Interview with Mattijs Bellers & Joost Morsinkhof: “I think we need to fight for the win in every game that we play.”

BBC Münsterland have recently announced the dual signings of Dutch internationals, Joost Morsinkhof and Mattijs Bellers. Bellers returns to the RBBL after departing French side, Red Dragons Saint-Avold whilst Morsinkhof switches teams in the German league after leaving Baskets 96 Rahden. They sat down with Rollt.’s Dylan Cummings in a double interview to discuss what they hope to achieve in Münsterland.

 

Why did you choose to move to Münsterland?

Joost: “They had a good plan with the team and with me. I also wanted to go on a new adventure. I can learn a lot whilst playing for Münsterland.”

Mattijs: “I was looking for some new challenges and enjoyed playing in Germany before.”

 

How do you intend to fit into the team?

Joost: “I know this team because I played against them for the last two seasons and I like how they play. They fight for the win and that is also what I do. They play hard and that’s what I love about them.”

Mattijs: “For me, it’s important to have fun and have a laugh together. I hope that I can use my experience to help the team and individuals grow.”

 

What new challenges do you think you will face with Münsterland as they are newly promoted to the RBBL 1?

Joost: “I think we need to fight for the win in every game that we play. I have to play the best I can to get minutes and that is what I will do! It will be hard, but I think with this team we can win games and progress within RBBL 1.”

Mattijs: “For a lot of players in the team this is their first time playing in the RBBL 1, so we need to improve as a team to compete at this level. We need to fight for every game to make sure we stay in the league and I believe we can do that.”

 

How do you think the styles of play will differ between Münsterland and your previous club team?

Joost: “It’s hard to say because we haven’t played together yet, but I think like I said we will be fighting for the win. In Rahden, we played like we wanted to reach top four and in Münsterland we will play to stay in the league, that will be the main difference.

Mattijs: “We don’t have players with the skills and experience like Robin Poggenwisch to rely on. We really need the whole team to win the games. Every player has to contribute to the team to get the win.”

 

Mattjis, last season you played in France, what are the differences between the French and German leagues?

Mattijs: “I think there is a much bigger gap between the teams in France. The top teams can compete well with each other and other countries. However, the bottom teams have a hard time to compete at that level. Because of that, the games in Germany are much closer and more surprise upsets can happen.”

 

The Dutch men’s national team have had a tough time during their most recent tournaments, what do you think the team need to do to get back on track?

Joost: “I think we need to play smart, have self-belief and confidence in ourselves and our abilities to perform like a team. We know what we can do so we just need to train hard together and push ourselves to the best of our abilities.”

Mattijs: “I think we are on the right path and are really improving. Especially with a lot of players competing at top European clubs. We need to practice together and keep pushing each other to improve our individual game as well as our team game.”

 

What will you miss the most about the Netherlands when you are in Germany?

Joost: “I will miss speaking Dutch.”

Mattijs: “Münsterland is pretty close to my house, I won’t stay in Germany for the whole week. This means I don’t have to miss anything for that long. However, when I’m there for longer I will of course miss my fiancé.”

 

How would you describe your style of play?

Joost: “I think right now I’m a better offensive player. I’m not really big centre but with mismatches I can be dangerous, I also think I’m a good outside shooter. Defensively, I think I need to play harder to stop big players and communicate better with my teammates.”

Mattijs: “I’m a centre who loves to play inside the paint. I play for the good of the team, I don’t care who scores as long as we get the win.”

 

What piece of advice has stuck with you throughout your career?

Joost: “Communication is one of the most important aspects of the game, both on offence and defence.”

Mattijs: “Maybe not real basketball advice but my parents always say: ‘Spend your time doing what you love.’ So that’s what I do.”

 

If you could do a training session with three other players from anywhere in the world male or female, who you’ve never trained with before, to improve your skills, which players would you choose and why?

Joost: “Patrick Anderson from Canada because his skills and shooting are so good, I can learn a lot from him. Dirk Passiwan from Germany because he is always a dangerous shooter, he can score from every position with or without pressure. Phil Pratt from GB because he is a really intelligent player, I love the way he plays the game.”

Mattijs: “I think to improve my skills I can learn from anyone! In every team there are players with different skills that I can learn from.”

 

Thanks for your time guys!

 

Rollt. would like to thank Joost Morsinkhof & Mattijs Bellers for the interview!

 

Joost Morsinkhof Profile:

Date of Birth: 08/03/1999 (aged 21)

Hometown: Velp, Gelderland

Started playing: 2011

Netherlands senior debut: 2017 European Championships – Tenerife, Spain

Classification: 4.0

Disability: Leg length difference, soft tissue damage and loss of muscle function in right leg due to a truck accident

Current Club: BBC Münsterland, GER (starting October 2020)

Former Clubs:

_ISV Hengelo, NED (2011-16)

_Arrows ’81 Rotterdam, NED (2016-17)

_SC Antilope Utrecht, NED (2017-18)

_Baskets 96 Rahden, GER (2018-20)

Career Highlights:

_2017 European Championships – Tenerife, Spain – 4th (NED)

_2018 World Championships – Hamburg, Germany – 10th (NED)

_2019 Men’s European Championships – Walbrzych, Poland – 7th (NED)

 

Mattijs Bellers Profile:

Date of Birth: 06/09/1992 (aged 28)

Hometown: Overdinkel, Twente

Started playing: 2005

Netherlands senior debut: 2013 European Championships – Frankfurt, Germany

Classification: 4.5

Disability: Neurological disability that affects muscle power

Current Club: BBC Münsterland, GER (starting October 2020)

Former Clubs:

_ISV Hengelo, NED (2005-13)

_RSC Osnabrück, GER (2013-15)

_DONECK Dolphins Trier, GER (2015-16)

_CS Meaux, FRA (2016-18)

_Red Dragons Saint-Avold, FRA (2018-20)

Career Highlights:

_2012 U22 European Championships – Stoke Mandeville, GB – 7th (NED)

_2013 European Championships – Frankfurt, Germany – 7th (NED)

_2014 Men’s World Championships – Incheon, South Korea – 15th (NED)

_2015 European Championships – Worcester, GB – 5th (NED)

_2016 Paralympic Games – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 7th (NED)

_2017 European Championships – Tenerife, Spain – 4th (NED)

_2018 World Championships – Hamburg, Germany – 10th (NED)

_2019 Men’s European Championships – Walbrzych, Poland – 7th (NED)

 

Interview: Dylan Cummings | Photos: Steffie Wunderl

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