Greetings to all the About.com readers,
This is my first instalment of what will hopefully become regular postings on this website.
I am currently (as of December 2006) playing and training in Germany. Specifically, I am playing for LTTV Leutzscher Füsche in Leipzig in the east of Germany. 2006/2007 is my first season playing abroad outside my native Australia, and so far it has been a very rewarding experience. I have already been here for 3 months, and will remain here until the season ends in 4 months time. A good question to ask however, is why should you play overseas??
It was a very tough call for me to make, given that in order for me to play in Europe I had to leave behind my friends and family, and my 'normal' way of life. On top of this, I will not see any of the amazing and hot Australian summer, but rather I will experience the freezing cold European winter. Then there is the hassles of organising time away from my part-time job back in Australia, as well as the countless emails and phone calls to find a club in Europe that has a set-up that can accommodate me. All of this adds up to a very tough decision and often many problems, but I have to say it definitely is worth it. I am 100% certain I have made the right decision to come to Germany and have a go at making myself an international table tennis player.
In Australia, it is difficult to find regular good quality training in a group environment with a good coach. In Europe, this is a primary advantage they have. Good training is virtually a given, and the group element of the training is something that I really enjoy. I always work better as a team player, and working in such an environment makes training all the better. The other main advantage that is helping my game a lot is the league system here. Week in, week out you play for your club against top quality opposition in a competition that actually counts for something. Teams are constantly fighting to get elevated to a higher league, or avoid being relegated to a lower league. Playing matches where your team mates are relying on you to perform and bring home a victory is a very good way of ensuring that you are 100% focused on the task at hand. This match hardening is crucial to the development of a table tennis player, and in my opinion it is what sets apart the men from the boys in major competitions.
Surprisingly, I have found living in Germany a somewhat easier way of life than living in Australia. This is mainly because here I can solely focus on table tennis and my studies. I am currently ¾ of the way through my Bachelor of International Business degree. If I were back home in Australia, I would have many more distractions such as working and paying the bills, and it is inevitable that from time to time table tennis or university has to take a back seat. However, when I am here I do not have to worry about such things. This is great for giving 100% application to the task at hand. Of course, it does help that I can do my studies online and that my teachers are very understanding and supportive of me.
Another good reason for playing in Germany is that it gives me the opportunity to play in many international competitions that I otherwise would not be able to play in if I were back in Australia. Already I have had the opportunity to play on the ITTF Pro Tour for the first time at the Liebherr German Open, and Liebherr Polish Open, both in November. Although I lost my matches at both of these tournaments it was a good experience to test myself against some of the best players in the world, and get first hand experience of what the big guns are doing on the court. I also just played in the Finland Open. This proved to be an excellent experience, as you keep playing until you get your final position, rather than being eliminated when you lose a match. So over the 3 days I played 11 top quality matches and managed to finish in 16th place out of 64 competitors. Surely, this was my best international competition to date.
In January, I will also play in 2 more ITTF Pro Tour tournaments, the Croatian Open and the Slovenian Open. Immediately following this I will make my first appearance on the English Grand Prix Series where I will play in the London Open. All of this international experience will hopefully help me to take my game to another level, and when I get back to Australia I hope I will reap the rewards. After all, before you can make a return on your investment, you must invest first.
