August 3, 2026
From professional basketball to Kingdom purpose: former Dutch star launches FCA ministry across the Netherlands
FCA Chief Field Officer Rick Isaiah: ‘He has a passion for serving the Lord, and that includes making sure that every athlete is able to grow in their sport as well as their faith journey’
KANSAS CITY, M.O. — Mathieu ten Dam is impossible to miss at seven feet, two inches. Were they to have encountered the Netherlands native in the post, NBA Hall of Fame centers such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Artis Gilmore and Dikembe Mutombo would have seen eye to eye with him.
Several years ago, when ten Dam was at his lowest point, he discovered Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) online and reached out to the ministry. Now, he is the first-ever FCA International Affiliate for the Netherlands and is already making a big footprint for Jesus in a nation of 18 million.
“Mathieu ten Dam’s spiritual call to live for something bigger than himself and lead coaches and athletes in faith in his home country is a testament to how the Lord works in each and every one of us,” said FCA Chief Field Officer Rick Isaiah. “He has a passion for serving the Lord, and that includes making sure that every athlete, no matter their athletic ability, is able to grow in their sport as well as their faith journey.”
Ten Dam grew up in a Catholic family in the Dutch city of Almelo. In August 1991, ten Dam left for America to chase his dream, playing at three different high schools and earning a full ride to play at Purdue University.
After graduating from college, he played professionally for teams in Belgium and the Netherlands, becoming a two-time all-star in his home country and earning a spot on the Dutch national team. But in 2000, his appendix ruptured during his team’s win in the Dutch national championship, ultimately ending his playing career.
For ten Dam, coaching was a natural next step. He became a head coach in the Dutch Women’s Basketball League before transitioning later on to a youth development role within the Dutch Basketball Federation.
“My height is God’s gift to me,” he said. “That’s my talent… God gave me my size and my everything, and you learn how to use the positive things, and you learn how to control the negative things.”
In the span of 12 months in 2021-22, ten Dam suffered two serious car crashes. He fell into depression and sought counseling. During one particular therapy session, ten Dam’s psychologist asked him, “Mat, who are you?” “I’m a basketball coach,” he answered. “No, Mat, that’s what you do for a living. Who are you?”
The question gnawed at him, so ten Dam began searching for an answer. Before long, he discovered the concept of 3Dimensional Coaching® online. The more he learned about the holistic philosophy — engaging skills, mind and heart — the more excited he got, and he earned his 3D Coaching certification in 2023.
But ten Dam’s soul-searching journey wasn’t purely vocational. God’s Spirit was tugging at his heart. Around this time, he came across the FCA Europe website and connected with FCA’s International Regional Vice President for North Europe, James Kitchen, who then referred ten Dam to Mark Hull, Director of International Development for the 3D Institute and a Coaches Ministry Strategist for FCA.
Ten Dam, who partnered with FCA in 2025, is now looking at a future with seemingly limitless opportunities to impact his country for Christ. He currently leads and supports activities at De Kooi (The Cage), a privately owned 75,000-square-foot athletic facility in the small town of Bemmel. The sprawling complex features three basketball courts, four courts for padel (a mixture of pickleball and squash), an athletic skills performance lab, a weight room big enough for an entire football team to train at once, a restaurant and more.
Through ten Dam’s leadership, De Kooi is being used as a hub for athletic leadership development with a clear biblical worldview. He runs 3D Coaching-based activities that integrate holistic athlete development, character formation and faith, while also inviting coaches whose teams use the facility into learning environments and leadership conversations that integrate sport and discipleship. Thanks to a remodeling at De Kooi to support athletes of differing abilities, he’s already launched an All Ability Sports ministry that includes wheelchair basketball and other adaptive sports.
But De Kooi, ten Dam will tell you, is only the first step in a wider, God-sized vision for FCA in the Netherlands. Over time, ten Dam hopes to open five FCA Sports home courts, strategically placed throughout the Netherlands. Each home court facility would serve its local region while partnering closely with churches, clubs and communities, creating hubs where coaches and athletes could be trained and sent out to make an impact far beyond a single facility.
As ten Dam considers his future ministry opportunities, he is both excited and humbled. Ten Dam wants every coach and athlete whom he encounters to grow as a competitor, mature as a person and feel the love of Christ.
The challenge ahead is big, but so is ten Dam’s heart. He’s a big guy with big goals, and he serves an infinitely bigger God whose love for the people of the Netherlands — and beyond — can’t be measured.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ vision is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. Its mission is to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. FCA’s guiding values are integrity, serving, teamwork and excellence.
Since 1954, FCA has used the powerful medium of sports and building relationships to reach the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is cultivating Christian principles by engaging, equipping and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ and lead others to do the same so that lives are changed for current and future generations.
Visit Fellowship of Christian Athletes at fca.org and on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).
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To interview a Fellowship of Christian Athletes representative, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096 ext. 105, or Jeff Tolson, ext. 108.
