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Amsterdam | October 24, 2024

Diego Nibte: from scoop to ambassador

"I experienced so much in my childhood. From the moment I started karate, my life changed," says Diego Nibte. Diego was the very first child to participate in sports thanks to the then-Youth Sports Fund. It's been 25 years since then, so it's time for a look back!

Bullying

As a child, I was a sweet, chubby little thing, very innocent and insecure, completely oblivious to the world. I was vulnerable to bullying, which started when I was 8 or 9. I was verbally and physically attacked by various children from all kinds of groups, both in the neighborhood and at school. The worst of the bullying came from the older children. I'm an only child, and I always told my mother everything; she knew about the bullying. One day, she had enough, and she talked to the administration, the teachers involved at my school, and even the parents of the children who were bullying me. I was given a different class and different recess, but that didn't offer much of a solution.

Youth Sports Fund

My mother wanted me to participate in sports because I was overweight, but there was no money for it. She worked at the Kraaiennest Youth Care office, where I spent a lot of time, and Harry Postma also worked there. The Amsterdam Youth Sports Fund had become a reality, and founder Harry came to our house himself to tell me I could sign up—the very first one. I could then choose between soccer, judo, or karate, and I knew right away it would be karate.

DIEGO: Everyone deserves the chance to play sports. In fact, sports should simply be free.

Ludwig Kotzebue, my karate master, my idol

I still vividly remember the first time I went to Ludwig Kotzebue's gym. I saw athletes sparring, and with a simple kick, someone was taken down. I thought, "That's awesome, I want to do that too."

Ludwig himself was a huge man, as wide as a door, someone to look up to, a great martial artist. I trained with him for 10 years, once or twice a week, until I reached a blue belt with three brown stripes. I won trophies, medals, and tournaments. Karate requires a lot of strength, so you become stronger and fitter.

Self-defense, standing up for yourself, that's what I had trouble with.

You become stronger through the techniques you learn in fighting, you learn to recognize your own strength, but if you truly have strength, you'd rather not start a fight yourself. There were a lot of fights before and after school, challenging each other, provoking each other. By then, I was much stronger, and if they really overstepped my boundaries, I could defend myself. That's how I gained respect, and the bullying stopped. Later, I also practiced several other martial arts, which is what taught me most of all: self-control.

Exercise is good for your health and character development

In addition to sports, there is also attention for culture in our family

When my mother and aunts were tidying up and cleaning, soul music was blasting. There was always music in our house. Many of my friends are in music, and I'm a kind of coach/advisor for them. I've also always drawn, mainly animations, characters from all kinds of cartoons, including Japanese ones. I took lessons for eight years at the drawing academy at the Overtoomse Sluis, from a friend of my mother's. I always carry a small notebook with me, and I turn special people around me into animated characters. Music and drawing make my life more beautiful.

Ambassador

"I owe a lot to Harry Postma; he was like a father figure to me. He often invited me along to all sorts of presentations and promotions for the Youth Fund. In the arena, at ABN-Amro, at the 10th anniversary celebration with Bert van Marwijk, with the 50,000th child who participated in sports through the Youth Fund, and even on the TV program Koffietijd (Coffee Time). Last June 4th, during the 25th anniversary celebration of the Youth Fund Sport & Culture Amsterdam, I had the opportunity to talk about how participating in sports changed my life. I loved seeing Harry again, and it was also wonderful that my karate master was there. I hadn't seen him for 13 years, and I immediately felt that same wave of respect as when I was a little boy. I truly feel like an ambassador for the Youth Fund, and I'm eager to play an active role again," Diego emphasizes enthusiastically.

I can no longer imagine life without sports, music and drawing