Court Club basketball club in the Netherlands has taken a big leap towards making the sport truly accessible to anyone, any time. This month in Breda, the club launched its first Basketbox: a free, self-service box filled with basketballs that can be easily opened using a QR code. After scanning the code with their phone, players can take a ball or two, enjoy their game, and then return the balls for the next players. This initiative is a public-private collaboration between Court Club and the Municipality of Breda, alongside other key partners.
The launch of the Court Club Basketbox is the next step in the club’s mission to make basketball more accessible, social, and inclusive. The club has no hall, canteen, or membership card; instead, it gives players free access to public courts through an app. Since its launch in Spring 2025, Court Club has already attracted 150 new players to public courts in Breda alone. The total number of active Court Club players across the Netherlands is expected to grow to 1,000 by the end of 2025. The Basketbox strengthens this mission by opening up basketball courts to anyone who may not have access to their own equipment, while deepening the club’s collaborative, sharing-based approach to sports.
Court Club celebrated the launch of this new basketball sharing model over the weekend with a lively 3×3 tournament. Players enthusiastically welcomed the new initiative. As one participant put it:
“For me, this is really fantastic. I can’t join an association because of time restraints. At the same time, I want to be social and meet new people. This brings people together.”
Credit: Court Club
To ensure a rolling supply of balls, Court Club also launched a donation campaign. Anyone can donate a ball to a Basketbox and the initiative has already attracted wide support: Decathlon Netherlands donated the first set of basketballs and many players who attended the opening game pledged to donate their own spare balls – thereby encapsulating the shared economy spirit that underpins the Basketbox initiative.
Next, Court Club will open its second Basketbox on Pottenbakkerstraat in Breda. From there, it plans to expand the concept and its community of players across the Netherlands and beyond – working together with local clubs, neighbourhood sports coaches, municipalities, and social partners to make basketball accessible to everyone and to strengthen community connections through shared play.
Credit: Court Club
Initiatives like Court Club’s Basketbox show that the sharing economy is not only about reducing consumption and waste – it’s about expanding access, fuelling social connections, and building community through shared use. We can’t wait to see the expansion of this model to more countries, sports and activities, and we’re here to support Europe on every step of this journey.
Have an idea, dream or spark for a similar sharing initiative but don’t know how or where to get started? Get in touch with our team of access economy experts!
The Access Economy Alliance is Europe’s first network of public authorities, businesses and researchers that pools together resources, collaborations and knowledge to deliver a circular economy through access-based services.