Babette de Leede has recently started as a professional cricketer for Western Province, Cape Town, South Africa, and finished the Master’s programme specialisation Quantitative Marketing and Business Analytics. She grew up playing cricket and made her debut in the Dutch women’s team when she was 14. We spoke to her about combining top-level sports with studying at Erasmus School of Economics.
Deciding to do both
When I was 18, I got to play against some professional teams in England. That experience made me realise that the difference in skill level between me and the world-class players was not that big at all. I always really enjoyed playing cricket, but at that moment, I thought: 'Okay, maybe I can get far with this.' There were still many things I had to work hard to improve, but I did have the realisation for the first time that maybe I could do more with it than I ever imagined.
There is no professional cricket in the Netherlands, and I am currently the second Dutch woman ever to become a professional cricketer. Because of that, when I was younger, I did know that I needed to have a very good safety net. So, I decided to do econometrics, which I enjoyed right from the start. It was not about learning things by heart but learning to apply what you have learned. I was allowed to use logical thinking and solve puzzles. Besides Erasmus School of Economics’ reputation, Rotterdam was a logical choice. Studying there allowed me to stay in the Ring City, the only area in the Netherlands where cricket is played.
Burnout
Combining cricket with econometrics was very tough. My first-ever grade was a zero, I only had my name and student number right. It all quickly became way too much. Besides studying, I also wanted to discover student life. So, on a day I first had training from ten to twelve, then lecture from 1 to 5, then training again and, in the evening, I would go back to Rotterdam to do something with friends. Moreover, the school board made no exceptions for me, despite my top-class athlete status. During the last exam week, I was not there because of cricket with the Dutch team, but I only had three resits. This resulted in me having a burnout during my first year. I could not do anything and was very tired. It was terrible. My student advisors were very helpful, though. They were really on my side and helpful, but they did not always succeed.
‘Moments where you just read a book or watch a series are invaluable’
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, everything fell silent, and I could not play cricket for a month. That felt like a tremendously long time because without cricket I feel worthless and get terribly bored. However, it did allow me to completely refocus on my studies. I had to, otherwise I would not have made it through my second year.
From then on, I had the advantage that many things were offered online. So, I could continue training and watch lectures around that. Moreover, it gave me the freedom to pause or rewind a lecture if I did not understand something. In my third year, I had more freedom anyway and people were more willing to adjust to my schedule. I am glad that Covid gave me the opportunity to attend my lectures and take my exams online. During my master’s programme, Erasmus School of Economics helped me a lot. For example, I was occasionally allowed to take an exam online when I was on tour and I was able to follow many lectures from Cape Town.
What did you learn?
I learned to say no. I always wanted to do everything, participate in all training sessions, and attend all lectures. Listening to your body and saying no every once in a while is very important. That sounds cliché but it is true. And I found it a lot harder than it sounds. Know what you are willing or able to do!
That is why it works for me to make a schedule for the week: the times when you study, when you exercise, etc. But also deciding when you will do nothing at all because moments where you just read a book or watch a series are invaluable.
For me, studying can be combined very well with top-level sports. It is important that you really like your studies. As I said, I truly enjoyed studying econometrics, and without that, I never would have made it.
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This item is part of Backbone Magazine 2024. The magazine can be found in E-building or Theil-building for free. Additionally, a digital copy is available here. Backbone is the corporate magazine of Erasmus School of Economics. Since 2014, it is published once a year. The magazine highlights successful and interesting alumni, covers the latest economic trends and research, and reports on news, events, student and alumni accomplishments
