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Dutch Team plays last game of the year and ends first part winter practices
 Nederlandse tekst
AMSTERDAM (Neth.) - The Dutch National Softball Team closed the first part of their winter indoor practice sessions on Friday, December 18 and also played its fifth and last indoor intersquad game of the year on the same day.
The team is now off for the Christmas Holiday Season and will be back on the (indoor)field early January.
In the new year, more intersquad games will be played again then on Friday-afternoons in Amsterdam at the Sporthallen Zuid.
This complex also will be the site for an 2-day indoor tournament in February to be played by the Dutch Junior Team.
January 15-17, the Dutch National Team (split up in three different squads) will participate in the 3-day International Indoor Cup Tournament in Schiedam (Netherlands).
So, a lot of action is about to come right away from the start of the new year.
Go to the schedules of the Dutch National Softball Team and of the Dutch Junior Softball Team to check out all the action for the coming months.
Leading up to the final practice, it was a snowy week in the Netherlands.
This not only meant that players and staffmembers had to travel through the snow to reach the practice sites these days, but also that we had an almost White Christmas for the first time in many years.
Today, four players of the Dutch Junior Team were invited to take part in both the practice session as well as the intersquad game, being Noëmie Brandjes, Rebecca Duindam, Kimberly Jones and Eva Voortman.
Unfortunately, Rebecca twisted her ankle in the first inning of the intersquad game and was unable to continue, but luckily her injury was not serious.
More players from the Junior-squad will be invited for future practices.
With the update of the site of the Dutch Softball Team, a new (Dutch language) section has been added, which is entirely dedicated to the Dutch Junior Team.
Besides conducting their last practice session and playing their last intersquad game of the year, the players also tested new uniforms today.
The outfits were distributed to all players by All-American Sports, which supported the National Softball Team this year not only during the Holland Tour, but also with equipment and non-game clothing, which it will do again coming year.
Carolien Stadhouders and Boyd Suk were the umpires for the intersquad game today and of course, players and staff thank them for their participation today.
The game was the last played by the Dutch Softball Team in a busy year.
The National Team this year played a total of 67 games, including three indoor intersquad games in the months of February and March, three outdoor intersquad games in April, 30 during the Holland Tour (May-June), 10 during the Canada Cup (July), six during the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City (July), one exhibition game before and nine during the European Championships in Valencia (July-August) and five indoor intersquad games in November and December.
In these months, players and staffmembers traveled thousands of kilometers by car, bus, train or plane to get to the practice or playing sites.
Players, coaches and staffmembers spend hundreds of hours on and off the field.
Sometimes, it were long days for eveyone involved, but we all did it with a lot of pleasure and a lot of dedication.
The players and staffmembers of the Dutch National Softball Team want to thank game officials Bianca Dweelaard, Brigitta Zaal, Carolien Stadhouders, Francine Grotenhoff, Linda Steijger, Marianna Prins, Olga Lablans, Rienette van Zetten, Albert Jung, Albert Tolen, Anne van Hal, Arie Nokkert, Arjan de Wever, Ben Goorts, Bert Oosterveld, Bob Gieskens, Boyd Suk, Dennis Duin, Dieks Bannink, Feiko Drost, Frank Duits, Fred Haak, Fred van der Kade, Gerrit-Jan van der Hoeven, Hans Hornstra, Harm de Fonkert, Harry Wedemeijer, Henk Geenen, Henk Reuvekamp, Huub Nelissen, Jac van Riel, Johan de Vries, Joop Nordsiek, Patrick Reus, Peter Vonk, Pieter van der Ploeg, Rick Tuk, Rob Veldkamp, Rob Wurtz, Roger Huys, Sander Bootsman and Wout van der Horst enormously for their participation this year during our Holland Tour, but also during the indoor practice sessions and the intersquad games (both indoors and outdoors).
Because of them, the team was able to prepare itself optimal for the international season which ended with the crown on a lot of work: capturing the European title for the first time in 19 years!
Some of these officials already have contributed again in the latest practices and games to prepare for the 2010 season.
The participation of these officials is really appreciated by both players and staffmembers.
The team also wants to thank Jeroen Bockweg of the KNBSB Head Office and Umpire Commissioner Bert Loggen for their support and assistance this year.
Besides this, the team want to thank their sponsors and suppliers of this year, but also the clubs who were the host during the Holland Tour, the staff at Nieuwegein Diamonds, the 'home site' of the Dutch Team in Nieuwegein.
Another big thank you goes to all family members and friends of the players and staff, who supported everyone this year, were with the team during games, traveled with the team to Canada and Spain or just for being there.
Now that the year is over, it's fun to look back to the 2009 season and see what we all have done this year, read all the stories and recaps once more, see to the hundreds of photos again and much more, so go to the coverage of 2009 to have another review.
But, you can also go to the Media-page to see how the team was involved in media and public relations this year, or have a look at one of the other pages on this site (see the navigation at the top of all pages).
The snow-covered entrance of Sporthallen Zuid in Amsterdam
Inside, the Christmas Tree was decorated...
...and players ensembled for their last practice session of the year
Before the practice started, the players got more information regarding
new uniforms to be tested today
Bas Nooijens (he played in the Dutch baseball big league himself for Twins) of All-American Sports
gave detailed information of the structure and purposes of the outfits
Austin Fasting and Bas Nooijens hand out an outfit to Areke Spel
At right, Malou van Dusschoten just got her outfit
Here, Saskia Kosterink and Nathalie Gosewehr get their uniform
Then, the players have to try on the uniforms and check the fitting
Saskia Kosterink shows the outfit fits her well
...and so do Britt Vonk, Malou van Dusschoten,
Merel Oosterveld and Dagmar Bloeming
Rebecca Duindam, Kimberly Jones, Noëmie Brandjes and Eva Voortman,
the four players of the Dutch Junior Team, who participated in today's practice and intersquad game
Players start to warm up for the practice session
In the meantime, Physical Therapist Anouk Fermont is preparing another drill
Juniors Kimberly Jones, Eva Voortman, Noëmie Brandjes
and Rebecca Duindam during the warm-up session
Today's umpires Carolien Stadhouders and Boyd Suk
A look from the dug-out
Nadine Marinus fouls off a ball;
Junior Noëmie Brandjes is the catcher; Carolien Stadhouders the umpire
Head Coach Craig Montvidas has one of his meetings
Action at second base with umpire Boyd Suk ready to make a call
Catcher Solange Starrenburg saves a wild pitch;
Noëmie Brandjes is the batter; Carolien Stadhouders the umpire
Pitchers Kirsten Scheele and Ginger de Weert
Junior Kimberly Jones is ready for action at second base
Pitchers Rebecca Soumeru and Dagmar Bloeming
Solange Starrenburg lines a single;
Noëmie Brandjes is the catcher and Boyd Suk has taken over as Home Plate Umpire
Pitchers Malou van Dusschoten and (Junior) Eva Voortman
Chantal Versluis running at third base, while Judith Diepeveen checks the action
Head Coach Craig Montvidas keeps an eye on the activities
Head Coach Craig Montvidas has his last meeting of the year with the team
Team Manager Paul Boonstra hands a teamphoto to Austin Fasting of All-American Sports
to thank them, on behalf of the team, for their support this season
After completion of the game, players exchange Christmas presents
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