schoot, Stan Pijnenburg and Melissa Wijfje. Myrthe and Stan are both currently working at Papendal, where they support and contribute to the professional sports environment. Melissa is the coordinator of the new hub.
Together, they carried out the opening ceremony: Melissa cut the ribbon, with Myrthe and Stan holding it as the new Cruyff Education Hub was officially opened.
From elite athlete to supporting high-performance sport
Myrthe Schoot.
Myrthe Schoot, a former Dutch volleyball international, studied at Johan Cruyff Academy Amsterdam during her sports career. She now works at Papendal as a project manager for TeamNL Athlete Services. In this role, she works on projects that help athletes combine their sporting careers with personal and professional development. Through a matching program, for example, she connects elite athletes with companies and schools for presentations and clinics.
“Combining elite sport with a full-time degree was sometimes challenging,” Myrthe says. “But the support from my lecturers, both academically and personally, made me feel like we were in it together.” She brings that experience into her current work:
“Because of my own experience, I understand the challenges athletes face when combining sport with education or work. It helps me put myself in their position and support them as well as possible, just as my lecturers did for me.”
A quote from Johan Cruyff, displayed on the wall of the Cruyff Education Hub, remains an important guiding principle: “Who better to represent sport than an elite athlete who has experienced it themselves?”
From elite swimming to the high-performance sports environment
Stan Pijnenburg also developed a dual career through Cruyff Education. The former top-level swimmer earned a bachelor’s degree at Johan Cruyff Academy Tilburg and later completed the Master in Sports Business Online at Johan Cruyff Institute.
“By focusing on my studies alongside swimming, I could take my mind off the sport for a while and develop myself in a different way,” Stan says. “It gave me a good balance and an additional goal to work toward alongside swimming.” The personal support he received from the program helped him combine both worlds:
“It never felt like I had to choose between my sport and my studies. That flexibility made it possible to do both successfully.”
Stan Pijnenburg.
Stan now works at Papendal as a project and operations coordinator. In this role, he serves as an important link between elite athletes, coaches, sports federations and various internal departments. He also works on projects aimed at further improving the elite sports environment.
His education taught him to look at things from a different perspective: “My studies really encouraged me to think outside the box. That mindset shaped the way I approach my work today. I’m not someone who quickly accepts that ‘this is just the way we do things.’ I’m interested in understanding why something is done a certain way, and whether it could be done differently, more efficiently or better.”
His background as an elite athlete also benefits him in his current role: “I understand what athletes, coaches and other users of Papendal need. At the same time, my current role is giving me an increasingly broader view of the organization as a whole. That combination allows me to think both practically and strategically.”
Bringing education closer to sport
With the arrival of the Cruyff Education Hub, education from Johan Cruyff College, Johan Cruyff Academy and Johan Cruyff Institute is now literally closer to the daily environment of sport.
Carole Thate, interim manager of Johan Cruyff Institute Netherlands and CEO of Cruyff Management, sees the opening as a natural next step: “By bringing education closer to the daily routines of athletes and sports professionals, it becomes easier to combine sport, work, education and planning for the future”
“Following the first Cruyff Education Hub in Heerenveen, this second location marks another important step in expanding a concept that brings sport and education closer together.”
Jochem Schellens, General Director of Sportcentrum Papendal and Conference Hotel Papendal, also sees the Cruyff Education Hub as a valuable addition to the high-performance sports environment:
“At Papendal, we aim to create an environment where athletes can perform at their best while also preparing for life beyond sport. The presence of Cruyff Education gives our staff and athletes more opportunities to combine their projects with their studies.”
Photo Credits: Joris Aben
