(Story & Photos by Marco Stoovelaar)
IN MEMORIAM
...Janke Nijdam...
(1934 - 2023)
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
 Hall of Famer and former player, coach, administrator Janke Nijdam passed away
Nederlands
 HAARLEM (Neth.) -
Janke Nijdam, who played played at the highest softball-level until the early seventies for Haarlem-based HHC, where she also has been the Head Coach, passed away on Saturday, July 22 at age 88.
Janke Nijdam also played in the Netherlands Softball Team in the sixties and has been a board-member of both the Netherlands Softball Federation as well as the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Association.
Besides that, she was closely involved in the Haarlem Softball Week and was active in several other positions, including being the chairperson at HHC.
For her many contributions to the sport of softball, Janke Nijdam was elected into the Netherlands Baseball and Softball Hall of Fame in 1997.
On Saturday, July 29, a private memorial service was held.
Janke Nijdam was born on November 19, 1934 in Wervershoof.
During World War II, despite the difficult circumstances, it was still possible to play games in the baseball-competition in the Netherlands, except in 1944.
Back then, only teams from Amsterdam and Haarlem then played in the highest league, but traveling became more and more difficult.
Somewhere around 1943, a baseball-variant for women was presented with some adjusted playing rules, including shorter base-distances and underhand pitching.
After World War II, it became clear that many of these rules were similar to those of sofball, which already existed and was played by American and Canadian soldiers, who were stationed in the Netherlands.
It didn't take long for softball to be introduced thereafter in the Netherlands and in the early years (late forties, early fifties) the sport became especially popular in Haarlem.
Several schools, such as the Lorentz Lyceum, Coornhert Lyceum, Kennemer Lyceum and Klaas de Vriesschool, form teams and school-competitions were set up in the fiftties.
In 1956, Janke Nijdam concluded her study at the Academy for Physical Education in Amsterdam and shortly thereafter, she started working at the Lorentz Lyceum in Haarlem.
As such, Janke more and more got acquainted with softball and started to play (and coach) in school-teams, participating in the school-competitions, which were regularly won by her shool.
Some two years later, Janke joined Haarlem-based HHC, which was one of the first baseball-clubs to set up a softball-section for women.
Other clubs who did the same included HCK, DSS, EDO and Terrasvogels, all from the Haarlem-area.
While working as a physical education teacher at the Lorentz Lyceum, some of her students later become her teammates when she played for HHC.
Through the years, others also went on to play softball (for other clubs) and also became talented players.
Janke always stayed loyal to HHC and it was there that she developed into not only a great defensive catcher, but also a solid hitter and a team-leader.
She went on to become one of the best players in the highest Dutch softball-league and played in the early games of the Netherlands National Team, with whom she traveled to the USA in 1967.
After concluding her playing career, she became the Head Coach of HHC.
In the meantime, while still playing herself, she also developed organizational skills and served in the board of the Netherlands Women's Softball Federation (NDSB).
As a player, Janke Nijdam was a late bloomer, as she was 25 years old when she made her debut in the main-squad of HHC in 1960.
But she immediately made a name for herself and played for the Haarlem club through the early seventies and retired at age 38.
As mentioned, Janke became a leading and solid player and was the prime catcher in the Netherlands Team for some years since 1964.
At the moment that Janke played in the main-team of HHC, Dries de Zwaan is the coach of the team.
In 1962, HHC plays in the First Division West and is the favorite in the league with HCK.
At the end of the season, HHC captures its seventh Championship-title.
Back then, the championship is decided in a tournament with the participation of the regional champions.
In this year, that tournament in played in Geldrop and HHC wins against Geldrop (South-champion) and VODO (The Hague-champion) with scores of respectively 25-3 and 19-4.
One of the most experienced players in the team is Hannie Berendonk, who also played for HHC when it won its previous six titles, the first of which was captured in 1952, being the lone player to have been with the team in all championship-seasons.
In 1955-1956 and in 1958-1960, Hannie Berendonk is a member of the board of the Netherlands Softball Federation, which was founded in December 1951.
