Sports

Joe Nieuwendyk (b. 1966) is a Canadian-born professional ice hockey player of Dutch descent who starred in the NHL. A prolific goal scorer, he won three Stanley Cups with three different teams and the 1999 Conn Smythe Trophy.

Ellen Roosevelt (1868–1954) was an early American tennis champion and cousin of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She won the U.S. Women’s Singles Championship in 1890 and also captured the women’s doubles title with her sister Grace Roosevelt.

John Van Ryn (1905–1999) was an American tennis player best known for his success in doubles during the 1930s. Partnering primarily with Wilmer Allison, he won multiple U.S. and Wimbledon doubles titles and was later inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Rik Smits (born 1966) is a Dutch professional basketball player best known for his 12-year career with the Indiana Pacers in the NBA. Nicknamed the “Dunking Dutchman,” the 7-foot-4 center was an NBA All-Star in 1998 and a key member of the Pacers’ successful teams of the 1990s.

Erik Spoelstra is an American professional basketball coach and longtime head coach of the Miami Heat. Rising from video coordinator to head coach, he led the team to multiple NBA championships.

Watson Spoelstra was an American sportswriter for the Detroit News who covered the Detroit Tigers for decades. A Hope College athlete and writer, he later founded Baseball Chapel and became patriarch of the Spoelstra sports family.

Eric Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and longtime NHL center, best known for his career with the Carolina Hurricanes and for helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2006.

Jordan Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and NHL center known for his defensive play and leadership. A Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, he later joined the Carolina Hurricanes.

Jared Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and the youngest of the four Staal brothers who reached the NHL. Drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008, he later played within the Carolina Hurricanes organization.