(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Paul Boonstra & Marco Stoovelaar)
IN MEMORIAM
...Peter Schuler...
(1950 - 2017) |
 Former player, coach, administrator Peter Schüler passed away
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
Peter Schüler, who has been very active in softball for both men and women for many years, has passed away on Wednesday, September 27.
Peter had turned 67 in August.
While he had some health problems in recent months, his passing came unexpectedly.
The memorial and cremation service will be held on Wednesday, October 4 at Crematorium De Nieuwe Ooster at the Kruislaan 126 in Amsterdam.
The service begins at 4:15 PM.
Afterwards, there is an opportunity to offer condolences to the family.
In the seventies and eighties, Peter Schüler was associated to Amsterdam-based softball-club S.H.E.L.L., where he was a player and coached.
For several years, Schüler was one of the coaches of the women and men softball-team.
Playing for that team was Joanne Christiano, who was one of the first American softball-players in the Netherlands, with whom he married later.
Peter Schüler, who was a pilot and captain for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines before he retired, was very driven in what he did.
Through the years, he worked to improve the level and quality of softball for both women and men.
But he was mostly active in men softball, which he wanted to bring to a higher level.
During his years with S.H.E.L.L., Peter Schüler also was the Coach of the representative softball-team of the then Rayon Amsterdam in the eighties.
Initially, he only led the women-team, but later also led the men-squad.
In 1981-1982, he was a member of the Game Affairs Committee Softball in Amsterdam.
In the same period, Schüler also was active on a national level.
In 1982 through 1984, he was a member of the Softball Board of the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB).
Hereafter, in 1985-1987, he was a member of the Policy Affairs Commmitee of the KNBSB.
Also, in 1982-1983, he was a member of the national Game Affairs Committee Softball, which he led at its chairman in 1984.
In the following some 15 years, Peter Schüler was not that active in softball.
However, on the background, he stayed informed and gave advice for the improvement and more recognition of men softball.
In 2005, Schüler became the stimulating force behind the Netherlands National Men Softball Team, which began a new future.
Thanks to his contributions, the Orange-squad started to perform better again, got some new funds and still performs very well.
...Peter Schüler with Head Coach Craig Montvidas and...
...Assistant Coach Berend Mannessen during the trainingcamp...
...of the Netherlands Women Softball Team in Florida in 2014...
(© Photo: Paul Boonstra) |
With the National Men Softball Team, Schüler was active as its Manager and Coach, but mostly as its Team Manager or General Manager.
In this position, he organized everything around the team, including the playing of games, training camps, uniforms and much more.
In 2013, Schüler stepped down as the team's General Manager.
During the Zeister Slot Tournament of that year, Peter was inducted into the Wall of Fame of the annual international men softball-tournament.
Peter and his wife Joanne also resided in Clearwater (Florida, USA) for part of the year.
In 2011 and 2012, the Netherlands National Women Softball Team traveled to Florida as part of its preparations for the international events in those years.
In 2011, the Orange-squad was to defend its title at the European Championship and in 2012, it participated in the World Championship.
During their stay in Florida, Peter and Joanne took care of all logistics, including arranging the field, traveling, hotels and meals.
In 2014, the Orange-women again traveled to the Clearwater-area.
Peter and Joanne again took care of the squad.
Later that year, Peter was the Team Manager when the team traveled to the Chicago-area.
During the World Championship Softball of that year, which was held in Haarlem (Netherlands), Peter and Joanne were members of the supporting staff as Liaison Officer.
In 2013-2014, Peter Schuler also a member of the Advisory Column Softball and was responsible for events.
Besides his many contributions to men softball, Peter Schüler also has been active for a long time in basketball.
For many years and almost from the beginning, he was one of the members of the Organizing Committee of the Haarlem Basketball Week, which was held annually since 1982 through 2000 during the Christmas Holidays.
The next event followed in 2002, then the next one in 2006.
Peter Schüler was spirited, passionate and involved in what he did.
That will surely be missed by everyone who knew him.
The webmaster of Grand Slam * Stats & News offers his condolences to Peter's wife Joanne and other family and wishes them a lot of strength with this huge loss.
(October 2)
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