07 May 2018 at 13:06 | Published by: PatPenguin | Views: 26439 | News search

Jarno Bottenberg  (Photo by WMF Youth FB Page)

In part 9 our series of re-posts of the youth interviews from the WMF Youth Facebook page, we have an interview with Jarno Bottenberg from the Netherlands. In case you missed the eighth in the series, you can catch it here. The following interview can also be found here.

Club: MGC Oirschot
Birth Year: 2001

Q1: How and when did you start to play Minigolf?

JB: I started to play minigolf in 2008, I think. My dad took me with him most of the time when he had a tournament at the courses nearby our home. After a while, it turned out that I liked the sport too. Since 2010 I have been playing tournaments and competitions.

Q2: What club do you use when you play and what is your favourite ball?

JB: I am using a left handed NIFO Ryner club and my favourite ball/balls are the whole Fun for Kids series. I am playing them a lot.

Q3: What surface do you prefer the most? Follow-up question: Do you have a personal best (PB) that you are particularly proud of?

JB: The surface I prefer the most is miniature because I am playing it most of the time. When I am playing on miniature, my personal best (PB) is 19. The first time I played 19 was at the YEC 2015 in Ostrava (Czech Republic) in my second round, with the first round I played was 21. It was a really great start! Two years later I did it again at the YEC, but now it was in Askim 2017 (Sweden). I am still hunting that perfect round and I know it is close now.

Q4: Have you ever had a role model you looked up to during your early years? Maybe this person still is an inspiration for you today?

JB: Yes, my father has always been my example at minigolf because he has always been a good player and I wanted to be that too. I always wanted to beat him and lately that happened more and more, haha. He is my true inspiration to playing minigolf and now he is always going with us to all the YEC and YWC as the coach from The Netherlands.

Q5: What is your biggest merit within Minigolf? (Doesn’t need to be related to competition)

JB: Some of my biggest merits within minigolf are all the YEC and YWC I’ve played. I am so glad that I have been given the opportunity play for our youth national team and travel the world. But the merit which I appreciate the most is my first year playing for my own club MGC Oirschot and that we immediately won the national league in the Netherlands. That is why the whole team got a place for the European Cup in Algund (Italy) last year.

Q6: What is your best/strongest memory from your years being a youth player?

JB: My best/strongest memories from my years being a youth player are that I became Dutch Champion for the first time in 2014. Also, that I reached the quarterfinals in the matchplay at the YEC 2017 in Askim (Sweden). I am very proud of these performances.

Last Question: What is it about Minigolf that makes it so special?

JB: Minigolf is not like other sports. In minigolf you have to be very concentrated and focused when you are playing. In football for example its much less of that and that is why minigolf is so special for me. The good feeling you get when you are cheering during and after a good round just boost my confidence. It is just great! Also, you will get to know so many new people and make friends from all over the world.

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