"PLAYBALL" EUROPE (Gallery)
"Playball" Europe is the first professional Baseball Academy in Europe. Instead of flying to Florida, it is now possible to take the bus or train to visit a baseball-school with professional coaches. By bringing Major and Minor instructors to Europe the American dream will be reality. "Playball" Europe organizes camps and clinics in several European countries. The founder of "Playball'' Europe is Karel 'Charly' Crouwel. Karel started playing baseball (catcher) in Amsterdam with the Cats (OVVO) when he was 9 years old .When he was 16 years old he was selected for the Dutch National Team. He also played for the Haarlem Nicols and his last team was Kinheim also in Haarlem. He finished his career as Manager Coach and won the National Championship with the Kinheim team in 1978. In 1977 Karel and Rob Muller (one of the first sponsors in Dutch baseball) invited Hank Aaron to Holland. In a 4 days tour he showed Hank the tourist places (pictures in Old Dutch National dress), planned a big press conference and the last night of his stay we organized a homerun contest and game in a fully packed Haarlem stadium. Hank acted 4 innings as guest player in the Dutch National Team against a team of American players who played in the Dutch competition. Karel also worked 10 years with the Dutch National Ice Hockey Team. Highlights were; become World Champion in the final game against former East Germany in 1979, Olympic Winter Games Lake Placid 1980 and playing the “A” Poule in Sweden 1981. In his busy sports career Karel also worked 3 years as manager/trainer for a top division (Kinzo) basketball team. So, it was just 1 step to go and Karel started his dream "Playball" Europe in 1996.

"Playball" To Day (Gallery)
In 2000, Markus Torenstra joins the "Playball" Europe staff. He started in 1998 as trainee during the summer camp in Amsterdam. Till 2011 Markus was responsible for the field program during the Summer Camps. Together with Raban Schalm (Chief Pitcher Instructor), Sape Wagenaar (Chief Catcher Instructor) and all other "Playball" Instructors who join "Playball" for many years, they broth "Playball" Summer Camp, as it is to day.

"PLAYBALL" and MLB (Gallery)
"Playball" Europe is associated with a few MLB organizations in the USA. Every year professional Instructors from the Dutch Major League, Dutch National Team and players/Instructors from abroad will visit the "Playball" Academy in Europe. In the past, some players who join the "Playball" Europe Academy, signed a professional contract for playing in one of the Major League organizations. One of the first Instructors who visit "Playball" Europe was Randy Kierce, 1996 and 1997. Randy worked before as ass. scout for the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins. He was the Instructor, Rick van de Hurk said in a interview, "who advised me to change position from catcher in to be Pitcher". And that was for Rick (MLB Marlins) the best advice ever.