In her first years on the board, amongst her fellow-boardmembers are other softball-pioneers Riet Vermaat (chairman), Bep van Beijmerwerdt (vice-chairman) and Puck Bosch (secretary).
Another softball-pioneer who plays for HHC in those years is Els (Smit) ter Meulen.
Other teammates of Janke Nijdam in her first seasons included Mieke Albers, Trudy Beelen, Conny Broere, Gerda Cammenga, Ruth de Haas, Emmy Hofstra, Saskia de Jong, Paula van der Mark, Joke Ringersma and Ria Samson.
...The Championship-team of HHC in 1962...
...Back row: Paula van der Mark, Janke Nijdam, Mieke Albers,...
...Betty de Groot, Emmy Hofstra, Marjolein Eysker, Ruth de Haas,...
...Coach Dries de Zwaan and Saskia de Jong...
...Seated: Els ter Meulen, Joke Ringersma,...
...Gerda Cammenga and Hannie Berendonk...
(Unknown Photographer) |
Janke immediately shows her defensive skills as catcher, but also is a solid hitter.
She regularly records a basehit or walks and moves runners around the bases, which creates runs.
From 1965 on, Marijke (Sijtsma) Bouman, Tineke Bruseker, Loes Buenting, Stien Kraay, Ria Kuyper, Yvonne Serné and Dini Zwaneveld are teammates of Janke.
And from 1970 on, playing for HHC are Marian van Ginhoven and Els Spee.
In 1963, a city-competition is set up for the first time with the participation of Amsterdam, Haarlem and The Hague who compete with teams compiled from players from local clubs.
Janke Nijdam also plays in this league and is one of the players in the Haarlem-team.
Others are Mieke Albers, Suze van Breukelen, Toos van Galen, Nel Goedhart, Wil Hurkmans, Pien Immer, Yvonne Immer, Saskia de Jong, Jetta van 't Land, Paula van der Mark, Els ter Meulen, Ria van der Putten, Ria Samson, Fieke Strijbis, Betty Veenstra, Gonnie Veenstra and Dini Zwaneveld.
The team is coached by Toon Verzijlberg and Ruud Zijlstra.
In many games, Janke underscores her offensive importance.
Like for instance halfway the 1963 season.
HHC then plays against OVVO, which misses its regular pitcher Dinie de Bruin.
Instead, Fransje Koster throws for the Amsterdam-team.
Although she throws a fine game, she faces an early deficit thanks to a basehit by Janke Nijdam in the first inning.
In the second inning, HHC increases the lead to 7-0 via three walks, a basehit by Janke and a triple by Gerda Cammenga.
An eighth run is added in the sixth inning.
The lone Amsterdam-run is scored by Elly Visser, who later becomes the Public Address Announcer at the big league baseball-games of Giants Diemen.
In the seventies and eighties, she also is one of the announcers during the Haarlem Baseball Week.
In the first game of the 1967 season HHC meets EDO and misses four of its regular players.
HHC scores early via some errors, but EDO comes back with two runs thanks to Suze van Breukelen.
However, Janke Nijdam then delivers a double which triggered a rally as HHC takes more distance and wins 7-2.
On the final day of the regular season in 1967 in early August, HHC moves into a tie for first place with Onze Gezellen and DSS by winning 3-2 against HCK.
In that game, HHC has to do without pitcher Trudy Beelen.
Instead, veteran player Hannie Berendonk does the pitching.
A basehit by Els ter Meulen and an error on a hit by Janke Nijdam puts HHC ahead, 2-0.
HCK gets the bases loaded with no outs in the sixth, but scores only once.
In the seventh, HCK comes alongside.
But in the bottom of the seventh, Els ter Meulen walks, moves to third base on a basehit Janke and scores the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Paula van der Mark.
However, it takes some weeks before the decisive tie-break games will be played, as a few days later, the Netherlands Team travels to the USA to play a series of fames there.
It is DSS that eventually captures the title.
In 1969, the season has a surprise opening-round, as three Haarlem-based teams all end up short against weaker teams.
EDO loses against Storks and Onze Gezellen is outscored by UVV.
The biggest surprise is the loss by favorite HHC against VODO.
