Mold in the showers. Yellowed urinals. Loose ceiling parts. And a sports floor that is so slippery that athletes slip. It has been a topic of discussion for months in the sports halls De Misse (Den Dungen), De Run (Berlicum) and Theereheide (Sint-Michielsgestel).
Frustrations are running high, especially in the De Misse sports hall. A member of the Donki Sjot volleyball club raised the alarm at the end of January with a letter to the municipal council. According to the member, the hall is structurally contaminated. Changing rooms and showers are full of mold, sanitary facilities are very yellowed and parts of the ceiling are broken or hanging loose.
According to the volleyball player, the biggest problem is the sports floor. It is said to have become so slippery due to overdue cleaning that several accidents have already occurred. “It feels unsafe,” the member writes. Parents are also concerned and the association is ashamed of opponents who have to play in De Misse.
Since Optisport took over management from WSD after the summer holidays of 2025, the problems are said to have increased. According to users, complaints remained unresolved and administrators were not always available.
The municipality will take these measures
The municipality of Sint-Michielsgestel is now coming up with a package of measures. New agreements have been made with Optisport regarding cleaning and daily management. For example, there will be extra control over cleaning work and clear working agreements must be made about who is responsible for what.
A major cleaning will also be carried out at short notice by an external company. This must thoroughly clean the sports halls.
In addition, broken or worn sports materials are repaired or replaced. The municipality and Optisport jointly draw up a list of materials that must be available as standard in the halls. For basketball players, this means that a worn-out basketball backboard will soon be replaced.
In the meantime, WSD will continue to help with the deployment and guidance of staff, so that management does not come to a standstill.
Councilor Sam Goossens says that the signals have been taken seriously. According to him, the level of service must be increased so that clubs, schools and other athletes can use the sports halls safely and pleasantly again.
