Kinderen mogen niet meer voetballen op hun veldje

What is a Dutch “trapveldje”?

A trapveldje (“kicking field”) is a small grass football pitch carved out of a Dutch neighbourhood, typically a corner of a park, a speeltuin surplus, or a strip of unused gemeente-land. Dutch kids' football starts on trapveldjes: most professional Eredivisie players (Cruijff, Robben, Bergkamp, De Bruyne) trace their first kick to one. The Cruyff Foundation has built over 250 Cruijff Courts across the country to formalize the tradition with all-weather surfaces, but the lo-fi trapveldje with two stones for goals stays the dominant memory.

In this clip, NOS Jeugdjournaal reports an Austrian municipality’s betonblokken-decision and Dutch kids' reaction: “Kinderen moeten hier ook gewoon kunnen spelen.”