sport
De Pijp Youth Programs Reveal Fitness Trends Amid Rising Costs
Open sessions and school bookings at Sportcentrum De Pijp point to steady youth involvement amid rising facility costs.
How we reported this
High school students from the De Pijp neighborhood regularly attend physical education classes at Sportcentrum De Pijp on Lizzy Ansinghstraat 88, where two 48 by 23 metre halls support recurring weekly sessions booked through the City of Amsterdam's Sportverhuur system.
The facility has hosted community sports for over 40 years and recently completed renovations that include a new floor. Youth basketball and ultimate football training run alongside these school uses, while Amsterdam Ultimate schedules its youth division on Tuesdays from 17:30 to 19:00 with an open sign-up policy that requires no prior email registration.
Programs at Sportcentrum De Pijp
These offerings sit within a broader set of activities at the same venue. Queer Badminton Amsterdam meets on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Pickleball Amsterdam runs open-play sessions on Sundays and Thursdays that draw roughly 30 players each week. The two main halls can accommodate up to nine badminton courts or three to four volleyball courts per hall, allowing schools and clubs to share space without dedicated reservations for every slot.
Schools in Amsterdam book one-to-three-hour blocks online, with longer half-day programs handled through written requests. The arrangement keeps physical education accessible for De Pijp students even as the City of Amsterdam has doubled rental prices for private users and raised rates sharply for sports associations ahead of the coming season.
Price Changes and Participation Patterns
The documented price increases coincide with continued use of the renovated halls for youth training and school classes. Open sign-up policies at the ultimate football sessions and pickleball groups lower barriers for new participants, suggesting that local fitness culture relies on flexible access rather than membership requirements. Sportcentrum De Pijp remains the main municipal indoor site serving these groups year-round.
Residents seeking to join can check the Sportverhuur system for available school-adjacent slots or visit the centre directly on Lizzy Ansinghstraat 88 to learn about current youth schedules.