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On October 24, 2009, André van Overbeek is elected Vice-President for Europe of the International Softball Federation (ISF), together with Ami Baran (Israel).
The two succeed Mike Jennings and Jelena Cusak.
On February 7, 2009, André van Overbeek is elected President of the European Softball Federation (ESF), succeeding Mike Jennings (Great Britain).
Van Overbeek's election marks the third time that a Dutchman heads the European govering body.
Earlier, Theo Vleeshhouwer (1985-1991) and Jos Gieskens (1995-2003) led the European Softball Federation.
In September 2004, André van Overbeek takes over the duties as KNBSB Member of the Board when Ton Hendriks, who was elected in March 2004, has to withdraw due to health reasons.
In previous months, Hendriks already had asked Van Overbeek to discuss plans.
Hendriks suggests André to be his successor and when the first announces early 2005 that he has to withdraw definitively, Van Overbeek is elected on March 12, 2005 and officially becomes a Member of the Board of the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Assocation (KNBSB).
In this position, André is responsible for the Topsport Softball Section within the Association and will not only oversee the competitions at the highest levels, but also all activities concerning the national softball-teams for both women and men.
Therefore, Van Overbeek makes arrangements with all coaches and staff-members of the national women (seniors/youth) and men teams, as well as having several meetings and talks with representatives of the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF), sponsors, other dignitaties and of course members of the board of the Dutch softball-clubs.
On the photo at right, André poses with Douglas Engmann, the Honorary Consul for the Netherlands in San Francisco (USA) during the first American Trip of the Dutch National Team in 2008.
On the photo below, André is together with KNBSB President Ruud van Zetten (right) and Media Officer Marco Stoovelaar in the Holland Heineken House during the Olympic Games in Beijing (China).
On March 28, 2009, André, who is not up for re-election, is succeeded as Member of the Board by Anton Kops.
However, due to illness, Kops can not assume his position at that time and André stays on as intertim-Member of the Board.
Towards the end of August 2009, it is announced that Kops had recovered completely and takes over the duties of André.
As Member of the Board, André van Overbeek frequently visits regular season-games, but also (inter)national events when he serves as Delegate for the Dutch Association.
He is a visible and dedicated KNBSB-representative, is available for everyone and of course has his own view on the progression of the national teams and competitions, but clearly enjoys supporting the softball-teams.
He's a very proud man when the Dutch National Softball Team qualifies for the Olympic Games in Beijing during the Olympic Qualifier in 2007 in Italy and he shows it.
As a KNBSB-Delegate and when his regular job permits him to do so, André travels as much as possible with the Dutch National Teams.
As a result, he travels with the National Softball Team to Canada, the Czech Republic, China, Italy and the United States, including the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, but also accompanies the Dutch National Cadets Squad to the European Championships in Russia and the Dutch Juniors to its Championships in Italy, as well as attending games of the Dutch National Men Softball Team.
André's career in baseball and softball starts somewhere in the seventies, when he is 18 years old.
At that time, he is playing soccer at DOS '32, a club in Rotterdam.
When Piet van Ruitenburg, the chairman of that club, decides to set up a baseball-team, André becomes a player through his soccer-friends.
Coach of the team is American Charley Brown, who later becomes a pitcher for Euro Stars, the club where André would becomes involved with later.
André plays baseball for some 20 years with DOS '32, then starts to coach several softball-teams after he retires as a player.
When his son starts to play baseball for Euro Stars, André follows soon after to that club, coaching youth teams.
But he also coaches the main baseball squad of that club together with former National Baseball Team-pitcher Jan Venema.
Because of his work, André lives for nine years in St. Petersburg (Russia), but he doesn't forgets softball.
In this beautiful city, André (who speaks Russian) is involved in a local softball-team, where he conduct weekly practices.
After returning from Russia, at the end of the nineties, André becomes a member of several committees at Euro Stars.
Amongst them, chairman of both the baseball and softball committee and also serves at chairman of the board for the entire club.
His skills are also used during the World Port Tournament, as he is a longtime contributor to the bi-annual international baseball-tournament in Rotterdam, which is organized in every odd year.
He stops his activities for the World Port Tournament after the 2007 edition.
2009 --- On February 7, André is elected President of the European Softball Federation (ESF) ---
In July, he is the ESF Delegate during the European Cadets Championships in Alkmaar (Netherlands) and the European Senior Championships in Valencia (Spain) ---
In August, he represents the ESF during three European Cup Tournaments for both women and men ---
On October 24, André is elected Vice-President Europe of the International Softball Federation (ISF).
2008 --- In May of this year, André announces he will not be up for re-election as a member of the KNBSB-Board during the next council meeting of the Association in March 2009.
2005 --- On March 12, André van Overbeek is elected into the KNBSB Council. As member of the board, he will be responsible for the Topsport Softball. In this position, he will not only oversee the competitions at the highest levels, but also all national softball-teams for both women and men.
2004 --- In September, André takes over as interim-member of the KNBSB-Board for Softball Affairs when Ton Hendriks has to withdraw due to health reasons.
nineties --- André lives in St. Petersburg (Russia) for nine years because of his work, but teaches softball there ---
After returning, he becomes involved in several committees at Euro Stars, where he also becomes chairman of the board.
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