HHC has no chance to do some scoring and records only two basehits, both hit by Janke Nijdam.
Terrasvogels, which is the other favorite, wins only 8-7 against HCK.
In that game, Ludy Handgraaf (the future Ludy van Mourik) hits two homeruns for Terrasvogels, but HCK comes alongside in the seventh.
Terrasvogels then wins in the ninth.
...Janke as player of HHC in 1971...
(Unknown Photographer) |
Or in August 1973 when HHC moves into first, passing Terrasvogels after winning against DSS.
Initially, HHC is kept scoreless, but in the fifth inning, Loes Buenting and Saskia de Jong reach on errors.
Following basehits by Conny Broere and Els Spee lead to three runs.
An insurance run is then scored in the sixth on a hit by Janke Nijdam, who also makes an important out at the plate.
DSS gets only one chance to score, but Ans Kroon is eliminated at the plate by catcher Nijdam.
In 1973, Janke Nijdam captures the Dutch Championship-title with HHC for the fifth time.
After her first in 1962, the team also wins the title in 1963, 1965 and 1970.
After the 1973 season, Janke, who then is 38 years old, retires as active player.
In a farewell-game, HHC plays against a team of former National Team-players.
By the way, at that time, Janke also had played for some fifteen years in the basketball-team of Haarlem-based White Stars.
In most of these seasons, HHC is a dominating team in the highest softball-league.
Throughout Janke's playing career, HHC is a contender for the title each season and mostly competes for first place with DSS, HCK, Onze Gezellen and Terrasvogels.
In 1974, Janke becomes the new coach of HHC.
She succeeds Paula van der Mark, who had been the (playing) coach since 1969.
In the 1974 season, Janke Nijdam is succeeded as catcher by newcomer (and National Team-player) Elly Nijhuis, who came to Haarlem from Amsterdam-based De Geuzen.
In 1978, Janke leads HHC to the Championship-title, which is the twelfth in club-history.
After the season, she steps down as coach.
Amongst the players of HHC in the five seasons that Janke was the Head Coach were Mary Boekhout, Conny Broere, Loes Buenting, Joyce Chrispijn, Maud de Haas, Saskia de Jong, Sandra Klesser, Marja Lanz, Elly Nijhuis, Fredy van Offeren, Christa de Rooy, Yvonne Serné, Marijke Sijtsma, Els Spee, Betty Veenstra and Marijke Vermeer.
Saskia de Jong is Janke's assistant in 1976 and 1977.
After she had stepped down as coach in 1978, Janke was succeeded by Wim van Sorge, who led the team in 1979-1980.
But in 1981, Janke came back for one season and took over the coaching from Van Sorge.
She was then assisted by Els Spee, who was the Head Coach in 1982 and 1983.
Again, Janke came back for one season thereafter (1984).
In that season, she was assisted by Marijke Bouman, who then took over in 1985.
As a coach, Janke Nijdam could be strict and expected from the players to give their best.
Having been a passionate player herself, she also coached with the same passion, taking risks with some agressive baserunning by waving runners home or taking extra bases.
She also was always optimistic and had a lot of confidence in her team and her players.
That's something Janke voiced several times in season-previews in the Haarlems Dagblad-newspaper when she was asked about the chances of her team by reporter Dries de Zwaan, who had been her coach in the early sixties, but went on to cover softball for many years for the local newspaper.
In 1976, HHC has to do without Loes Buenting (who transfered to DSS) and Saskia de Jong (retired).
When the season went underway, the team missed experienced player Conny Broere (arm fracture).
But Janke Nijdam looked ahead with an optimistic feeling:
,,We are still playing to become the champions.
We are certainly not worse than last year and we have talented youth players''.
With that, she referred to Fredy van Offeren, Maud de Haas and Christa de Rooy.
In 1977, HHC was the big favorite for the title, despite losing pitcher Joyce Chrispijn, who had retired.
In April of that year, Janke Nijdam was quoted by De Zwaan in his preview:
,,We have a good chance.
I have a lot of confidence especially in pitcher Fredy van Offeren.
It is a fact that the pitching is important and it forms the backbone of your team''.
