Sports in the Netherlands

You can be sure that Dutch really care about sport!

There are thousands of sports clubs with a total of six million members. The most popular sports are soccer, cycling and speed skating. The Netherlands is the country that received the largest number of international awards in speed skating.

The national sport is soccer. The KNVB is the Royal Netherlands Football Association. With a million members, is the largest sports association in the Netherlands. 

Feyenoord (Rotterdam) and Ajax (Amsterdam) are the major rivals for years. Ajax is the club of "technology and arrogance" and Rotterdam is the club of "hard work".

Stadium Feijenoord in Rotterdam

In Avans we are able to practice sports, there is a giant sport center near the school where we can play almost every sport we want; horseback riding, soccer, basketball, tennis, etc... All for only 60€! 

The Dutch are also the undisputed kings of horizontal surfing. When the thermometer drops below zero a few days, all channels, ditches, ponds and lakes are covered with a thick layer of ice. There is a famous race called Elfstedentocht.

Every year the question "will the Elfstedentocht happen?"  is on everyone's lips, it shows the passion aroused by the skating. The circuit of Frisian Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities tour) was held for the first time in 1909. It measures 200 km. This race takes place on natural ice, it can not take place if the ice is strong enough. The latest edition was in 1997.

Unfortunately, the race doesn't take place this year...

Also it is possible to practice surf or windsurfing on the coast of the Netherlands. there it is a map of the spots.