For the first time, all Utrecht vocational institutions are connected. This means student sports in Utrecht is truly for everyone – from vocational to university.
Students are involved in the development of the sports offering. Through the Sports Council and student representatives, we collaborate to ensure sports facilities – for example, on and around the Science Park – better meet the wishes and needs of students.

Councilor Eva Oosters (Sports): “As a municipality, we see what movement, meeting, and sports can mean for the well-being of Utrecht students. With this covenant, we want to collectively show that we are eager to contribute to this. And that we work together to tackle challenges such as waiting lists and financial pressure on student sports.”

“Sports is more than just movement,” says Wilco Hazeleger, rector of Utrecht University. “The sports club is the place where students meet each other, develop themselves, and maintain mental health. Especially now, as educational institutions may find it more difficult in the future to support student sports due to stricter financial oversight on the public-private policy rule, it is important that we stand together for this.”

Sports Council Utrecht: “This covenant is a great step forward in the collaboration to further develop student sports. We can now sit down with our heads in the same direction to allow as many students as possible to participate in sports.”

Some goals from the covenant:

• actively support students in finding a suitable form of sport;
• use municipal sports locations more efficiently, even outside peak hours;
• expand capacity on and around the Utrecht Science Park;
• allow vocational students to participate in the existing sports offering;
• use sports for mental well-being, in collaboration with study advisors and psychologists;
• combine knowledge, networks, and resources to sustainably strengthen Utrecht student sports.

The signing took place during the first edition of the UUlympics, a sports day full of connection, vitality, and fun, exactly what the new covenant stands for.