...A group-photo of players who played in...
...the Netherlands Softball Team in 1967...
...Back row: Maureen Hoyer, Toos Snater, Pien Immer, Betty Veenstra,...
...Nel Huneker, Ludy Handgraaf, Mary Boekhout, Janke Nijdam, Mary Groen...
...Front row: Lies de Wilde, Dini Zwaneveld, Els ter Meulen, Marja v.d. Veldt,...
...Saskia de Jong, Ineke v.d. Veldt, Suze van Breukelen... |
In 1951, the Netherlands Women's Softball Association (NDSB) was founded, which later changed its name into Netherlands Amateur Softball Association (NASB).
Throughout the fifties, it was HCK (Kinheim) that arranged several international contacts, not only for baseball, but also for softball.
And so, the early National Teams were able to play games against American teams from France or West-Germany.
In May 1960, the Netherlands Softball Team played its first official international game against Italy and won 4-3.
Back then, the team was coached by Teun Gaartman (who passed away last year) and Dries de Zwaan, who was Janke's coach at HHC for five years.
It was in June 1964 that the new Board of the Softball Federation succeeded in bringing an American team from Orléans (France) to the Netherlands to play two games against the National Team.
The credits to set up this international contacts were contributed to Willem de Ruiter and Cees Goedhart.
By the way, in March 1964, Janke Nijdam had become one of the new Board-members of the Federation.
In June, Janke is one of the fourteen players selected to play for the Netherlands Team.
These fourteen players were pitchers Dini de Bruin, Yvonne Immer and Jetta van 't Land, catchers Maureen Hoyer and Janke Nijdam, infielders Nel Goedhart, Emmy Hofstra, Wil Hurkmans, Pien Immer and Ria Samson and outfielders Suze van Breukelen, Toos van Galen, Saskia de Jong and Rietje Teffer.
Earlier in 1964, Janke Nijdam is also involved in the introduction of men softball in the Netherlands.
The clubs of Bloemendaal and Onze Gezellen take the initiative to set up men softball and on May 11 of that year, the two teams play the first-ever game.
Teun Gaartman (Bloemendaal) and Cor Jonker (Onze Gezellen) are the starting pitchers and Terrasvogels-coach (and baseball-umpire) Teun van den Berg is the umpire.
There is a lot of hitting in the attractive game.
Onze Gezellen takes an early 2-0, but thanks to a homerun by Dries de Zwaan, the game turns around and Bloemendaal wins with a 14-6 score.
Five days later, the next men softball-game is played.
In that game, a combination of Bloemendaal and Onze Gezellen plays against a team compiled from physical education teachers from Haarlem, coached by Janke Nijdam.
In the early sixties, softball starts to grow in the Netherlands and the Federation attracts more and more new members.
Also, the level of play improves.
Although the Netherlands Team still ends short in the games that are played against the visiting American teams from West-Germany, France or England, it becomes clear that more international games are needed.
After the first game against Italy in 1960, there are no further contacts with that country, as the level there drops.
In 1965, the wellknown team of Raybestos Braketttes visits the Netherlands.
That team not only is the reigning (and multi) American champion, but also represents the USA in the World Championship.
That visit results in an invitation for the Netherlands to participate in the 1967 ASA Women's Major Fastpitch National Tournament in Stratford (USA).
That invitation is accepted, but to finance the trip, there is a subsidy of the Netherlands Sports Federation, as well as from some sponsors, but the players also have to contribute financially themselves.
The team starts practicing in January of 1967 led by (baseball-)coaches Herman Beidschat and Gé Hoogenbos.
And so, in August, Janke Nijdam travels to the USA with the Netherlands Team.
To prepare for the event in Stratford, the team plays a series of exhibition games in New York and New Jersey.
In the first game of that series, the team meets Linden Arians, one of the best teams in the American softball-league.
In the previous season, the team had finished in fourth place.
The Linden Arians softball-team is known as the world's oldest softball-club.
It was founded in 1934 by Margaret 'Toots' Nusse, who is involved with the club for more than fifty years thereafter.
