(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Fred Versluis & Marco Stoovelaar)
 Tracy Bunge steps down as Netherlands Team Coach; joins NPF Rebellion
Nederlands
...Tracy Bunge gives instructions during...
...the 2015 European Championships...
...Juni Francisca listens...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
 NIEUWEGEIN (Neth.) -
Tracy Bunge has stepped down as Head Coach of the Netherlands National Women Softball Team, the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) announced on Friday (January 8).
Last year, she led the Orange squad during the European Championship, which was held in Rosmalen (Netherlands).
During the event, she was joined as Co-Head Coach Juni Francisca.
He also led the team during other activities throughout the year when Tracy Bunge was in the USA.
The two succeeded Craig Montvidas, who had led the Dutch Team in 2009-2014.
Tracy Bunge will join the coaching-staff of Pennsylvania Rebellion in the professional National Pro Fastpitch (NPF).
With that, she is unable to combine coaching in the NPF and also the Netherlands Team, which will participate this year in the World Championship that will be held July 15-24 in Canada.
This means that Juni Francisca will be the lone Head Coach of the Orange squad this year.
During the previous World Championship, two years ago in Haarlem (Netherlands), the Netherlands qualified for the Play-Offs for the third consecutive time and again finished in sixth place.
After having finished in 12th place on the World Championship of 2006 in Japan, the Dutch women climbed to sixth place in three following World Championships in Venezuela, Canada and The Netherlands.
It underscored a very successful period of the Netherlands Softball Team, which also captured three consecutive European Championship-titles by remaining unbeaten in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
Last year, the Orange lost the EC-final to Italy.
On the World Ranking List of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the Netherlands Softball Team was ranked in fifth place last year.
Recently, it was announced that TEAMKPN Sportfonds will support the Netherlands National Women Softball Team in 2016.
With this, the KNBSB is able to organize a top-level worthy program this year for the national softball-team on its way to the World Championship in Canada.
...Craig Montvidas and Tracy Bunge share details while coaching...
...the Netherlands Softball Team in 2014...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Tracy Bunge was involved with the Netherlands National Softball Team since November 2009.
Initially, she assisted Head Coach Craig Montvidas during winter practice sessions, but she became a member of the coaching-staff in 2010 for the World Championship in Venezuela.
She returned as a coach in following years when the Netherlands Team participated in the World Championships in 2012 (Canada) and 2014 (Netherlands).
She also was member of the staff when the Orange captured the Gold Medal in the European Championship of 2011 in Italy and was with the team when it played a series of games in Florida in the Spring of 2014.
In 2013, Tracy Bunge also was a member of the coaching-staff of the Netherlands National Junior Team during the World Junior Championship in Canada.
At Pennsylvania Rebellion, Tracy Bunge will be re-united with Craig Montvidas, who last year made his debut as Head Coach of the NPF-team.
Netherlands Team-players Virginie Anneveld and Dagmar Bloeming then made their professional debut with the Rebellion.
In October, the Rebellion signed Australian infielder Stacey Porter, who is widely regarded as one of the best hitters worldwide.
In the last two seasons, she played for Sagawa Express in the strong Professional Japanese league.
In the 2016 season, the six teams in the NPF all will play 50 games.
The regular season opens on May 31 and ends on August 14 to be followed by the Play-Offs.
The Rebellion open at home against Akron Racers.
(January 10)
Related articles:
 TEAMKPN Sportfonds supports Netherlands Softball Team. (December 16)
National Pro Fastpitch expands to six teams. (November 12)
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