The oldest in the Netherlands in a sport that is having a hard time
Anyone who has ended up in the old university town of Franeker on the fifth Wednesday of July for the last 170 years, finds himself in a cauldron full of traditions and problems. The PC, the oldest sports classic in the Netherlands, will take place on the ‘sacred grass’ of kaatsveld ‘t Sjûkelân.
The stadium is decorated with flags and shields, the Permanent Commission (the current board) walks with top hats and black tailcoat a lap of honor along the invariably sold-out stands and the winning, three-headed ‘partuur’ (team) of the previous edition rides a horse and venture along the canals. Taeke Triemstra is one of those title holders and takes place in the carriage for the second time in his career. “A great honor, but you have to get up two hours earlier for bed,” he says.
The sport of handball – in which a ball is ‘hit’ by hand, preferably in a way that the impossible cannot result – has a conservative image. Traditions have not been tinkered with and innovation is taking place sparsely. In 2015, a few hard wooden benches were replaced for the more luxurious bucket seats for the first time. Recently, two large LED screens have been hung along the field to look back on the most beautiful rallies and positions. In addition, the board is increasingly striving for a festival atmosphere, including food trucks and music stages. But a boarding full of sponsors along the field? No way.
Number of members is decreasing
Triemstra enjoys the symbolism and, as long as the PC keeps its head above water financially, is out of the question with billboards. At the same time, he likes to move with the times, also commercially. “Should it ever be necessary to generate additional income with sponsors, focus on one strong local partner. Although I would never complete everything.”
The chairman of the PC, Ids Hellinga, wants the habits to be functional to the sport, and not the other way around. For example, he thinks the competition calendar is still too much based on tradition. Especially with the youth, in which departmental parties are written out. “It’s nice to live in a village with good handball players, but if you don’t have one, you will experience a sporty year and you will be standing still in your development.”
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The number of members has decreased in recent years, partly as a result of the corona crisis. Compared to ten years (13,405) and five years ago (10,997), there are now 9,602 members. To help the sport move forward, two-time PC winner Coos Veltman will be the new chairman of the association in April. He is open to innovation and experimentation. “Handball matches are too long, it is said. Maybe we should do something about that.” According to Veltman, a few more speed can come into play. He is subtly inspired by other sports. “In golf, you can win a car if you hit a hole-in-one. This can be translated into bouncing by offering a cash prize for every top hit. This way, a duller game can come to life again with the public.”
Is the bouncing sexy enough? “Well, I sometimes wonder. something else is needed for that.” He gives wallball, a squash-like variant of bouncing, as an example. “All you need is a wall and a ball. So very accessible.” Wallball is played worldwide in more than thirty countries and the rules are clear – unlike in handball. It lives among the youth, but according to Veltman also triggers national sports organizations. “As a federation, we are looking at options to make it Olympic and NOC-NSF is positive about that. It will never replace bouncing, but it can be ideal as a stepping stone to the more classic game variant.”
Cholera, war, corona
The PC is also the largest large-scale event autonomously. While the handball event is not nearly as old as the sport itself. Handball dates back to the Middle Ages and was part of the country’s practicing sports. But due to social developments and early form of commercialization, interest declined rapidly. It ended up in a deep slump and leeks near extinction. Until in 1853 the Permanent Committee (PC) of the Franeker Kaatspartij was founded. Its origins immediately proved great and were a real impulse for the entire sport. It is the oldest sports classic in the Netherlands and was only missed five times – due to cholera, the Second World War and corona.
Sexy? Well, maybe there’s something else needed for that
Coos Veltman federation chairman
As a little boy, Taeke Triemstra was acutely infected with the PC virus. By his father Reinder, who reached the final three times in the eighties, but never won.
Now senior makes the mitts with which junior is active. During the handball season, which lasts almost the entire summer, he leaves everything for the sport. For example, Triemstra never goes on holiday for more than eight days. And if a family outing doubles up with the competition calendar, then he has to take prepared measures. „When we met the family once went to Limburg, I drove back to Friesland on Friday evening to first sleep at home and play a game in Hommerts-Jutrijp on Saturday. After only two rounds (’rounds’ in the bounce) we were already out and I could go back in the car for hours to my wife and children for the last days of vacation.”
Triemstra works full-time alongside, as head of the business office at the biscuit factory that markets, among other things, Smoeltjes. Every weekend is dedicated to handball, including two training evenings and the occasional clinic. And that, despite a form of rheumatism, for more than twenty years.
It smacks of top sport, but Triemstra, like his fellow handball players, barely gets paid for it. “After a strong season I have a nice holiday, but that’s about it,” he says. If the 39-year-old Triemstra wins this Wednesday, he can call himself the best PC handball player ever. Exactly what Triemstra aspires to: “I just want to be the very best.”