After being a pitcher (in the first nine years the only one) for 38 years, she becomes a coach.
When the Netherlands Team visits, Nusse still is active sometimes as pitcher, but she primarily is the Business Manager.
She also is the sponsor of the club for 42 years.
Toots Nusse passed away in December 2002 at age 85.
...A newspaper-article from...
...1967 covering the game...
...of the Netherlands Team...
...against Linden Arians... |
The Orange Team plays a very strong game and for the first time in history, a Netherlands National Team wins against an American opponent.
A major role in the 4-2 win is played by pitcher Mary Boekhout, who only gives up one basehit in the first inning and is supported greatly by catcher Janke Nijdam.
Defensively, centerfielder Saskia de Jong and short stop Betty Veenstra make big contributions.
The game at Memorial Field in Linden, New Jersey, is a remarkable one.
Orange-pitcher Mary Boekhout gives up a bunt-single to Linda Otten in the first inning, which remains the lone basehit in the game.
Otten steals second base, but a great running catch from centerfielder Saskia de Jong prevents a run.
The Netherlands is kept hitless by pitchers Pat Willis and Gladys Meyer.
In later years, Willis becomes one of the most successful college-coaches.
Despite not recording a basehit, the Netherlands wins the game.
In the second inning, Betty Veenstra walks, steals second base, advances on an error and scores on a passed ball.
In the bottom of the second inning, an error leads to two American runs, but catches by Saskia de Jong and Ludy Handgraaf ends the inning.
The Netherlands then scores twice in the fourth.
Maureen Hoyer and Pien Immer walk and move on a sacrifice bunt by Saskia de Jong.
The first then scores on a grounder by Betty Veenstra and Immer later takes some risks while running, but also scores.
In the meantime, the Dutch defense gets stronger.
Another highlight is a running catch by Els ter Meulen.
In the sixth inning, the fourth Dutch run is recorded.
Pien Immer walks, steals second base and scores on a grounder by Dini Zwaneveld.
Pitcher Mary Boekhout retires the side in the sixth and seventh inning to seal the win.
In the tournament in Stratford, Connecticut, the Netherlands is a guest-participant.
The team plays two games and loses both.
In an article in the Haarlems Dagblad-newspaper on April 29, 1967, the following is stated:
,,If it should turn out that the selected players, who have busy and exciting months ahead, can represent the Netherlands with dignity in America, then it is certainly not inconceivable that a battle for the world title will take place in the Netherlands in the near future''.
Indeed, the World Championship came to the Netherlands.
However, that happened 47 years later, in 2014.
In the meantime, Janke also had made a name for herself off the field, as she became a member of several committtees, as well as a member of the board of the Netherlands Federation.
In March 1964, Janke Nijdam becomes one of the five new members of the board of the Netherlands Women's Softball Federation.
Only two members of the previous board return in the new board, being treasurer Dries de Zwaan and Piet Gabes, who was the vice-chairman, but now becomes the vice-treasurer.
Chairman Gé Hoff retires and is succeeded by Wim Oosterhof.
The other newcomers are Teun Gaartman, Puck Bosch and Mary Groen-Neudorfer.
The following year, in March 1965, Janke Nijdam is not eligibble for re-election.
She is succeeded by Gé Hogenbirk.
Also in 1965, the Federation changes is name.
After the merger of the Baseball and Softball Federations in December 1970, a Technical Committee was named for both baseball and softball in early 1971.
Janke Nijdam was asked to chair the softball committee.
In an interview with Kees Leseman in Inside Magazine in March 1972, Janke said she only would accept when Marga de Ruiter would become the secretary of this committee.
She had been the secretary of the Softball Federation in two years prior to the merger and had done a lot of work, not only regarding the merger but also for softball in general.
Marga de Ruiter also accepted the position and the two were joined by Maureen Hoyer and Ton Schouten.
In 1972, Herman Thomas succeeded Maureen Hoyer.
In 1973, Marga de Ruiter left the committee, but Joyce Chrispijn and Jan Adriaans were added.
A few months later, in July 1971, the new KNBSB names a special committee that has to give extensive advices regarding several important issues regarding the future of baseball and softball to come to a policy for the upcoming years.
