After Luc Haegemans had to step down as chairman of Volley Vlaanderen for health reasons, we quickly got a new chairman in Gerrit Matthys. Gerrit who?

Outside of Flemish Brabant many wondered where this capable man came from, because hadn't he already joined the federation as the new financial manager? A logical newcomer by the way, because wasn't he also the financial manager (CFO) of a solid company like Sodexo.

But after a further introduction to this pleasant 54-year-old businessman, he also appears to be seasoned in the volleyball world. He followed almost all steps in volleyball from the age of 13 at WEVOK, the team of his municipality Sint-Joris-Weert, located between Leuven and Waver. Meet the suitable leader of Flemish volleyball.

We really don't have to press for long to get a short overview of all Gerrit's sporting and less sporting activities in a minimum of time.

Gerrit Matthys: “Apart from a few years as a student in Leuven, I have always lived in Sint-Joris-Weert. We are a real volleyball family. When I turned 13, I started playing in the 'first batch' of the local volleyball club. Completely smitten with the volleyball bug. When I turned 16, I was in the first team in the first regional division. I continued playing there for thirty years at all levels: from provincial to second national.

Moreover, I met my wife through volleyball: Kathleen Kohl. No, not related to the former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, but with Luxembourgish roots. We have two daughters together: Inne (28) and Lore (26). They were brought up with volleyball from the very beginning and so they also ended up at Wevok. Their second living room was the sports hall.

In the meantime, the eldest met Dominique, a dentist, in Turnhout and she is currently active again at Noorderkempen. The youngest stopped playing last year actively playing because she started working and didn't know where she would end up, but she still gives training now and then and is on the board of Wevok. You can tell: we owe a lot to volleyball and I'm happy that I can now give something back to our favorite sport."

But that didn't mean you were on the federation board yet...

"I have to add that I also started very early as a trainer-coach: already as a 17-year-old until last season when I was the coach of Lizards men in Nationale 3. I have trained youth, girls and boys, but also adults, women and men, and at different levels, even a number of years in the Flemish Brabant selection. Within WEVOK I have also been active for many years on the board, mainly the sports board. And I certainly shouldn't forget to mention that I have made a whole series of super good friends through volleyball. We still see each other very regularly. And because volleyball is the team sport par excellence, I have also taken a lot from volleyball with me into my professional life. In February of last year I was asked if I would like to help support a project to get our federation evolving in the right direction again."

After all, you are also successful in that as CFO of Sodexo. Can that be combined with your sporting activities?

“As CFO, I am ultimately responsible for the financial policy of Sodexo in Belgium, and I am also involved in a number of strategic projects. With my 27 years within the company, I know the organization well and that gives me the ideal opportunity to work together a lot and to connect with all levels of the organization to realize our common ambitions. Furthermore, I also support our purchasing and IT department within Sodexo. So I have a much broader role in the organization than just in the financial department and that certainly also comes in handy as chairman of Volley Vlaanderen.

Combining my busy job with my role in volleyball is indeed sometimes a challenge. My wife and friends do not always understand how I do that and sometimes I wonder about that myself. Don't forget that I only evolved to chairman on October 24, when Luc's health unfortunately no longer allowed him to continue as chairman. I obviously knew that the state of the federation was not good, that had already become clear when I stepped in as financial manager in March.”

How do you keep that up?

“I am someone with a lot of energy and I like to do many things at the same time, that gives me more energy. I am not someone who can sit in his armchair all day without doing anything. Now that I am no longer active as a trainer-coach, some time has become available in the weekend and during the week that is now invested in the operation of the federation. To recharge the batteries a bit more, I regularly play padel and squash with good volleyball friends. Furthermore, we also have good new management within Volley Vlaanderen and also a new good dynamic within the governing body. When you feel and see the progress, you automatically get more energy and pleasure.”

You are faced with a difficult task.


“We have developed a solid recovery and policy plan, and we are fully engaged in transforming the federation. That takes a lot of time in terms of content, although the many new directors are also taking on the necessary 'yards'. I also notice that in the federation, but also in the entire volleyball family in Flanders, there was little positive connection in one way or another. And we absolutely have to want to change that, we have such a beautiful sport, the team sport par excellence... so why shouldn't we make more use of that at the administrative level. I want to do that - together with the other directors - by visiting different clubs in the different provinces to see what is going on, so that in time we can all point in the same direction. For example, I myself visited a match of Zedelgem in the second national division last week."

In the general meeting, more and more clubs from all levels of our sport are represented. You really notice both in the general meeting and in the many contacts with clubs, BLVV members, committee members, players and many volunteers that there is a need for cooperation. We must keep our finger on the pulse as much as possible in order to evolve in one direction.”

