Willem4 Press Release Baseball Campus - August 30 - 2011

Launching the Development of the Curaçao Baseball Campus

Maurice Adriaens (CAH), Bob Verburg (Willem4), Simon Kloppenburg (CAH) and Luis Santine (Willem4) Download image		Development area - Baseball Campus Curaçao & Automotive Center (Willem4, CAH, WitZaa, Oever Zaaijer Lyongo) Download image		Felix Luzon (9 Stars Sports Management)  Luis Santine and Bob Verburg (Willem4) Download imag

 Willemstad - Curaçao, August 30 - 2011 - Maurice Adriaens (CAH), Bob Verburg and Luis Santine (Willem4) today signed an MOU giving the green light for the further development of the Curaçao Baseball Campus. The parties signed two agreements for the development of an area of 26 hectares which will also house an Automotive Campus. For this purpose, Willem4 is working together with 9 Stars Sports Management (Felix Luzon) and WitZaa (the Dutch Baseball Consulting group / Lex van Zaane). OeverZaaijer Architectuur en Stedenbouw were recruited for the urban design.   

Talent development

Willem4 and WitZaa took the initiative to develop a concept for stimulating young people in Curaçao to finish their secondary education by simultaneously participatiing in a baseball training camp. "Young people in Curaçao have a talent for Baseball that is above average. The Curaçao Baseball Camp will give them an opportunity to further develop this talent," says Bob Verburg, chairman of the Stichting Willem4 (Willem 4 Foundation). Their regular education will be combined with baseballl training. "We are aiming to train their skills so they will reach the level of professional baseball players. If they fail, they can always fall back on their regular education," says Lex van Zaane, speaking on behalf of WitZaa. The training school will be set up along the lines of the Dutch Topsport Talent Schools (Formerly, Lootscholen). They can place 300 pupils aged beweeen 12 and 18. "We believe that the cooperation with Willem4 will yield long-term results in the Caribbean and Latin America. The set-up of the baseball campus is important for 9 Stars, as it will enable them to reach their goal: to make the region the main supplier of baseball players for the MLB", says Felix Luzon of 9 Stars.

Multifunctional campus

The Curaçao Baseball Camp will be situated in an area of approximately 20 ha close to the airport of Curaçao. On the campus more interconnecting facilities will be realized that include facilities for other types of sports. There will be small and big training fields so teams from Europe and the United States will be able to organize (MLB)  training camps. The main stadium will have a seating capacity of 6,000, expandable to 15,000 for big sporting events, and will also be suitable for concerts. There will be a hotel to house guests and space for offices, shops, restaurants, child care and medical facilities. “This will be a valuable addition to the development of Curaçao Airport,” says Maurice Adriaens, spokesman on behalf of Curaçao Airport Holding (CAH) 

International

The Curaçao Baseball Camp will also function as an international hub for talented players from South America and the Caribbean. 9 Stars will be training between 20 and 30 talented players a year, aged 13 to 15 at the Baseball Camp.  The players are scouted from among others Colombia, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Aruba and Venezuela. 9 Stars and WitZaa’s extensive  network of baseball teams in the USA, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe will increase the players’ chances of obtaining a professional contract. The Curaçao Baseball Camp will also offer professional European and American clubs the chance to organize winter training camps.Hensley Meulens, Curaçao’s baseball legend and coach of the San Francisco Giants: “The Curaçao Baseball Camp will offer young people a chance to develop their talent in a professional way.  Expert guidance is crucial if you want the young players to give you their best performance. The Baseball Camp will offer young people in Curaçao the perfect environment to shape their ambitionns.” Henry Blanco, catcher of the Arizona Diamondbacks: “I wish the partners every success with the baseball camp. They can count on our support for more baseball talent in the region.” 

Professional training

Willem4 will also develop an Automotive Campus housing several service companies, such as car rentals, gas stations, car washes, and companies offering repairs and service. These companies will function as teaching facilities for, among others, the students of the Baseball Camp. Professional skills such as engineering , customer service, business administration and management will be taught there by means of practice education.

Enthousiasm

The initiative has already been hailed with a lot of enthusiasm by, among others, the KNBSB, the players of the Dutch National Baseballteam and the CEB (Confederation of European Baseball). Several former players from Curaçao have also voiced their enthusiasm and consider this a valuable development for the talented youth of Curaçao. Hamilton Richardson, member of the Committee of Recommendation: “This is an wonderful initiative. It will give an important economic boost to Curaçao and the Caribbean region.” 

Information about Stichting Willem4

Willem4 is a foundation that seeks to couple qualities and to work together in strategy and execution by initiating the financing of projects, and prefers to get involved with projects involving the cooperation of both the public and the private sector. The foundation has a special preference for projects that combine the achievement of community goals with profitable performance programs that earn back the money invested in them. Willem4 offers a network of knowledge, experience and  inspiration and aims to support economic, social and educational initiatives in former and current countries and regions within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Factsheet Baseball Campus Curaçao

Development Area - Baseball Campus Curaçao (Willem4, CAH, Witzaa, 9-Star, Oever Zaaijer Longo) Download Hi-Res image		Press release - 30 Aug-2011 Download PDF		Development Area - Automotive Center Curaçao (Willem4, CAH, Witzaa, Oever Zaaijer Lyongo) Download High Res imag

 Note for the editor, not for publication 

 For more information:

^{Stichting Willem4}

The Nederlands: Bob Verburg, Chairman of Willem4
Tel. +316 5329 2787 - email: Dit emailadres is beveiligd tegen spambots, u heeft javascript nodig om het te kunnen bekijken
Curacao: Luis Santine, Secretary of Willem4
Tel. (+599-9)529 1015 - email: Dit emailadres is beveiligd tegen spambots, u heeft javascript nodig om het te kunnen bekijken

Foundation Witzaa

Lex van Zaane: Secretary of WitZaa foundation
Tel. +3175 6420 060 - email Dit emailadres is beveiligd tegen spambots, u heeft javascript nodig om het te kunnen bekijken