(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo courtesy of RCH-Pinguïns)
 Chris de Vries retires as Chairman of RCH-Pinguïns
Nederlands
 HEEMSTEDE (Neth.) -
Chris de Vries has stepped down as Chariman on Dutch baseball- and softball-club RCH-Pinguïns.
De Vries presided over the Heemstede-based club for 18 years, spread over several different periods.
During the annual club-council meeting on Monday, February 8, De Vries was succeeded by Aad Otsen.
...Chris de Vries (right) hands over the...
...chairman's gavel to Aad Otsen...
(© Photo courtesy of RCH-Pinguïns) |
It was one of several changes in the club-board.
Otsen, who also is a baseball-umpire on the national level, handled youth affairs in the previous board.
He was succeeded on that position by Ed Slingerland.
Besides becoming the new chairman of the club, Aad Otsen also will be the treasurer.
In that position, he will be supported by Wim Timmer, who remains the financial administrator.
Another change was the naming of Jolanda van den Burg, who succeeded interim-secretary Hilda Wiers.
During its meeting, Ab de Boer and Robert Paulus were named Member of Merit.
De Boer has been a former player of the main baseball squad of RCH, but also acted as Assistant Coach, Head Coach and Interim Coach several times through the years.
He also has been a member of the club-board in the past.
Paulus, who nowadays lives in Dubai, has done a lot of work through the years for the baseball-youth at RCH-Pinguïns.
Mike Assendelft and Jim Leijenaar were honored for being a clubmember for 25 years.
In November of last year, RCH-Pinguïns signed a working agreement with Vaessen Pioniers, whose main squad plays in the Dutch big league and plays in nearby Hoofddorp.
When RCH-Pinguïns relegated from the highest division after conclusion of the 2009 season, in following years, the club's junior-squad became the highest level for talents to play in.
Last year, this junior-team won the Dutch Championship-title, which led to the desire to play on a higher level.
The step to the main squad, which plays in the second highest division ('Overgangsklasse') might be too big, but with the agreement with Pioniers, it is possible that two talented players of RCH-Pinguïns get a chance to play in the Rookie League-team of the Hoofddorp-based club.
Also, some talents of the Pioniers Rookies will be detached to RCH-Pinguïns to gain more experience its main squad en route to a possible step to the big league-squad of Pioniers.
This season, Glenn Bakker, Lars Broersen and Joey Kuysten will play for RCH-Pinguïns in the 'Overgangsklasse'.
It also becomes possible to exchange players between both clubs during the season.
Head Coaches Dè Flanegin (Pioniers), Marlon Frolijk (RCH-Pinguïns) and Bas Aschman (Pioniers Rookies) frequently will consult each other.
(February 29)
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