It is a very remarkable image in a video on social media of the championship of Heroes Den Bosch, last Sunday. Among the hundreds of cheering Bossche basketball fans in the stands, one adult man bursts into tears when the title was won. The fan in question is 57-year-old Ronald van den Boogaard from Vught. “For me it came full circle. Real sports fans recognize that.”
To properly understand the story of Ronald van den Boogaard, a step to the 1980s is necessary. The Bossche basketball then had its heyday under the name Nashua. In the Netherlands, the titles were strung together. The team played European Cup 1 and also belonged to the better teams in Europe.
The club was then led by Rinus de Jong and Huub van den Boogaard, the director of Nashua, which is now called Ricoh. Huub van den Boogaard was also important in the realization of sports hall De Maaspoort, which after almost exactly forty years is still a basketball temple.
“I didn’t think it would have such an impact.”
“I broke”, said his son Ronald, thinking back to the championship achieved a week ago. “I didn’t think it would have such an impact.”
The decisive victory of Den Bosch on a visit to the defending champion in Leiden came more or less as a surprise. Van den Boogaard recalls memories with a cracking voice. “Half a minute before the end I thought: it can’t be true. The release was phenomenal!”
For Ronald van den Boogaard, everything came together at that moment. He called his wife in cheers and shared the thought of his father, who died in 2010. He also thought of Rinus de Jong who, at the age of 88, really wanted to experience another championship. And he also thought of his own role in the whole thing.
Three years ago, Van den Boogaard became acquainted with Bob van Oosterhout. The sports marketer from Gemert had saved the Bossche basketball from destruction in 2016. He was looking for allies to rebuild the club. Ronald van den Boogaard is the owner of The Rent Company and has become a sponsor in Den Bosch, because he felt ‘inside’ that he had to do something.
“I got that as a child, that was very special.”
In fact, Van Oosterhout has somewhat taken over the role of Rinus de Jong and Ronald van de Boogaard that of his father, like that of the founders in the 1980s.
“I got that as a child, it was very special. I saw club love then, also with the fans, and I see it again now.” Van den Boogaard believes in Bob van Oosterhout’s plans with Den Bosch. He is enthusiastic about coach Erik Braal’s game plan and he appreciates the enormous willpower of the players. “I’ve been watching PSV since I was a kid and to be honest, that’s exactly what I missed at PSV this year.”
He calls the feeling that was released by sponsor, but especially fan Van den Boogaard after the title, indescribable. “I miss my father in moments like this, he was so passionate and would have loved this.” He sees things only getting better with Heroes. “More and more young people are also coming to watch.”
“That’s what I feel.”
The fact that everyone can see his crying fit is no problem for Ronald van den Boogaard. “That’s what I feel and that’s what basketball can unleash.”
On Sunday afternoon, Heroes Den Bosch will play a match as champion for the first time. The brand new title holder then plays against Donar in the play-offs for the joint title of the Netherlands and Belgium.
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