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In January 2009, Paul Boonstra returns to the Dutch National Team as its Team Manager after having served as Business Manager on two earlier occassions.
He first was with the national squad in 2001 when he was its Team Manager, then was appointed Business Manager in October 2001 and held that position through 2002.
In 2006, Paul returned as Business Manager, but resigned after completion of the European Championships in Amsterdam (Netherlands) in early June 2007.
Despite not participating in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Italy, which followed the EC later in the month, he missed the squad and traveled to Ronchi Dei Legionari for the final games to see the National Team beat Italy and qualify for the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing (China).
In October 2009, Paul also becomes the Team Manager of the Dutch National Junior Team.
Now in his third stint with the national team, Paul is appointed Team Manager by new Head Coach Craig Montvidas and will handle logistics and administration, amongst other things.
It marks the first time, Paul Boonstra is working together with Montvidas.
In his previous associations with the National Team, he was a member of the supporting staff for Head Coaches Rob Walgien (2001), Gonny Farley-Reijnen (October 2001-September 2002) and Liz Kelly (2006-May 2007).
On the photo at left, Paul introduces the players and staffmembers of the Dutch National Team during the Japan Cup Championships of 2006 in Yokohama (Japan).
Paul never played baseball himself, but briefly played men softball for fun on a lower level at the end of the eighties.
Nevertheless, he was attracted to the softball-sport, as it was played at Terrasvogels, the club where he played soccer for some 30 years.
In the years that followed, Paul developed both a coaching and organisational skill.
In 1983, Paul started coaching youth teams at Terrasvogels and was appointed Assistant Coach for Dutch big league-team DSC '74 for the 1989 season.
In 1990, 1991 and 1992, he again was active as an Assistant Coach, but this time at RCH, which also played in the big league back then and was coached by Don Wedman, who was the Head Coach of the Dutch National Team in 1985-1986 and was a member of the national team's coaching staff in 1994-1996.
In 1993, Paul returns to Terrasvogels, where he is the Head Coach of the second team of the club, but has to retire at the end of the season due to a knee-injury.
To remain active in softball, Paul then turns to doing all the administration affairs of the big league-team of Terrasvogels, being their Team Manager in 1994 through 1998.
In these years, he is also with the team during five European Cup-tournaments.
In 1995, Terrasvogels captures the Cupwinners Cup and in the next year the European Cup.
Besides being active for Dutch softball-teams, Paul also conducted a clinic in the Czech Republic in the early nineties.
In 1999, Paul is the 1st Base Coach for the national team of South Africa, when it participates in the Haarlems Softball Week.
Less than a year later, in March 2000, he travels to South Africa with Rinie Scheele, the father of national team-player Kirsten Scheele to conduct a clinic and coaches one of the local teams during the national championships.
From 1985 through 1999, Paul also is active as a Liaison Officer during the Haarlem Softball Week.
In this period, eight editions of this internatonal tournament in the Netherlands are being held and Paul serves as the Liaison Officer for teams like the USA, Canada, Netherlands Antilles, South Africa and American clubteam St. Louis Express.
It is needless to say that because of this activities and his years with the Dutch National Softball Team, Paul has built a network of several (international) contacts.
2009 --- In January, Paul starts his third period with the Dutch National Softball Team, this time as its Team Manager ---
On April 8, Paul and Media Officer Marco Stoovelaar accompany Head Coach Craig Montvidas and players Saskia Kosterink and Rebecca Soumeru to a a softball lecture at the Japanese School of Amsterdam ---
On August 1, during the European Championships in Valencia (Spain), Paul is a member of the staff when the Dutch Team captures the first European title in 19 years.
2007 --- After completion of the European Championships in Amsterdam (Netherlands), Paul steps down as Business Manager and is succeeded by Caroline Theunissen, who becomes the third Business Manager in four years in the staff of then-Head Coach Liz Kelly.
2006 --- Early this year, Paul becomes the Business Manager again for the National Team, taking over for Ellen Broeke, who handled things the year before.
2002 --- As Business Manager of the Dutch National Women Team, Paul oversees all administration and logistics ---
This year, the team participates in the World Championships in Canada ---
After completion of the World Championships in Saskatoon (Canada), he steps down as Business Manager and is succeeded by Bas Langezaal.
2001 --- This year, Paul makes his debut in the supporting staff of the Dutch National Team, as he is the Team Manager ---
With the national team, Paul participates in his first Canada Cup and first European Championships ---
In October of this year, he is named Business Manager of the national squad.
2000 --- In this year, Paul travels to South Africa with Rinie Scheele to conduct a clinic.
1999 --- During the 10th Haarlem Softball Week, Paul is the Liaison Officer for the national team of South Africa, but during the tournament, he also serves as its 1st Base Coach.
1994 --- After having to retire as a coach the year before due to a knee-injury, Paul makes his debut as Team Manager of the big league-team of Terrasvogels and remains with the team in that position for five seasons.
1990-1992 --- In these three seasons, Paul is the Assistant Coach for big league-team RCH.
1989 --- Paul makes his coaching debut in the Dutch Major League, as he is the Assistant Coach at DSC '74.
1985 --- During the third Haarlem Softball Week, Paul makes his debut as Liaison Officer, handling the contacts between one of the participating teams and the organizing committee. He would be a Liaison Officer in eight Haarlem Softball Weeks.
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