No football, no hockey, but baseball!

Nes aan de Amstel’s brothers have been playing baseball at DVH in Amstelveen for years. “After our boys graduated from swimming, I thought it was important for them to move on to another sport.” Nora Kamerbeek, mother of Jelmer and Timo, speaks. “To make the right choice, I wanted to introduce the boys to all kinds of sports. I wanted to book several trial lessons for them. The first was baseball at DVH. We were made so welcome there and the sport turned out to be so much fun that we never looked further…’

lots of tactics
The brothers are now an integral part of the Amstelveen baseball club. “For me, a sport like baseball is much more versatile than football or hockey,” continues Timo. “Like I said, in baseball you can hit, throw, run and catch. It’s always different. Plus, there’s a lot of tactics involved as well. As a pitcher, our job is to make the task as difficult as possible for the batter. How can we throw the ball so that it is in the strike zone but still can’t hit it? It’s not just about throwing. There is a whole world behind. That’s what’s so good.

The two men train on Tuesday and Thursday and play a match on Saturday or Sunday. “The workouts are also very varied,” says Timo. “Sometimes we play a match with the team or we practice specifically on a specific part, for example hitting or throwing. No training is the same.

Totally different from the United States
Timo and Jelmer are well aware that playing baseball is not as easy as playing football or hockey. “It’s not part of our culture either,” adds mother Nora. “It’s completely different from the United States. In the Netherlands, children are given a soccer ball at the age of one, in the United States they are given a baseball glove. Here, parents play ball with their children on weekends; there they learn to throw. It is quite another thing.

Conference
Nonetheless, the brothers mostly receive positive feedback when they say they play baseball. “In Group 6, I gave a lecture on this topic,” says Timo. “From that moment, I convinced three friends to try this sport. They also still play baseball. You just have to experience it for yourself; it really doesn’t compare to what you play in high school. Real baseball and softball are much faster and more tactical.

Convenience above all
Where others often expect the brothers to dream of a baseball career in the United States, they prefer to stay close to home. “I only play this sport because I like it,” says Jelmer. “If I had wanted to play at a higher level, I should have taken the step to a bigger club a long time ago. I don’t want that. In this club, I feel at home and I can play a lot. It’s also important in my sport. Of course, I want to improve and win with my team, but above all it has to be fun. And on top of that, I now also have time to do other sports. next door. In the meantime, I also started playing football. I like to do that too, but baseball is still my first sport.

fun for everyone
What if Mom Nora has already signed up as a DVH member? “I’m not very good at throwing a baseball,” she laughs. “I used to play handball and it’s really different. What’s really good is that Jelmer’s girlfriend has also become a member. Personally, I like to watch, encourage and help the canteen. It’s a very interesting sport to watch. If you’re watching it for the first time, you probably don’t understand it, but there really is a whole world behind it. It’s tactical, fast and surprising. It’s really fun for everyone.

Are you also curious about baseball or softball and want to participate? Anyone can take a trial lesson for free. Baseball, softball or SlowPitch, there is something for everyone. Check the DVH website for options: www.dvh-amstelveen.nl.