Leaders of Unites #98 - Egor Fomin
I wish for everyone to find something they can simply just enjoy
I’m Egor and I’m 25 years old. Late July 2017 me and my father moved to Groningen. I was 18 years old at the time, about to start university. This was seven years ago already, and I can honestly say those were some of the best years of my life: I met my first love after playing basketball in the park and then I also met my best friend here on campus. We’re both graduated now but luckily we’ve made many shared memories.
I’ve been playing basketball since high school. I started playing on every lunch break, together with my classmate. We would run straight to the court and play 1v1’s. There was something about the pure competition of beating, or losing to, another person that made it interesting for me. Over time my love for the game has progressed and evolved into other ideas and onto other people. I started doing basketball clinics and organizing student tournaments with 3X3 Unites. But of course, I never say no to a 1v1. I am as excited as ever to follow this road. I don’t know why I love it; I just do. I wish everyone has something or someone they could simply enjoy as it is.
Watching kids be excited about basketball is more rewarding than anything
3X3 Unites gave me a chance to turn something I love into work. People often say that “you should do what you love”, and that this is the only way one can succeed. I don’t know if that's true, but I know that I have been very lucky in this regard. I could have been sitting in an office, shuffling papers around. Instead, I am organizing basketball tournaments or coming up with games I can play with a class full of children. Watching them laugh and scream in excitement feels more rewarding, more pure. It feels like the right thing. And none of it would have been possible if not for 3X3 Unites and its people.
I was first introduced to 3X3 Unites by one of the Leaders, I still remember our conversation. It was the first time I encountered an organization centered around basketball. Now, after having been to the office and spoken to everyone, I see that we all share something in common: a love for basketball and competition. No one really talks about it, but it's there, and it's true. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have “shoot-arounds” at lunch break.
Let’s elevate the game and image of basketball
I would love to be a part of the driving force that further develops basketball in the city of Groningen and the rest of the country. I want to make it easier for children to learn, love, and play the game. I want to organize better tournaments, with passionate players, high stakes, and many, many fans watching. I want to create job opportunities for people who are passionate, just like me—people who are good at refereeing, commentating, taking pictures, or making media content.
Let’s focus on players who train to be the best. Let’s show their faces to the world. Let’s elevate those who have spent hours on an empty court, shooting or dribbling the ball. And let’s make sure that we raise a new generation that is even more passionate and dedicated. I want to see more competitors, more winners, more gold medalists—men and women with killer instinct, fierce on the court like lions, and gentle and compassionate when the game is done.
