Meet… Jelle Pieper

This month the office of the VA (Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit, the Dutch Martial Arts Authority) has been reinforced by Jelle Pieper. As an intern, this Sport, Management and Entrepreneurship student at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool van Amsterdam) will mainly focus on the relationship between the martial arts sector and municipalities.

Jelle, who are you and where do you come from?
‘I am a 19-year-old student from Noordwijkerhout. I chose to study Sport, Management and Entrepreneurship because I am very sport minded and therefore also want to work in the world of sport eventually. Events appeal to me most of all, and martial arts offer unique opportunities in that field. From small youth tournaments to large shows in stadiums, the diversity is enormous. All those events have their own challenges, and I hope to learn a lot from that.’

Which subject is central to your internship?
‘My interest in events fits well with the VA’s wish to carry out research into the relationship between the martial arts sector and municipalities. To a large extent that concerns martial arts events and the permit application process. It is about making sure that municipalities are properly informed, and that they, for their part, do not ask too much of promoters with all kinds of requirements.’

‘I am going to look at where the relationship works well, and what we can learn from that for municipalities where things run less smoothly. With the results, the VA can continue working on improving these relations. So in the coming period I will mainly be talking a lot with promoters and municipalities. But I will also support the VA more broadly, so that I can get to know more sides of the martial arts world. I am really looking forward to that, because in my view it is a fascinating sector.’