A Photo Tour of the EC12 Venues in Amsterdam

We decided to change gears a bit for this one. We’ve been keeping you guys updated on what’s been going on here each day…but where is HERE? If you aren’t at an event, and have to get your updates via blogs and websites and such, it can be frustrating sometimes as the pics and stories usually only show you a “highlight reel” of sorts. You miss out on the day to day stuff like walking around the venue, seeing the teams practice, and various other details that really make the experience. So we thought we would walk around the whole venue and snap some pics of different parts to give you a little better idea of the environment here. Here we go!

First, here is a map for an overview of how the tournament is set up. The tournament venue is actually made up of three separate hockey clubs in the middle of the Amsterdam Bos (Bos = woods).

 

Amsterdam Club Venue (the middle of the 3 clubs and main area for the tournament)

This is the main entrance for the tournament. Each hockey club can be accessed individually, however, this is the “center” entrance for the overall venue.

Vendor tents in the center of the club fields.

One of the events main sponsors, Heineken, has their “Heineken Experience” booth here. You can get a custom bottled “EC12 Amsterdam” bottle there seen below.

Custom labels = Legendary

Inside the main clubhouse. Depending on which venue the national teams play at each day, they have their meals at the respective clubhouse. This is also the site for the evening “get togethers” for the EC12 staff and volunteers. Oh the stories this bar could tell so far…

Some of the hard working EC12 crew in the main office area in the back of the clubhouse. It’s great to see the Amsterdam staff embracing a clown friendly environment.

The two front fields at the Amsterdam club. The one on the right is only women’s games and the left is only men’s.

The side fields next to the clubhouse. The left is women’s games only and the right is a practice field for teams to use.

Inside the PSB tent where all of the national team players can get taped up, sports massages, etc. PSB is one of the main sponsors and also provides all of the medics and doctors for the EC12.

Inside the Championship Stadium. This is situated within the Amsterdam club and is where the Championship game will be held. No other games have been held here for the tournament so far and it’s surrounded by a giant metal fence with some SERIOUS Roman Empire looking blades all along the top to keep people out.

 

Between the Venues and Around the Woods

These canals are everywhere in Amsterdam. Including behind a lot of the fields. Plenty of balls have been sacrificed this week to the canal Gods.

These paths wind throughout the woods and connect all of the clubs together. It’s fantastic to walk from field to field and enjoy the scenery…just mind the renegade ducks.

Field 10. This is the only field that is not clustered within a club. It’s along the way between Amsterdam Club and Hurley Club and is where the ArchLevel clinics are held everyday.

These signs are all along the paths that connect the clubs. We’ve been super motivated this whole trip.

This is the home of the Swamp Thing. Maybe?

 

Hurley Club (festival games venue)

Constant tunes are cranked out from here for all of the festival games. DJs come and go…the bass stays with you.

The view from upstairs in the clubhouse. There are two fields in front and one more off to the right that’s out of the shot.

Ground level of the clubhouse. Apologies for the blury players…they are part vampire. (get it? vampire…like Twilight…as in they run really fast…as in TEAM EDWARD!!!!) Yep…THAT…JUST…HAPPENED.

 

Pinoke Club

Clubhouse at the Pinoke venue. This is where most of the men’s games are played, and up to this point, where all of the “bigger” games have been held.

Rooftop lounge and viewing area. Great viewing of both main fields in front.

The two main fields of Pinoke. There are two more off to the right that are used for ArchLevel clinics and national team practice sessions.

 

So…do you feel like you’re here yet?? For all of the current updates and details during the 2012 European Championships stay tuned to The ArchLevel Report and the ArchLevel Facebook page