From Zeeland to Jong PSV: Lotus Meekelenkamp combines top sport with studies

At sixteen, Lotus Meekelenkamp from Zeeland (municipality of Maashorst) already has a number of sporting highlights to her name: striker for Jong PSV, six caps for the Dutch national team under 17, and to top it all off, she became European champion under 17 with the Dutch team in the Faroe Islands. At the same time, she is following the Marketing & Communications Specialist course at Summa in Eindhoven. A busy life, but with the right guidance, flexible teaching, and a healthy dose of perseverance, she successfully combines her sport and studies.

Her football career began at a young age at UDI'19 in Uden, where she stood out for her speed and technique. In the summer of 2024, Lotus transferred to the PSV Women's Reserves. "I'm really enjoying it there. I get to play regular minutes and I'm learning a lot."

In addition to her football career, Lotus is studying Marketing & Communication Specialist. "I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, but this program appealed to me and I'm enjoying it," she says. Thanks to the top sports guidance from Summa She receives planning support, and the training program helps her develop her training schedule. "If I need to go to training earlier, it's handled quickly."

Last November, Lotus made her debut for the Dutch under-17 national team in a match against Scotland. Since then, she has played several international matches and was part of the Dutch national team that qualified for the European Championship earlier this year in the Faroe Islands. She made an appearance in the match against the host country. "Unfortunately, I didn't score, but I did have an assist!"

Lotus dreams of breaking into PSV's first team and eventually playing for the Dutch women's national team. Her ultimate dream? Playing for FC Barcelona. And in the short term, she wants to travel to Morocco with the Dutch under-17 team in October for the World Cup. "Yes, I'd love to be there. I'd be so proud to be there. And when the Wilhelmus (Dutch national anthem) plays then. Goosebumps!"