About Student Sport Netherlands
Student Sports Netherlands (SSN) is the umbrella organisation of student sports in the Netherlands. SSN is a national organisation that represents the interests of the approximately 200,000 student athletes in the Netherlands. This in both top and recreational sport and for both athletes who sport individually and athletes who are members of an association. In addition, more than 50 student championships (NSKs) are organised annually under the auspices of SSN!
Sport is an important component for both the physical and mental health of young people. For many students, going to university also means looking for new opportunities to start and continue playing sports. Throughout the Netherlands, there are very many opportunities especially for students when it comes to playing sports. In addition to taking out a studentensport membership, it is also possible to join one of the many studentensport associations. These associations are for both avid student athletes and students looking for social contact and fun. Besides offering sports, these associations are also student associations that organise many different activities and get-togethers. The studentensport associations often have no hazing and are low-threshold and accessible to anyone who already practices the sport or would like to learn it.
SSN's core tasks
One of SSN's three core tasks is to looking after the interests of the sporting student at the national level. In this role, SSN firstly ensures integration and knowledge transfer between OSSOs, Student Sports Federations (SSBs) and Organisational Committees (OCs). SSN also provides these parties with a section on Staff Development and offers support through the SSN Academy. SSN also maintains contact with external parties. Nationally, these are the Ministry of AZ and VWS, ISO and the NJR, which are permanent interlocutors for national politics. Internationally, SSN maintains contacts with the EUSA and FISU, the European and World student sports organisations.
The second core task consists of the organising and supporting sporting events within the student sports world. SSN's trademark in this is the Dutch Student Championships (NSKs) organised in more than 50 sports. Separate committees exist for the organisation of all these NSKs. SSN's task in this is to keep an overview of the NSKs, support these committees and oversee the quality, level and external communication of the NSKs. Once a year, the Grand Dutch Student Championship is held. This is a cluster of a number of widely practised sports in the Dutch Student World. This multi-day event is therefore one of the biggest in Dutch student sports. Again, SSN is actively involved in the organisation.
SSN's third core mission relates to the student sports. In fact, SSN represents not only grassroots sport but also top-level sport. The subsidiary foundation SSN Topsport is mainly concerned with recruiting and sending Dutch participants to the World University Championships and the World University Games (also known as Universiades). In terms of International events, SSN also sends studentensporters to European University Championships and European University Games. These events are organised under the supervision of the European University Sports Association (EUSA). Recruitment and broadcasting towards these events is not done by SSN Topsport, but by SSN International.
Cooperation with our supporters
Studentensport Nederland has been an association since 2017 and has 11 members anno 2026, the affiliated studentensport councils (also known as OSSOs). These OSSOs are advocates for the studentensport associations and individual athletes at the local level. They often work closely with the university sports centre, with which SSN is also in close contact. Finally, three HBO institutions are also affiliated to the SSN network, which are actively involved in the studentensport.
We also work closely with Student Sports Federations (SSB) and organising committees (OC) of various events.
Mission
Over 200,000 students play sports, organised and unorganised, with student sports associations during their studies. Together, these athletes contribute to meeting, relaxation, exercise, recreation and achievement during their study time.
It is our mission to promote student sport in the Netherlands in all these facets together with and on behalf of the strongly and locally involved (student sport) parties. With them, SSN wants to ensure that students can play sports in the best possible way to contribute to both their physical and mental well-being.
Vision
A strong and future-proof studentensport network is very important for students and the positive effects that sport can provide during the study period. Young people who start studying often drop out of mainstream organised sport and, in some cases, stop playing sport altogether. Student sport with good facilities and support can ensure that this dropout is prevented and that these students actually maintain an active lifestyle, which often gives higher guarantees of lifelong sports. In addition, sport is also an important place for meeting and socialising. This is very important for students' mental health.