The committee has to look to the highest leagues, but also the National Teams.
The items have a wide variety and include improving of the playing level in the highest leagues, the formats and structures of competitions, education of coaches, umpires and scorers.
But also coaching and supporting staffs of the National Teams, as well as the relations between boardmembers and top-athletes and improvements of playing accomodations.
Janke Nijdam, who at that moment plays for HHC and heads the technical committee of the KNBSB, is one of the persons who are invited to be part of this commission.
The commission is headed by neutral Piet van Engelen, who is the former chairman of the Netherlands Billiard Federation.
When the commission is installed in September 1971, Van Engelen and Nijdam are joined by Hennie Brands (boardmember Giants Diemen), Arie van Driel Krol (boardmember Kinheim (HCK)), Teun Gaartman (former coach Storks and member of regulations committtee KNBSB), Rob Kerkhoven (former coach Netherlands Swimming Team), Jan Prins (coach HCAW), Hamilton Richardson (player Sparta and Netherlands Baseball Team) and Ab ten Wolde (chairman Rayon North Holland).
Piet Wolffenbutttel, who handles he administration of the KNBSB, is added as secretary.
The committee hands in its report with advices and recommodations in February 1972.
...Janke Nijdam is inducted into the Netherlands Baseball and...
...Softball Hall of Fame during the 1997 Haarlem Softball Week...
...On the photo, she has received the Hall of Fame-certificate...
...from Jos Gieskens, vice-chairman of the KNBSB...
...and chairman of the softball-section...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Since the late sixties, Janke Nijdam has been a member of the board of HHC and became the club's chairman in the early seventies.
As such, somewhere in 1971, she becomes the secretary of the what is called the Foundation for the Building and Exploitation Clubcenter Noordersportpark.
United in that Foundation are the baseball- and softball-sections of HHC (which were separate clubs) and indoor-handball/volleyball-club De Blinkert.
They play their home-games at the Noordersportpark and decide to jointly built a clubhouse to be used by the three clubs.
The clubhouse is designed by architect Jan Smidt, who is a former pitcher of HHC.
The building-company of Dick Baas, former catcher of HHC, does the building.
The new clubhouse is opened in June 1972 and is still in use by Sparks Haarlem, which is the successor of HHC.
In March 1973, Janke Nijdam is elected into the board of the KNBSB, which is headed by new chairman Guus van der Heijden.
Other boardmembers are Wim Oosterhof, Gerard Voogd (both vice-chairman), Theo Vleeshhouwer (secretary), John Oosterbroek (treasurer), Cees Boer Sr., Freek Bos and Gé Hogenbirk.
In March 1974, Boer succeeds Oosterhof, while Jules de Pierre takes the place of Boer.
Dries de Zwaan succeeds Hogenbirk.
In 1974, the Netherlands Team participates in the World Championship for the first time in Stratford (USA), where the team finishes in fifth place.
The team is led by Head Coach Nol Houtkamp and he is assisted by Janke Nijdam.
That is a difficult construction from the beginning.
As member of the board and chairman of the technical committtee, Nijdam more or less Houkamp's 'boss', but during the tournament, Houtkamp of course has the final say.
That leads some frictions.
After the team returns home, as member of the KNBSB-Board, Janke Nijdam files a report regarding the trip.
In that confidential report are some critical notes regarding Houtkamp.
However, those notes reach the outside world and create a different view of opinion between Houtkamp and Nijdam.
In an article in the Haarlems Dagblad-newspaper on November 16, 1974, writtten by Pieter Mul, it is revealed that Houtkamp was called indecisive, which would have created uncertainty within the team.
Houtkamp said that that isn't true and states that he will step down as long as Nijdam continues to interfere with the selection.
A commission is installed and it is concluded that the combination of being the chairperson of the technical committee as well as being the assistant coach is not the best combination, which is confirmed by KNBSB-chairman Guus van der Heijden.
And so, Houtkamp continues as Head Coach of the Netherlands Team and has a final saying regarding the compilation of the team.
Nijdam will continue to overlook the youth-camps, clinics, amongst other responsibilities.
