Nine sports in Leeuwarden you wouldn't think of
Football, fitness and tennis are well known. You can also do these sports in Leeuwarden, and there's a good chance you haven't considered them yet.
Sportspots editorial team, updated on
Photo: letspaintball.nl
-
Kaatsen (Frisian handball)
The oldest sports tournament in the country is a kaatsen match
Two teams of three hit a small, hard ball with the hand across a grass field. The scoring is so distinctive that you need an afternoon to get the hang of it, and afterwards you won't want to leave. In Friesland whole villages turn up, with the PC in Franeker as the country's oldest sports tournament.
Kaatsen is mainly a spring and summer sport. Clubs often have youth and beginners' groups.
In Leeuwarden: Keatsferiening „Nije Kriich”, Leeuwarder Kaatsclub Sonnenborgh, Kaatsvereniging It Wetterlân and still 4
-
Korfball
Men and women always play on the same team
Korfball comes from the Netherlands: four men and four women in one team, and everyone guards someone of the same sex. Dribbling isn't allowed and neither is pushing, so it's all about clever passing and getting free. It feels faster and more tactical than most people think.
Most clubs let you train a few times, even as an adult with no experience.
In Leeuwarden: K.V. Mid-Fryslân
-
Archery
One arrow, and your mind goes blank
In archery you can think of nothing but your posture and your breathing. It is calm, precise and addictive as soon as the first arrow hits the mark. Your age or fitness hardly matters.
Clubs offer a taster or beginners' course, with a bow provided by the club.
In Leeuwarden: Indoor Schietbaan Leeuwarden
-
Jeu de boules
The sport you start with a drink in your hand
Boules seems easygoing, until you see how fanatically people measure, calculate and shoot. You can join at almost any age, and you can play outdoors for most of the year.
At most clubs you can drop in on a playing day and borrow balls.
In Leeuwarden: JBV Le Biberon, BOEL
-
Rowing
At six in the morning on the water
Rowing teaches you to move together in one rhythm, and when it works the boat feels as if it is floating. It is demanding and technical, and it cannot be done without each other. That is why rowers are so loyal.
Clubs have courses for beginners, often in spring and after the summer. You need to be able to swim.
In Leeuwarden: LRV Wetterwille, Roeivereniging Epsilon
-
Canoe & SUP
Your city from the water
In a canoe or on a stand-up paddleboard you suddenly see the place where you live differently. You go as hard or as gently as you like. At a club you can also play canoe polo or try whitewater paddling.
Hire is often available by the hour, and a club will teach you to paddle safely.
In Leeuwarden: Kanovereniging De Hydronauten
-
Rugby
Hard on the pitch, friendly afterwards
Everyone in a rugby team has a place, whether you are tall and thin or short and broad. After the match, both teams stand together at the bar, and that is just as much part of the game as the scrum.
Clubs also take on beginners who have never held an oval ball, and first teach you how to tackle and fall safely.
In Leeuwarden: Rugby Club Greate Pier
-
Baseball & softball
Patience, and then one hit
Baseball and softball are a mix of waiting, watching and one second of pure action. In the Netherlands it is smaller than football, but we are surprisingly good at it. Every position has its own role in the game.
Clubs lend you a glove. For many adults, softball is the easiest way in.
In Leeuwarden: H.S.V. Northern Stars
-
Skateboarding
Falling and getting up, literally
No one can do it the first time. That's what makes skating so fun: every little trick you land feels like a win. The skatepark scene is more open than it seems, including for adults who are just starting out.
You can often borrow a board through a course. Wear a helmet, especially at the beginning.
In Leeuwarden: 11stedenhal
