(Story & Photos by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Berend Mannessen makes comeback as Head Coach of Hoofddorp Pioniers
Nederlands
 HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
Veteran softball-coach Berend Mannessen will return to the field in 2021, as he has become the new Head Coach of the women's softball-team of Hoofddorp Pioniers, which plays in the Golden League.
The knowledgeable and experienced Mannessen has been a softball-coach for some 40 years.
He was last active as a coach in 2014 when he was one of the Assistant Coaches of the Netherlands National Women's Softball Team.
In the years thereafter, he continued giving practice sessions or doing instructions at (international) training-camps.
In the past few weeks, it already rumored that Mannessen was to return, but it has now officially been confirmed on Thursday (November 12).
...Berend Mannessen...
...Back as coach in 2021...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
This season, Hoofddorp Pioniers played in its second season in the highest softball-league.
In 2019, the team returned to the highest level in 2019 after a 25-year absence and finished in sixth place with a 7-21 record.
Thereafter, the team was 7-3 to finish in second place in the Promotion/Relegation Series to secure its spot in the Golden League.
This year, the team was less successful.
Although the season started later due to the coronavirus, a complete 28-game schedule was planned to be played.
However, not to be followed by Play-Offs, Holland Series en Season Finals.
On October 14, the season ended abruptly due to stricter measures against the coronavirus and it was announced that all team sports-competitons for 18 years and older would be halted for at least four weeks.
Pioniers played 23 games this season, but lost all of them.
In those games, the team scored 54 runs and gave up 217, finishing in last place.
When the start of this years competition was announced, it had been decided that due to the uncertainties there would be no promotion and relegation this season in all leagues.
Pioniers was led again this season by Head Coach Glennsig Polonius, who was assisted by Griffith Cathalina and Pitching Coach Raily Margaritha.
In 2015, Polonius led the team for the first time, together with Dè Flanegin and Tuti Rumai, who all shared the same duties.
Polonius then became the Head Coach in 2016 and was joined by Cathalina and Margaritha.
In 2018, the team ended in second place of the Silver League with a 21-11 record behind champion Twins Oosterhout.
With that, Pioniers promoted to the Golden League, which was expanded with two teams for the 2019 season.
After the double-header against Roef! rained out on Saturday, October 10, the trio was informed that it was decided by the club that it would not continue with the three coaches for the 2021 season.
Thereafter, the three stepped down immediately with six games left on its schedule.
And so, on Tuesday-evening, October 13, in a make-up game at home against Terrasvogels, the team was led by Ronald Stoovelaar and John Loogman.
Stoovelaar is the Head Coach of the Omron Pioniers baseball-team (Overgangsklasse), Loogman is the Head Coach of the second softball-team of Hoofddorp Pioniers (Second Division).
As the season was halted the next day, this was to be the final game the team played this year.
With Berend Mannessen, Pioniers has a familiar coach leading the team again, as he returns to the team he has coached for many seasons before.
Overall, Mannessen led the softball-team of Pioniers in 19 seasons in three different periods.
With that, he now returns to the team for a fourth stint.
After being a youth softball-coach for some years, Mannessen was the Assistant Coach of the main softball-team for Hoofddorp Pioniers in 1985.
In the following four seasons, he was the Head Coach of the team.
In 1988, Mannessen guided the team to the championship of the Second Division to promote to the First Division.
Hereafter, he was the Assistant Coach of DSC '74 in 1990 which then played in the highest league and was led by legendary Head Coach Nol Houtkamp.
In 1991, Mannessen succeeded Houtkamp and was the Head Coach of DSC '74 in three seasons.
DSC '74 merged with TYBB after the 2007 season to become the current Olympia Haarlem.
In 1994, Mannessen led the softball-team of Alphians, which played at the so-called District-level.
...Berend Mannessen coaching at 1B...
...for the Netherlands Team during...
...the 2013 European Championship...
...in Prague (Czech Republic)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
After not being active for one year, Mannessen returned as Head Coach of Hoofddorp Pioniers in 1996 and led the team in thirteen consecutive seasons.
In 2008, he again led Pioniers to promotion to the First Division.
Following that season, he was named Head Coach of Haarlem-based DSS, whom he led to the championship in 2009, resulting in promotion to the highest division.
After the season, Mannessen won the Coach of the Year Award.
And so, in 2010, DSS made its comeback in the highest league after a 24-year absence.
A difficult season followed in 2010 and the team relegated again.
In 2011, Mannessen was the Head Coach of UVV.
That was a successful season, as UVV promoted to the big league.
In September 2011, Mannessen was added to the coaching-staff of the Netherlands National Softball Programme as a so-called Flex Coach.
In that position, he worked with both the National Team as well as the National Youth Teams as a coach and coordinator.
Also, a third period as Head Coach followed at Hoofddorp Pioniers, whom he led in 2012 and 2013.
He stepped down after the 2013 season to fully concentrate on the international 2014 season in which the Netherlands Softball Team participated in the World Championship.
In that year, the global event was organized for the first time in Europe with Haarlem (Netherlands) being the playing site where the games were played on the complex of Olympia Haarlem.
In these years, the National Softball Programme was headed by Craig Montvidas, who also was the Head Coach of the Netherlands Team.
From September 2011 through 2014, Mannessen assisted Montvidas with the coordination of the National Programme and the organization of trainingcamps.
In 2012, Mannessen made his debut as as Assistant Coach of the Netherlands Team during the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City (USA).
Thereafter, he also was one of the coaches during the World Championship in Whitehorse (Canada).
In 2013, Mannessen was a member of the coaching-staff when the Netherlands Team captured its third consecutive unbeaten title at the European Championship in Prague (Czech Republic).
He then also coached with the team during the 2014 World Championship in Haarlem (Netherlands).
Montvidas stepped down after the 2014 season and was succeeded by Juni Francisca and Tracy Bunge, who were Co-Head Coach.
Francisca then became the sole Head Coach in 2016.
When Montvidas stopped at the end of the 2014, Mannessen also stepped down.
But in following years, he continued to visit many softball-games, mostly in Hoofddorp, Haarlem and Santpoort as an watchful spectator.
And next year, after a 6-year absence, Berend Mannessen also will be back again himself in the coaching box.
(November 14)
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