Isn't there still a danger that from now on more attention will be paid to the club's interests and less to the top in volleyball?

“As I just said, there used to be perhaps a bit too much 'struggle' between the different domains in volleyball, but the reality is that recreational sport needs top sport and vice versa. You must not forget that a sport lives with idols, such as Britt Herbots, Sam Deroo, Ferre Reggers and many others. They are role models who inspire young people to play volleyball. On the other hand, you don't have a national team without a broader base. We have more than 40,000 members and if you were to count how many hours of competitions and training are organised annually within our sport, that is a lot…we quickly organise more than 7500 competitions per year in Flanders alone. That provides immense sporting pleasure, a good contribution to better health, and mobilises a great many volunteers, for which many thanks by the way!

This social cohesion provides significant added value for our society. All top athletes not only work very hard, but they also have a great passion for the sport, just like the many volunteers or players in the lower divisions. I also think that we can be proud, as a small country, of the achievements of our national teams: 14th on the world rankings for women, 16th for men and in the beach with world champions U21 Kian Vercauteren and Joppe Van Langendonck.”

Still, quite a lot has been cut in the international field…

“I think it is not that bad. We have continued to regard both the Yellow Tigers and the Red Dragons as a finality and priority, and we also want to continue to invest in the beach in a targeted manner, but it is clear that we have had to make a number of choices to get our budget in balance. Of course, not always easy choices. So we decided not to participate in the European Golden League with the Red Dragons…but I've been told that players sometimes need some rest with the often busy club schedule (laughs).

No, what has been dropped and that was sensitive, is participation in the World Championship Young Yellow Tigers in Indonesia, a saving of between €60,000 and €80,000. And we have made the choice to stop the top sports school beach in Leuven after this school year and to look for another model for top sports beach. Furthermore, a number of choices have been made with less impact, because we also want to do everything we can to ensure that our national teams maintain or improve their current ranking, because in time, qualifications for World Championships and the Olympic Games are determined by those rankings.”

How far along is the financial situation of the federation?

“We still have a number of files from the past of which we do not yet know or can estimate the exact impact, but the financial situation has already improved considerably, and I am confident that we will be able to close with a positive result in 2025. An ambitious plan to save 750,000 euros compared to the first version of the 2025 budget, yes, but we will leave no stone unturned to achieve this.

I also realize that we had to make a number of less popular decisions and that they were sometimes difficult human decisions, but otherwise the future of the federation would really be in danger.”

The problem with budgeting was often that you did not know in advance what amounts you would receive as subsidies for, for example, the national teams?

“I also make a strong case here that we have drawn up the budget for our subsidies for 2025 in a realistic manner and that no significant risks remain. There has been good cooperation and coordination with Sport Vlaanderen and with the office of the Minister of Sport.

Furthermore, I also believe, as I just indicated, in more cooperation with the League, with the French-speaking wing and with Volley Belgium. We have been in turbulent waters in previous years, but now that we are gradually moving in the right direction, it is certainly our intention to have more discussions with them and get to know each other better and work together more.”

Do all these savings also mean that fewer events will take place in Flanders?

“We do indeed plan to organize fewer events ourselves, in the past these were often loss items in our budget, especially when taking into account the personnel costs of the employees who were busy with this for large parts of the year. For example, the 2023 European Championship was a success in terms of sporting and experience, but financially it was not.”

You will remain chairman for four years. When will the chairman be satisfied in 2028?

You will remain chairman for four years. When will the chairman be satisfied in 2028?

“That we can send at least one team to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. And if we are very ambitious, that can also be three or even four teams!

Furthermore, that we are of course financially sustainable healthy again and at the same time have been able to grow our volleyball community together and have been able to empower our clubs and support them with the challenges around finding the many volunteers who help ensure that there is so much volleyball fun in Flanders.

Finally, I hope that we will also be recognized as an honest sports federation where there is room for everyone and diversity in all its forms.”

Does someone with a busy time like you still have time for hobbies?

“I try to make time for the family as much as possible, but I'm not sure if my wife would agree (laughs). We like to travel and every year we still enjoy a skiing holiday with a group of friends, and in the summer usually a slightly bigger trip. Furthermore, and despite the fact that I am a passionate sports fan, I actually don't exercise enough myself and I try to compensate for that by occasionally going padel or squash with good friends, as mentioned earlier.”

Another personal dream of the chairman?

“If grandchildren come along at some point, they would certainly be welcome. And we also hope to stay healthy for a long time and that we can retain a lot of energy, learn a lot and achieve things together.”

Text and photo: Marcel Coppens