Pilot Youth Sports Pass Starts in Three Municipalities

The pilots are part of a study by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) into the potential effects of a national sports pass. The goal is to investigate whether barriers for certain groups of young people to participate in sports and physical activity can be removed with such a sports pass. Results and lessons learned are expected in July 2027.

Youth aged 12 to 23 in the municipalities of Waadhoeke, Heerlen, and Dordrecht will receive a sports pass loaded with between 100 to 300 euros per year to spend on sports. The participating municipalities have determined which amount is available for which group of young people. This amount can be spent on introductory activities, individual sports lessons, or annual subscriptions or memberships. The intention is to remove barriers to (continuing to) participate in sports.

The three participating municipalities each have a unique profile. The resident profiles vary everywhere, such as the number of inhabitants, different ages, and backgrounds. They also each have a different sports infrastructure. VWS collaborates with three different municipalities - Waadhoeke (Friesland), Heerlen (Limburg), and Dordrecht (South Holland) – to gain more insight into the effects of the sports pass based on these differences. The credit on the sports pass and the number of young people who can use the pass also vary per municipality. Extra attention is given to contact with non-sporting youth and youth with lower incomes. The municipalities do this with specific programs and actions, targeted communication, and guidance from, for example, neighborhood sports coaches.