Leaders of Unites #108 – Liv Brouwer
We Played Against Boys All the Time And We Always Took Them Down
My name is Liv. I’m 17 years old, born in Amsterdam, but when I was four, we moved to Amstelveen, and I’ve been here ever since. My childhood in Amstelveen was great. My whole family lived nearby, and there were always friends around, so I remember it as a good time.
I’ve been playing basketball since I was eight years old. Basketball runs deep in my family. My grandparents actually met on the court, and my mom, uncles, and aunts all played too. So yeah, you could say I was born into the game. From the moment I started playing, I loved it. Basketball is so dynamic, you’re constantly moving, thinking, reacting. But the best part? It’s a team sport. I’ve made so many friends through my club, and we get together even outside of basketball.
I’ve played my whole life at MBCA, a big club with a solid girls’ program. That’s been great because I’ve always had strong girls’ teams to play with. We did mostly play against boys, but we always took them down. That made it even more fun!
What I love about 3X3 Unites, it’s not just basketball, it’s a real community
In 2022, Ray reached out to me and Isa to see if we wanted to join a new 3X3 Leader Course. I had already played some 3X3 at my club and was getting more into it, so I thought, why not? It seemed like a great opportunity.
Right away, it was a great vibe. Not just with people from MBCA, but even with football players who joined. I need that kind of energy, if something isn’t fun, it won’t keep me hooked. The 3X3 Leader Course made me better at giving positive feedback and helping others. Something that worked both ways. The other Leaders got better at giving me feedback too, which really helped me grow.
Since then, I’ve been helping out on street courts and at Goudsmithal. In 2022, I even got the chance to help out at the World Tour, and that was insane! You see all the games up close, and you know you played a part in making the whole event happen. Seeing the crowd go wild and knowing you helped create that experience? Unreal. And of course, the crew is always a blast to be around. That’s what I love about 3X3 Unites, it’s not just basketball, it’s a real community.
Last year, I got another amazing opportunity through 3X3 Unites. I got to go to Festival24 in Paris! People from different Sport for Good organizations worldwide came together to talk about the social impact of the Olympics. We spent a whole week connecting through sports, and it was an experience I’ll never forget.
You can really feel how the Olympics have boosted 3X3 and the basketball scene in the Netherlands. I get so many texts from people like, “I just saw 3X3 on TV and thought of you!” It’s not just making the sport bigger. It is bringing people together. And that’s something really special to see.
Helping Others Is What Drives Me
For the future, I want to spend more time on the courts in Amstelveen. When I’m out there, I see so many kids watching us, wanting to play. And we can help make that happen. That’s something I want to keep doing.
Right now, I play for MBCA’s U18-1 team, and as long as basketball stays fun and I can balance it with life, I want to keep playing at the highest level I can.
At the same time, I’m in my final year of VWO and have applied for medicine and psychobiology for university. I’ve always been drawn to the medical field. Biology, especially learning about the human body, has always fascinated me, and I was always good at it. Psychobiology focuses on how chemicals in the body affect the brain. The brain is so complex and unique, and I love that. I’m especially interested in how it all works in children.
I don’t know exactly where life will take me yet. Hopefully, I can work in the medical field and help people, because that’s what truly makes me happy. But I’m also just going to see where life takes me and go with the flow.
