When, where and why did you start to play volleyball?
I started playing volleyball at the age of 7. I was kind of sucked into it because of my family and whole home town were volleyball crazy. The club I started was called Rentokil/ZVH, but that club is now called Nesselande.
What would you have done if you hadn't volleyball player?
If I never would've played volleyball, I probably just did a study and work somewere. Problem was I never had a clue what direction I wanted to go with that, so I'm really lucky I can play volleyball for the next couple of years!
What do you like the most in volleyball?
What I like the most in volleyball is the fact that its a team effort that always prevails. No matter how good 1 player is, you all have to be good in a team to play well and win matches. Also last year in Verona I loved the passion of the fans during the matches. We had a minimum of 2500 people every home match, so that was awesome!
What is your most memorable volleyball moment?
My most memorable volleyball moment was probably our win n the European League in 2006. It was our first season with our National team in a new formation and new head coach, and we won all the matches that season. So it was great to crown your work with a prize like that.
What are your weak and strong points?
My biggest weak point is my defence. Thats mainly because my footwork isn't good enough yet, so thats a big improvement point for me in the future. My strong points are my attack and service. I naturally have a strong and flexible shoulder so I can hit hard but also big angles. Still, nothing in my game is good enough for my liking, so I'm going to practice every aspect of my game to improve as much as I can.
In your opinion, who is the best player playing on your position?
The best opposite spiker... good question! There are so many great players out there, but if I must choose one it's Ivan Miljkovic. A great player with both extreme power and finesse. He also always plays well when needed and is always a constant scoring factor in every team. It's my dream to be as good as him in the furure.
What country of those where you played, you memorized most of all and why?
Probably my last season in Italy was most memorable because of the extremes. Everything is great when you win, and everything is really bad when you lose. Ofcoarse, that's everywhere in sports but for me it was exeptional to notice. I also played 2 Universiades, the Olympic Games for students, in Beijing and Daegu, and that's so incredibly big. An olympic village, hundreds of athletes from everywhere in the world, including a rediculously big opening and closing ceremony. That was really impressive to say the least!
What is your favourite movie?
My favorite movie is Forest Gump. Of course there are alot of great movies, like The Shawshank Redemption for example, but this one really made an impact on me because of the great story and awesome acting. My favorite actor is from a completely different category, Jim Carey. Everytime I see him he cracks me up with his hilarious movies!
What do you like to do most of all except playing volleyball? Your bigest hobby?
I like alot of things in my free time, going to a movie, to the zoo and such. But my favorite hobby is playing videogames. I'm a real addict to all sorts of games and when I'm not playing volleyball, you can probably find me behind a random gamecomputer.
Do you have any dream?
The biggest dream I have is to have a great life with my family in the future. My girlfriend is 8 months pregnant now from our first son, so I'm really exited about that! Other big dream is a gold medal in the Olympics with the Dutch volleyball team. We are on the good road to perform well in London 2012, so yes, to win gold there or 4 yeas after that, is a major dream for me.
Pictures: bluvolleyverona.it & siatka.org
