We had the pleasure of working with Pierre-Alain, head coach of the Belgium Open team attending the EUC this summer, who informed us on the successes and achievements made by the Belgium Open Division to date.
The Belgium Open Division is focused on sending the highest level of competitive athletes to the European Ultimate Championships 2023. With mindsets focused on exceeding their physical performance each day, discipline is a trait displayed by all on the lead up to their Limerick adventure.
Although it may be a constant thought in the minds of each player, the team does not talk about medals, trophies or material items that are attached to success on the field. With a number of elements out of the control of players and their management team, they see conversations about results as a distraction. Their attention is strictly on equipping each athlete to be prepared for whatever may happen with an acute focus on player health, recovery and wellbeing.
The success of the Belgium Open Division to date was not founded by one particular moment but rather built from an accumulation of accolades in the international Ultimate scene. At its foundation, one could say the focus on youth development has created a ripple of positive results from the bottom up for the Belgium Ultimate Community. Many of the players on the team attending the EUC are former teammates having played at Juniors U17, U19, U20 and U24.
Experiencing success at these events gave the younger generation a taste for triumph and a desire to pursue this on a more senior level. In 2018, Mooncatchers won a Bronze medal at EUCF which was a defining moment for younger players that broke through such as brotherly duo Reph and Benjamin Jonkers. Although a global lockdown saw a halt in victories for all, the reawakening of the Ultimate community was inundated with Belgian success seeing a bronze medal for Gentle at EUCF 2021, followed by a 4th and 18th placing for Mooncatchers and Gentle at the WUCC 2022, competing against the top teams in America. The thirst for top seed on the international stage was finally quenched at the European Ultimate Indoor Championships in a hard fought final against Finland resulting in a 17-14 win for Belgium.
The team attending EUC 2023 is made up of players from different clubs across Belgium coming together and working towards a common goal. A number of players from Gentle and Mooncatchers compose the Belgian national team alongside players from other clubs such as Jet Set or Freezzz Beezzz, clubs which are swiftly on the rise. A challenge which the squad faced initially was having players adapt to playing within a system that leverages the various playing styles of each athlete. This is a challenge they continue to overcome with confidence with achievements delivered as a team at each practice.
For a large majority of the players on the team, it will be their debut EUC appearance that is not of junior level. While this may be viewed as something other teams will use to their advantage, the management team stand by the aptitude of this young group’s experience and ability to perform under pressure against elite teams – something they exceedingly look forward to use as a measure of their skill on their venture to the land of lush, green pitches.
Familiar to playing in sunny conditions, the Belgian’s will be able to quickly adapt to playing in the blistering heat of Limerick as they listen to Rock It – Sub Focus in their preparations for the most challenging of games. Be sure to keep an eye and ear out to see how this team progress and continue their preparations for the EUC 2023 on the following channels:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belgiannationalultimatementeam
Instagram: https://instagram.com/belgianultimatemen?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=