(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo courtesy of Sportraad Amsterdam)
 Loek Loevendie wins Penning Sportraad Amsterdam
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
At the Plein-foyer of the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam, Loek Loevendie has received the annual Penning Sportraad Amsterdam on Thursday (June 2).
It was the seventh time since 2010 that the medal was handed out by the Sportraad Amsterdam.
Loevendie was also one of the nominees for the recognition in 2014.
The Sportraad Amsterdam is an independent advisory body that was created in 1952 by the City Council to advise regarding the policy of sports in Amsterdam.
...Loek Loevendie has just received...
...the medal from chairman...
...Robert Geerlings...
(© Photo: Sportraad Amsterdam) |
The jury had a lot of praise for the decades long activities of Loevendie at Baseball- and Softball Club Amsterdam Pirates and his many contributions to the development of both sports in the city of Amsterdam.
The now 84-year old Loevendie has been active as a coach of youth teams for 60 years and was one of the founders of Amsterdam Pirates.
Initially, when he was 16 years old, he became a trainer of youth-team at soccer-club Rap, then founded a baseball-department at that club in 1959.
When the baseball and in the meantime also softball-club became independent in 1974, it continued under the name of Amsterdam Pirates.
In his longtime coaching-career, Loevendie coached hundreds of players.
A lot of them went on to play in the Dutch big league, either with Amsterdam Pirates or other clubs.
Several of them were selected for Netherlands National Teams in different age-categories.
Some players went on to play professionally in the United States, including Rikkert Faneyte, who reached the Major League, playing for the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers.
In 2013, Loevendie retired as a team-coach, but he still continues coaching and training with youth-players every Wednesday-afternoon at the site of Pirates at Sportpark 'Ookmeer'.
Loevendie was one of the creators of Peanutball (Tee-ball) for the very youngest players starting at age 5, which nowadays had evolved into BeeBall, which is very popular.
| Previous Winners Penning Sportraad Amsterdam |
| Date | Winners |
| June 1, 2010 | Carolien Gehrels (Alderman of Amsterdam) |
| May 24, 2011 | Hockey Club AthenA |
| June 5, 2012 | Pedja Djurdjevic (Kimekai Gym) |
| June 6, 2013 | Machiel van der Woude (AFC Soccer) |
| June 5, 2014 | Jolanda Hogewind (Calvijn met Junior College) |
| June 4, 2015 | Flevoparkbad (Swimming) |
| June 2, 2016 | Loek Loevendie (Baseball/Softball) |
In a recap of the presentation published by Sportraad Amsterdam, it stated that Loevendie clearly was emotional when he received the Medal from Chairman Robert Geerlings.
In his acceptance speech, Loevendie said: ,,I have had a wonderful time with Pirates as a trainer.
Still, I'm having a lot of fun giving BeeBall-practices to the youngest players every Wednesday.
It is very difficult to step out of the sport.''
The Penning Sportraad Amsterdam is handed out to a person or organisation/club who has had a major contribution to sports in Amsterdam via courage, vision, ambition or efforts.
In the weeks leading up to the presentation, the Sportraad Amsterdam received more than 50 applicants for the medal.
From that group, the Jury nominated five.
Besides Loevendie, the other nominees this year were Peter de Jong, the chairman gymnastics-club DOS, who took the initiative for VROG Freerunning & Turnstad Amsterdam, Tycho van der Werff, who is the Head Trainer of Beter Judo Amsterdam and is the founder of Special Needs Judo Foundation (G-Judo), Combinatie Zuidoost United & Bijlmer Sportpark, a cooperation for intensifying the use of sports complexes and Esther Hellinga, who took the initiative to present a sports program for refugees in Amsterdam.
The latter is a former softball-player of Amsterdam Pirates.
(June 4)
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