(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Kitty Dirksen)
 Euro Stars builds for the future; Martijn Teuben new coach
Nederlands
 CAPELLE a/d IJSSEL (Neth.) -
The women softball-team of Euro Stars has its team ready for the new season.
In the transfer-period, which officially ends on December 1, six new players were added to the roster.
All six are young and talented players, with whom the team is building a new future, after some of the 'older' players have retired.
The team recently announced its transfers and presented its new squad for the 2016 season.
This season, Euro Stars finished in seventh place in the first half of the competition in the Silver League, only two points behind sixth place.
With that, the team had to play in the Relegation Pool of the Silver League in the second half.
In that pool, Euro Stars finished in second place, just behind Gryphons, to secure their spot in next years Silver League.
In the upcoming season, Euro Stars will be a contender again to reach the Promotion Pool of the Silver League, then can grow into a contender for the top-positions in the following years.
Of course, in the future, the ultimate goal is to return to the highest division in which Euro Stars last played in 2010.
...Martijn Teuben...
...new Head Coach Euro Stars...
(© Photo by Kitty Dirksen) |
Martijn Teuben is the new Head Coach of Euro Stars in 2016.
He succeeds Willy van der Lee, who led the team this year, until just before the end of the season.
Teuben is no stranger to coaching women softball-teams.
In 2005, Teuben coached the team of Spikes, then was the Head Coach of Zwijndrecht in 2007-2012.
In between, he coached a baseball little league-team at Spikes.
While at Zwijndrecht, he was successful and brought the team back from the Fourth Division to the First Division.
Before becoming the coach of the women-team of Spikes, Teuben coached several youth baseball-teams at The Hawks for six years since he was 15 years old.
Teuben played 19 years baseball himself for The Hawks, then also played in the main squad of Zwijndrecht through the 2010 season.
After undergoing surgery to his pitching shoulder, he played at a lower level in 2013 at Zwijndrecht, then played Braves in the First Division the next year.
But at the same time, he remained interested in coaching, then retired as player and returned to coaching.
Since 2013, Teuben is active as a technical coordinator of the Foundation Top Softball South Holland, after being asked to join by André Prins, who leads the Foundation.
The softball-teams of this Foundation play in several competitions as Blue Angels.
There, he coached the Zuid-Holland Senior League Team in 2013 and 2014.
In both years, he led the team to the Dutch Championship.
At the following Little (Senior) League European Championship, the team finished in third place in 2013, then lost the final in 2014.
This year, he was the Head Coach of the Blue Angels Gators (U18), with whom he he won the championship-title.
While coaching at Euro Stars, Teuben also will remain technical coordinator at the Foundation.
...The first team-photo...
...Back row: Martijn Teuben, Anthony Granger, Joyce Collewijn, Ingrid Ooms...
...Chantal Fehling, Shomayra Franka, Kim van der Valk, Eliza van 't Zelfde,...
...Lotte Pennings, Davinia de Kwant, Edward Franka & Wouter Rouss...
...Front row: Amy Gielen, Anna Prins, Renske Jansen, Michelle Lucardie,...
...Tanisha van Krevel, Onaisha Franka, Manon Hogenes & Britt Amersfoort...
(© Photo by Kitty Dirksen) |
Teuben will be assisted next season by Anthony Granger, while Joyce Collewijn returns as Team Manager.
Ingrid Ooms will be the Team Scorer again.
During the practice sessions, the coaching staff will be assisted by Edward Franka, while Wouter Rouss will handle the strength and conditioning.
Amongst the six new players that are coming to Euro Stars is one player, who also played in the Silver League this season.
That is 23-year old pitcher Chantal Fehling, who played the past two seasons for Zwijndrecht.
Besides pitching, she also can be inserted at third base and in the outfield.
17-year old Britt Amersfoort, who is a pitcher and also plays at first base, is coming from Birds.
With that team, she played in the First Division this season.
During the Promotion/Relegation Series at the end of the season, Birds promoted to the Silver League in September.
Michelle Lucardie and Amy Gielen, both also 17 years old, this season played in the junior-squad of Gophers and are utility players.
Michele Lucardie can play all infield-positions, while Amy Gielen plays at first and second base and in the outfield.
This season, Britt Amersfoort, Michelle Lucardie and Amy Gielen all played for Blue Angels Gators, the team that was coached by Martijn Teuben.
Also playing in that team were Tanisha van Krevel and Renske Jansen, who already played for Euro Stars and now will also become their teammates there in the new season.
The Blue Angels Gators Team won the championship in the Top Division Under18.
The fifth newcomer is 23-year old lefthanded pitcher and outfielder Lotte Pennings, who played for Starlights, with whom she played in the Third Division this year.
In January, Euro Stars will participate again in the annual International Indoor Cup Tournament in Schiedam.
There, the team will be joined by 23-year old Aleksandra 'Olka' Grzeszcak, who probably also will play for the team during the season.
The Polish pitcher played for the National Team of Poland during this years European Championship in Rosmalen (Netherlands).
During that event, she was the winning pitcher in two games, which also were the lone wins for Poland.
Her first win was against Croatia when she pitched a 4-inning No-Hitter.
Her second win came against Slovakia.
She then went the distance and gave up six hits in seven inings.
With the win, Poland finished in 15th place.
This season, she played for Delfiny Skarbimierz in the highest Polish league.
In 2009, she participated with her team in the Little (Big) League World Series in the USA.
...Newcomers Britt Amersfoort, Chantal Fehling, Amy Gielen, Michelle Lucardie & Lotte Pennings are ready for 2016...
(© Photos by Kitty Dirksen; edited by Marco Stoovelaar) |
Nine players of this years team are returning next year.
They are pitcher Shomayra Franka, catchers/infielders Tanisha van Krevel and Anna Prins, infielders Onaisha Franka and Kim van der Valk, outfielders Manon Hogenes, Renske Jansen and Eliza van 't Zelfde and utility player Davinia de Kwant.
The latter is the most experienced player of the team, as she has played seven years in the Dutch big league with Euro Stars in 2004-2010.
Six players will not be back.
Outfielder Kimberly van der Lee transfered to Ban-Topa Future Stars, which secured its spot in the Silver League late September during the Promotion/Relegation Series.
Pitcher/infielder Merel Cramer, pitcher/infielder Wendy van der Hoeven, infielders Kirsten Molle and Rachel Schouten and outfielder Kimberly Matulessy all retired after completion of the season.
Looking ahead, Martijn Teuben says: ,,As some of the older players have retired, this will be a new start and we're looking beyond 2016.
Our region, which also includes Birds, has to grow more within the top of softball in the upcoming seasons.
Next year, we will have a well-balanced team with an average age of 20, which is very young.
The team has an enormous drive to work hard and get better, without losing the fun.
That gives me a lot of confidence for the future.
I don't know the other Silver League-teams yet, but our goal next season is to qualify for the Promotion Pool.
When that happens, we will be better than this season and the players then will be rewarded for their hard work.
And they deserve that!''
(November 17)
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