At the team presentation of Asterix Avo Beveren this year there was no Kris Vansnick (who became coach at French top club Paris Levallois), so Frederik De Veylder had the honour of presenting his team and its expectations for the coming season.

The retention of only four players from last year’s core, immediately a few serious long-term injuries for three players (Liese Verhelst, Helena Gilson and Ella Joosen) and indeed a few inexperienced newcomers at the highest level. May we perhaps expect a transition year for the outgoing champion?

Frederik De Veylder is categorical. “Not at all. A page has certainly been turned, but there is still so much talent present that we certainly still cherish high ambitions.
I admit that we had not counted on the serious injury of our spearhead Liese Verhelst, because she definitely belonged to our project. Also with the connection to the Topsportschool we were unlucky that Ella Joosen, with a knee injury, will hardly be seen working this season and that Helena Gilson, although rehabilitating, is not yet able to jump. Also because of the international obligations, we sometimes had to train with two setters, two liberos and two attackers. I hope I will not be held accountable for that.”

In the meantime you have already played a number of training matches…
Frederik De Veylder: “We played against Münster, Charleroi, Oudegem and Sliedrecht. We were of course confronted with ourselves at certain moments, but that was offset by good evolution and a nice meeting with the whole group. This team is now working excellently together, but we must not be hit by new bad luck, because we have little ‘back up’ and then it sometimes becomes a bit of improvising.”

What are the strengths of the current group of players?
“Some maturity has of course left, but we still have enough experience in the team, which gets on excellently with the young talents. The DNA of Asterix has certainly remained, everyone is willing to pick up a number of new things and thanks to a reasonable national calendar we can calmly grow with this team in the competition.
We are all aiming for a first nice result in the preliminary round of the Champions League. At the end of October the confrontation with Maribor is firmly marked on our wish list. If we can win that, a duel with the winner of Porto – Andalusia follows. And if that also succeeds, in the group phase of the Champions League we will come up against none other than Vakifbank.”

Where do you stand compared to the other Belgian teams?
“We are not currently busy with the other teams. I see that the group is increasingly growing towards each other and there are certainly still a lot of growth opportunities. The arrival at the last moment of the Dutch Iris Scholten is a godsend in every respect. I have actually always liked playing with Dutch players, because they immediately say how things stand. She is also already mega well integrated into the team. It says enough about her that after a stay in Japan she wants to fully commit herself to working with a group of ‘youngsters’ at Asterix.”

You as coach face a heavy legacy after Kris Vansnick?
“I am therefore grateful to him that after a stay of fifteen years he left a solid foundation here. I can certainly continue building on that, but I also already have some experience at the highest Belgian level as coach at Ostende, Roeselare and for a few years as assistant coach at Asterix. I will therefore try to put my own stamp on the team’s functioning.”

From when did you know that you would become the new coach?
“I certainly did not follow Kris thoughtlessly. At the end of January he gave notice of his intention to stop as coach at Asterix. I do not have to tell you that a position at the national champion attracts many candidates. But I did have a number of serious discussions with the board of Asterix, because I was also confronted with the fact that this club trains during the day. After 19 years in education I was permanently appointed and this sporting challenge therefore also meant other changes. But with both my school principal and the club board I could count on a lot of understanding. I will still take a few policy hours at school, but I am now putting hard focus on volleyball. I have a contract of one year and I will qualitatively do everything to carry it out as well as possible. If that is good for everyone, I am of course willing to extend it.”

What has concretely changed for you?
“The daytime training sessions. We train one day in Vilvoorde, one day in Beveren and three times in Wilsele, also in the Leuven region, but in a very quiet little hall that is entirely for us. From my place of residence Opwijk everything is reasonably accessible, apart from occasionally the Ring of Brussels.”

Did you have a say in the choice of new players?
“I think I can count fully on the support of the stayers. That basis was there in any case. I also think I can count fully on the newcomers. But if I were to have a say in the future, I would certainly look around earlier at who is available, although I myself also find it scandalous how early those transfer conversations always start. Even before New Year. And quite a few players nowadays also have a manager.”

Which teams will be your biggest competitors?
“There are a few. I have no view yet on the Antwerp Ladies, but it is certain that Tchalou, Charleroi and certainly Roeselare tower high above as favourites. Outside our European ambitions, we want this year really again to reach the cup final in the Antwerp Sportpaleis. But in that area too we face a difficult task, because almost all the ‘strong’ teams are on our side of the table. It will therefore also depend on how we ourselves grow in the coming months.”

Have you changed as coach over time?
“I have become much calmer. They say it has to do with the arrival of children, haha!”

Text: Marcel Coppens
Photo: framedbyfem