Top talents are getting ever younger: 12-year-old Aaron De Ridder debuts this weekend in a prestigious youth competition

Twelve-year-old Aaron De Ridder is experiencing a special moment in his young career this weekend. Along with six other Belgian talents, he lines up for the JDC Advanced Tour, the leading international circuit for players under 18. What began as a lockdown hobby has grown in just a few years into an adventure at the highest youth level. For Aaron and his family, it is still hard to grasp how quickly everything has moved. Will he soon follow in the footsteps of that other Belgian prodigy, Lex Paeshuyse?

The story begins during the pandemic. Aaron was only eight when darts on television captured his imagination. While many of his peers were busy with games or social media, he kept watching, fascinated by arrows finding their way to treble 20.

“During lockdown Aaron started watching darts on TV and he wanted to try it right away,” says his mother, Kerenza Bevernage, to Het Nieuwsblad. “His granddad then bought him a dartboard. They were almost sold out everywhere, but he still managed to find one. From that moment on, the board at home hardly ever stood still.”

At first, his parents saw it mainly as a fun pastime. “For us it was pure enjoyment. He threw a few darts, did surprisingly well for his age, but we didn’t immediately think about tournaments or a career.”

That view changed quickly. When Aaron played his first youth tournament, it turned out he had more than just enthusiasm. “At that first event he really got the taste for it,” says Kerenza. “People from the darts scene spoke to us and said he had talent. That gave us a bit of a shock.”

Despite the praise, the family stayed grounded. Aaron trains a lot — “He wakes up with darts and goes to bed with it,” his mother laughs — but they deliberately avoid putting pressure on performances or results. “We’ve never set expectations for him,” Kerenza stresses. “It has to stay fun. If the joy is gone, there’s no point. Of course we want him to do well, but he’s still only twelve.”

That down-to-earth approach seems to work. Aaron has developed at lightning speed in recent years and qualified for the JDC Advanced Tour through a qualifier. There he will face the best youth players of the moment, including former world champion Lex Paeshuyse.

For 2026, the Advanced Tour has been expanded to 64 players, who will play twenty tournaments across five weekends in Bristol, England. An international stage where talents from various countries can test themselves against the very best of their age group.

Strikingly, when Aaron qualified, he didn’t seem to grasp what he had achieved right away. “He had won, but it somehow didn’t sink in,” Kerenza says with a smile. “Only a day later did he really realize he had made the Advanced Tour. Then we could see he was proud.”

For Aaron, it is above all a chance to learn. “I just want to gain as much experience as possible,” he says. “You play against the best youth players. That can only make you better.”

His ambition is clear, but modestly phrased. “It would be great if I could reach a last four or last eight sometime. But I mainly want to play well and enjoy it.”

Taking part in an international tour also requires practical organization. The family only travels to England on weekends so Aaron misses as little school as possible. “We leave on Friday and we’re back on Sunday evening,” Kerenza explains. “We want him to keep up with his schoolwork. That remains the priority.”

Fortunately, there is plenty of support among the parents of the players. “We have a WhatsApp group with all the parents. That way we can coordinate everything. We also stay at the same hotel. That’s nice for the kids, because after the matches they can relax together.”

It’s all still new for the family. “The first weekend we’ll mainly see how it goes. We’re going in with an open mind. It’s already fantastic that he can have this experience at his age.”

Like so many young players, Aaron also has a big role model: Gerwyn Price. He is drawn to the former world champion’s passion and intensity.

Whether he can ever reach that level himself? Aaron is quick to downplay it. “We’ll have to wait and see. I’m still young. I just want to keep training and see where I end up.”