However, in November 1974, Janke Nijdam steps down from her position in the KNBSB-Board and also stops as chairperson of the technical committee softball, which she had led for four years.
She states that she has lost confidance in her fellow-boardmembers, as the confidential report has come out in the open.
The other members of the technical committee at that moment also step down.
In 1978, Janke Nijdam briefly returns as boardmember of the KNBSB, taking over the softball-position of Wil Soolsma.
At that moment, Guus van der Heijden (chairman), Gerard Voogd (vice-chairman), Theo Vleeshhouwer (secretary) and Jules de Pierre (member) still are members of the board.
The other boardmembers in 1978 are Freek Bos (vice-chairman), Wim Endel (treasurer), Ronald Boot and Joop van Hattem (both members).
Janke leaves the board again during the elections the following year when Wil Soolsma returns.
...A group-photo of Hall of Famers in 2009...
...Janke Nijdam, Henk Keulemans (front), Wim Oosterhof,...
...Dries de Zwaan, Jan Dick Leurs,...
...Nol Houtkamp and Hamilton Richardson...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In the meantime, Janke also had become very active in the Rayon Haarlem.
In the early seventies, she became a member of the schoolsports-committee together with teammate Conny Broere.
For more than twenty years, Janke and Conny both served in this committtee and got company from Guus van Dee in the last ten years.
This committtee was dissolved in 1992 when the nine Rayons were re-organized into four Districts.
Janke Nijdam was decorated by the Rayon Haarlem in 1991.
From 1983 through 1989, Janke Nijdam is a member of the protest committee softball of the KNBSB for seven years.
Other members in those years are also Gé Hoff and Gé Hogenbirk.
The chairman in Janke's first four years in this committee is Ton Pols Sr. with Wim de Bok being the secretary.
In the next three years, the committee is chaired by Joop van Hattem and Anne de Bruijne then is the secretary.
In 1984 and 1985, Janke also was a member of what then was the softball-section of the scoring committee of the KNBSB.
In those years, other members were Bert Daniëls, Marion van Groningen Schinkel, Gert Snel and Wim van Sorge.
Since 1961, there were many successful editions of the Haarlem Baseball Week.
In 1980, the first edition of the Haarlem Softball Week was organized at the Noordersportpark, which also was the home of HHC.
The Softball Week also becomes a very successful international tournament, but unfortunately, after the tenth edition in 1999, no new tournaments were organized.
Janke was closely involved in the realization of this tournament, together with Theo Vleeshhouwer, who headed the Organization Committtee as President in most of the ten editions.
Janke was a member of this committee through 1987.
Besides Vleeshhouwer and Nijdam, other committee-members in these years were Jacques Kort (treasurer), Conny Broere and Ben de Brouwer.
Through the years, they were joined by Dries de Zwaan (secretary and member), Suze van Breukelen, Siep Mol, Rinus Paardekooper, Hanneke Rietman, Truus Ruiter, Wil Soolsma and Frank Voskuilen.
In March 1979, Janke Nijdam was decorated by the KNBSB.
And on July 1, 1997, during the Haarlem Softball Week, Janke was officially inducted into the Netherlands Baseball and Softball Hall of Fame.
That induction was preceeded with a game between two teams that were compiled from former National Team-players.
In 1985, Janke's former teammate Els Smit-ter Meulen was elected into the Hall of Fame and in 2005, her former coach Dries de Zwaan also entered the Hall of Fame.
As mentioned, as a player and coach, Janke Nijdam always has been very passionate and driven.
And she voiced her opinion when needed.
On and off the field.
As a coach, she could be very strict sometimes, but always wanted to come to the best possible performances from her players.
Janke's cousin Afke Nijdam also played several seasons in the Dutch big league as a catcher.
In the nineties, she played for HHC and HCAW.
In 1992, then Head Coach George Presburg selects Afke as one of the catchers in the Netherlands Team for the European Championship in Bussum (Netherlands).
The webmaster of Grand Slam * Stats & News offers his condolences to Janke's partner Rinie, other family and friends and wishes them a lot of strength with this big loss.
(August 2)
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