An Okotokian is ensuring our national summer sport continues to grow around the globe.
Tibor Van den Wildenbergh and Team Belgium steadily improved en route to a 15th place finish at the 2016 European Field Lacrosse Championships in Budapest, Hungary where results came second to education and experience.
“It was amazing – there is tonnes of talent there and as a team we grew and we grew until the end of the tournament,” said Tibor, in a phone interview from Belgium on Monday. “We got better and better which is basically what we’re there for, we make our team better and when we play other teams we make them better.”
The 24-team tournament featured a mosaic of national teams on differing levels of development. Belgium brought a much more youthful lineup to the field than at the world championships two summers ago.
“We brought a lot more youth in which means by the next worlds, the next Euros these guys will have way more experience than we’ve ever had,” Tibor said. “If we keep recruiting these young guys than the sport is going to keep growing.
“Our technical skills are a lot better in our young guys than they were at worlds.”
Following somewhat of a wake-up call in a 14-4 loss to Sweden in the tournament opener, the Red Devils began to show their potential in Hungary as Belgium responded immediately with a 12-11 triumph over Spain.
“It was a definitely a kick to the teeth,” he said of the Sweden contest. “A wake up ‘you’re at an elite event, an elite level now.’ We didn’t expect the level to be that high.
“Our next game, we had to finish them in overtime to beat (Spain). That really brought our team together. We realized any team here can rise up to the challenge and beat you.”
England took gold, Israel was second while Finland claimed bronze. Belgium would finish the tournament with a record of 3-5, wrapping things up by dispatching Russia 11-7 in the 15th place tilt on Aug. 6.
“We said beforehand this was not going to be an easy game, we’re going to have to play for a full 80 minutes,” Tibor said. “Our bench and our players, we didn’t fall apart on each other, we kept each other up.
“Winning that last game is a lot nicer than having to go home with a loss at the end of the tournament.”
Representing Belgium for a second time, Van den Wildbenbergh finished second on the team with 14 goals and 20 points in eight games. He was 27th overall in scoring in the competition.
The Okotoks minor lacrosse product was one of the most experienced players on the squad.
“I played on the attack end and tried to put the ball in as much as I could,” he said. “For the most part I was leading warm-ups and being a leader on the team, just doing whatever was needed and a few of the administrative things as well.”
He insists the future is bright for lacrosse in the country with an eye on the field lacrosse worlds in 2018 and next summer’s European Box Lacrosse Championships.
“We’ve got a lot of potential. That’s something I picked up on this time rather than at (2014) worlds,” he said. “That goes back to our team being way younger, having better stick skills and that’s going to be really exciting for the next two years, the next four years.”
