Leaders of Unites #109 - Sachira Tintar
"During the 3X3 Leader Course I learned to step outside of my comfortzone"
I was a happy child in Romania and often found myself outside
My name is Sachira. I moved to Amsterdam two years ago for my studies, but I am from Romania. I was born and raised in the capital, Bucharest. When I think back to that time, a smile comes to my face. I was a happy child.
I lived with my family on the outskirts of the city and was often outside. There, I played with other children. I also did a lot of sports. I swam, played tennis, and practiced karate, but I was really looking for a team sport. I think I was around eight years old when I first came into contact with basketball.
We got a new gym teacher at school. He was also a basketball coach and asked us who was interested in playing basketball. All of my friends at school said yes, but my parents wouldn't allow it. They thought basketball was not a sport for women, but for men.
A month later, I tried again. Then the next month, and the one after that. But my parents' answer was always the same: no. It took a year before I convinced them. They allowed me to try it for a month, but they were sure I wouldn't like it.
I am extremely grateful to my basketball coach: he also gave me advice on life
The opposite was true. From the very first moment, I loved it. The team feeling, the community around it, and the coach. I’m still very grateful to him. He really cared about us. He didn’t just get us excited about basketball, but he also gave us life advice.
We often sat and talked for about twenty minutes after practice. He would tell us things like how important it was to eat healthy, such as bananas and apples. He advised us not to smoke and emphasized the importance of getting enough sleep. He saw us as role models for other kids.
After a few years, we didn’t have enough girls at school to form a team. But I didn’t want to stop playing basketball, so I went to play with friends on courts and in parks. That’s when I was introduced to 3x3 basketball. We played with both boys and girls mixed together.
I later picked up 5-on-5 basketball again, but I’ve always continued to play 3x3. The freedom and dynamics that 3x3 basketball offers spoke to me from the beginning. In the summer, I traveled every week to a different city in Romania for a 3x3 tournament. When I was seventeen, I became the player with the most points in the competition, which led to my selection for the national 3x3 team.
When I moved to Amsterdam in 2023 to study Information Sciences, I quickly heard about 3x3 Unites from a guy at the university. It caught my attention; in Bucharest, I had volunteered with a similar organization. I organized events. I immediately sent a message to 3x3 Unites.
But that wasn’t all. The guy also told me about the 3x3 Leader Course. I can laugh about it now, but at the time, I told him that I didn’t need the 3x3 Leader Course. I thought, I’ve been playing for years in the national team of Romania. At that moment, I didn’t know that during the 3x3 Leader Course, you don’t just learn the rules of 3x3 basketball, but also work on your life skills.
During the 3x3 Leader Course, I learned to step out of my comfort zone.
When I realized what the 3x3 Leader Course was about, I immediately signed up. I soon found out that there was a difference between 3x3 Unites and the organization I had worked for in Romania. There, it was mostly about basketball. At 3x3 Unites, basketball is just a tool to work on your life skills and make social issues like gender equality and mental health more open for discussion.
In Romania, I was always very shy because I was often the youngest. I preferred letting others speak or kept my opinions to myself. But during the 3x3 Leader Course, I learned to step out of my comfort zone. I learned to stand up for myself and make decisions.
Let me give you an example: Last year, I was asked to speak for a day at the World Tour Amsterdam Masters conference for partners of 3x3 Unites and other organizations. There were about a hundred people in the room. Five years ago, I would have never dared to do this, but now I thought: why not? It was amazing. I was really proud of myself.
I’ve since completed my studies. I recently started working at GLI, a software company that tests games. In addition, I’ve been a member of US Basketball Amsterdam for about six months. Although I may have a bit less time now, I want to stay very active and involved with 3x3 Unites. I’ve already organized several activities in my neighborhood in Amsterdam-Noord, helped out at the World Tour, and am contributing to the Youth Empowerment Conference, which will be held on May 16th. In the future, I hope to work full-time for 3x3 Unites.
