Gian van Veen, 23, has come remarkably far in his dart-throwing career, but he knows all too well the dark side of the game - 'dartitis.' The term refers to the crippling fear that can stop even the most skilled players from performing. For Van Veen, it was a teenager's worst nightmare.
At the age of 13, he was a top youth prospect in his country. But by 16, his throws had begun to falter under pressure. He would miss easy shots and doubt every aspect of his game - how to grip the dart, its weight, or even where to stand. "That's what top sport does to a person," Van Veen says grimly. Dartitis can be brutal.
The journey back to form was not easy. For years, he felt like an outsider, struggling to connect with other players on the circuit. But then something changed. A simple realisation dawned on him: that he played for himself, not anyone else. This newfound confidence and mental toughness are now his greatest allies.
In this year's European Championship final, Van Veen came agonisingly close to winning but ultimately fell short. He admits to having doubts in the final leg of the match - "Oh, you've blown it here" he says. Yet, he pushed through those fears and ended up beating Luke Humphries 11-9.
For years, we have asked ourselves if intellect plays a significant role in darts. Gian van Veen is uniquely placed to answer this question. While thinking too much can hinder performance, the ability to be smart about scheduling, social media, and more can actually help players manage their mental load.
His journey back to form was marked by self-discovery - of himself and his game. He knows that, in darts, just one or two millimetres can make all the difference between victory and defeat. This knowledge has brought him a sense of calm, which he believes is essential for success. And so, despite never having won a game at the world championship, Van Veen remains hopeful - always chasing his dream.
At the age of 13, he was a top youth prospect in his country. But by 16, his throws had begun to falter under pressure. He would miss easy shots and doubt every aspect of his game - how to grip the dart, its weight, or even where to stand. "That's what top sport does to a person," Van Veen says grimly. Dartitis can be brutal.
The journey back to form was not easy. For years, he felt like an outsider, struggling to connect with other players on the circuit. But then something changed. A simple realisation dawned on him: that he played for himself, not anyone else. This newfound confidence and mental toughness are now his greatest allies.
In this year's European Championship final, Van Veen came agonisingly close to winning but ultimately fell short. He admits to having doubts in the final leg of the match - "Oh, you've blown it here" he says. Yet, he pushed through those fears and ended up beating Luke Humphries 11-9.
For years, we have asked ourselves if intellect plays a significant role in darts. Gian van Veen is uniquely placed to answer this question. While thinking too much can hinder performance, the ability to be smart about scheduling, social media, and more can actually help players manage their mental load.
His journey back to form was marked by self-discovery - of himself and his game. He knows that, in darts, just one or two millimetres can make all the difference between victory and defeat. This knowledge has brought him a sense of calm, which he believes is essential for success. And so, despite never having won a game at the world championship, Van Veen remains hopeful - always chasing his dream.
. And I'm loving how he's all about managing his mental load now - scheduling, social media, all that jazz. It's like, yeah we've always thought of it as just about throwing darts, but there's so much more to it than that 
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. But for Gian, that knowledge has brought him calmness, which is literally essential for success. So here's to hoping he wins that world championship someday 
I also love how he's learning to balance his game and life outside of darts - scheduling, social media, all those little things can make a big difference 
keep pushing forward Gian, you got this! 
i feel like most people don't even know what stress is until they're in their early twenties lol he seems like a strong guy for overcoming it though, being able to realize he played for himself is like, super relatable 
he went through some major struggles with dartitis but it's awesome to see how he bounced back and found his confidence again 
he's proof that mental toughness matters so much. it's gonna be exciting to watch him compete more and see if he can finally take home a world championship title 
. And can we talk about his schedule management skills? I mean, who needs a social media manager when you've got Gian van Veen on the dart-throwing circuit? 
. Anyway, Van Veen remains hopeful, and I'm rooting for him all the way... even if it's just to see what crazy stats he'll come up with next 
Gian van Veen's story just gave me some serious vibes about mental health and sports pressure... like how can you enjoy something that's literally driving you crazy? 
he's definitely an inspiration for anyone who's ever felt like they're losing themselves in their game. 11-9 is a big win for him, but more importantly, it shows us that mental toughness can make all the difference 
It's like he just magically discovered that playing for himself isn't so bad. And don't even get me started on the whole "thinking too much" thing - yeah right, because that's not a common problem in every competitive sport... 
The fact that he managed to overcome his fears and win is impressive, I guess, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here... 1-9 against some guy named Luke Humphries doesn't exactly scream dominance.
. The key is finding that balance and not letting fear take over. It sounds like Gian van Veen did a lot of soul searching and that's really admirable. Being smart about your game and taking care of yourself mentally is so important in any competitive field. I wish him all the best for next year's European Championship 
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? Gian van Veen's whole mental toughness thing is kinda overrated in my opinion... I've seen pro players who are way more talented than him win easily because they didn't have to deal with all that self-doubt nonsense 
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