Győr, Hungary, April 23, 2017. For Belgium’s coach Mieke Moyaert the day before the start of the 2017 CEV U19 Volleyball European Championship - Men's finals was very special, yet rather normal. It was her birthday, but her professionalism took priority as she was focused on the upcoming competition.
“It was just a day like any other. I got some very nice flowers and a special card from the players and I enjoyed it, but it was a rather normal working day,” Moyaert said.
Even the little birthday cakes that the team manager delivered were only
for the staff members, but the players could not have any. And as a
token of gratitude they went on to master a straight-set victory over
hosts Hungary on the first competition day in Győr.
“This victory is the best birthday present for me. I hoped for a 3-0, because it is really important to have a good start at such a tournament,” their coach pointed out. “There was a little bit of stress at the beginning, but after that we were the stronger and the smarter team on the court.”
This was her reward for practically sacrificing her birthday in the name of the team’s success. Moyaert was not even tempted by the variety of excellent Belgian beer the bar at the Raba Hotel offers. “I am here for the game, not to drink beer,” she explained. “I only had one little glass of wine, because we had to do a lot – to watch the videos of the other teams and prepare for the matches.”
After this great start for the Belgian team at the European Championship, it remains to be seen if this professional attitude of the squad’s young and ambitious mentor will continue to pay off. Mieke Moyaert is optimistic about it: “I hope we can grow in the tournament. Our next game is a difficult one – against Russia, but I am confident my team can be successful against that opponent.”
All matches of the tournament are scheduled for live streaming on LAOLA1.tv.
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