Interview: WildCard Team Chocolate City Eagles
The Chocolate City Eagles from the Netherlands are one of the teams that gained a wild card spot for the ESSL SuperCup 2015 in Linz (Austria) on 19th/20th of September. We interviewed Cardy Brown, co-founder of the team.
Please, introduce yourself
My name is Cardy Brown, co-founder of the team. I was born in Aruba (San Nicolas, Chocolate City). I played fast-pitch softball, coached and trained teams for many years here in the Netherlands. In 1999 I stopped playing active competition. Since then I started to support teams during international tournaments. On June 21 I will be going to Canada for the world championship fast-pitch 2015. There I will be supporting the Dutch National team with there stats and game plan.
When was your team founded and where is it located?
Our team was founded in 2015 by a group of Aruban friends living in the Netherlands. We are not based in a city. The team members live throughout the Netherlands. Our home games are played in Amstelveen, a few kilometers from Amsterdam.
What motivates you to play slowpitch?
For us, slowpitch is a game where we can reminisce about the good old days and have fun with old and new friends. But it’s also a way for us to tray and bring back the old mentality on and around the field. In the old days it was all about the love of the game. The game was played with passion, respect and pleasure. We as a team represent this way of playing but we also play to win the game and to play fair on the field.
How is the situation of slowpitch in your country?
For years modified pitch is the popular version here in the Netherlands. However, the real slowpitch is getting more popular and it’s increasing. The Dutch Softball Federation has started a slowpitch league with a record number of teams this year.
Give us a short history of your team
Our players are all from the second city of Aruba (San Nicolas, Chocolate City) witch is located in Netherlands Antilles also called the Dutch Caribbean. The Chocolate City Eagles team consists of retired baseball and fast-pitch softball players that have played on the highest level here in the Netherlands. Some of the players are still active in the fast-pitch competition.
What are your expectations for the future?
Our goal is to help to promote slowpitch here in the Netherlands as well as to create a new culture, get more teams involved and take the game to the most highest possible level. We hope that the Chocolate City Eagles could be the bridge that can bring the Dutch Caribbean and Dutch Slowpitch Softball Communities together, and to help each other to increase the slowpitch level here in the Netherlands.
