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Practice & Meeting
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (USA) - The Dutch National Softball Team on Wednesday held another practice session on another hot day.
This time indoors, where the team was able to use six batting cages.
At the end of the practice, everyone signed their name on the wall of the facility where several softball-teams, including the Olympic American squad practiced.
At the entrance of SportsPlus (the name of the facility), several photos showed who have been there, but there was also historic photos of baseball legends like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Willie Mays, Ty Cobb and Ted Williams.
Besides having a hitting session, the players also were shown photos of themselves batting and got hitting advice from Head Coach Craig Montvidas.
The pitchers held their own practices at another part of the indoor facility.
In the afternoon, Head Coach Craig Montvidas, Team Manager Paul Boonstra and Media Officer Marco Stoovelaar attended the Technical Meeting at the press lounge of the Don E. Porter Stadium.
There, Ronnie Isham, USA Softball Director of National Teams, Ron Radigonda, Executive Director of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and ISF-President Don Porter addressed the representatives of the six participating countries.
Also, the tournament rules were listed and gifts were handed out for all the players and staff members of the teams.
The umpires, including Dutch umpire Rob Veldkamp, also were introduced.
On Thursday, the Dutch Team opens the World Cup of Softball against Italy, then meets Team USA at 7:00 PM (local time) in the evening.
This game will be broadcast live by ESPN 2 and can be seen in 147 countries worldwide, including the Netherlands (ESPN America).
All games of the American squad will be broadcast live by ESPN.
Schedule World Cup of Softball
Indoor practice
The OCU-bus carrying the team arrives at the SportsPlus Batting Cages
Historic photos at the entrance of Babe Ruth, Pete Rose, Lou Gehrig and Willie Mays
Team Manager Paul Boonstra sets up office
Head Coach Craig Montvidas addresses the team
Physical Therapist Anouk Fermont looks on
Phil McSpadden assists with a flat tire in one of the pitching machines
Solange Starrenburg, Nathalie Gosewehr and Petra van Heijst wait to resume the practice
Head Coach Craig Montvidas with Virginie Anneveld
A break for catchers Nathalie Timmermans and Karin Tuk
Pitcher Dagmar Bloeming and Catcher Anne Blaauwgeers after practice
Chantal Versluis and Areke Spel relax after practice
And so do Dagmar Bloeming and Solange Starrenburg
Kirsten Scheele signs her name
A photo moment for Karin Tuk, Rebecca Soumeru and Chantal Versluis
Assistant Coach Tiffany McDonald and Pitchers Kirsten Scheele and Femke van Dusschoten
after practice
Saskia Kosterink, Areke Spel and Petra van Heijst pose for a photo
The signatures of the Dutch players on the wall
By the way, Media Officer Marco Stoovelaar did the drawings
Technical Meeting
The main entrance of the Don E. Porter Stadium
Ronnie Isham, the USA Softball Director of National Teams, addresses
the team representatives during the Technical Meeting
ISF President Don Porter welcomes the teams and gives a round-up of the current
activities of softball in the world, including the BackSoftball-program
In the back is Ron Radigonda, the Executive Director of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)
The eight umpires are being introduced
Katrina Kershaw (USA), Bonnie Gostola (Canada), Kevin Broomhall (Australia),
Rob Veldkamp (Netherlands), Andrea Marcon (Italy), John Orlowski (USA),
Motoichi Ueda (Japan) and Hiroyuki Tsuchie (Japan)
Head Coach Craig Montvidas and Italian Coach Monica Corvino do the coin flip
for the Netherlands vs. Italy game the next morning
Photos of championships teams are hanging on the wall in the Press/VIP-lounge of the stadium
Here the 1996 NCAA Champion Arizona, which included Coach Nancy Evans
(third from the right on the center row)
Head Coach Craig Montvidas in front of the stadium (top)
and the giant schedule at the entrance (below)
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