Haven't updated for a long time because uni had resumed and the workload is driving me crazy. Taking 6 modules again this semester, which is quite suicidal. Together with my thrice-a-week tutoring and once-a-week coaching, I am practically left with little time for rest and outings.
The table tennis team started their first match today, playing against a team that is supposedly one level or so weaker. I decided to dig out some time to go and watch their competition. The place was really far west, so in order not to waste precious time, I took a cab down.
Alas, upon reaching there, still had to wait for about an hour before the match started. It started about an hour after the scheduled time because the opponent team took a long time to finish their previous match, hence we had to wait.
For today's match, it seeemed like the players were not performing well. Our 2nd singles lost her match, which I felt should not have been the case should she have performed as per normal. I am fine with our players losing if they have tried their very best and had fought hard, but it seems like our players really LACK fighting spirit! Watching the opponent team's players made me get the impression that they are going all out to win. Watching my own players play makes me feel like they are lambs waiting to be eaten. Thankfully, not all my players are like that. At least I feel that WL and JM do display quite a bit of that 'fighting spirit', especially WL. I like her attitude.
I wonder why 2 of the singles players seem to portray the 'cannot be bothered' attitude. Watching them play today made me feel that perhaps I should have focused more on the other players during training. All these while I have been focusing on them because they were the supposedly 'best players' in the team and are considered the crucial players. However, they performed WAY BELOW their usual training standard. Perhaps not even half of how they normally perform when they train with me during the training sessions. I taught them new skills and how to improve their play by being steady plus a bit more aggressive, but it seems like none of the techniques were utilized at all. Mistakes were far too many; it was utterly disappointing... No wonder Thomas told me that I should not ask them to actively attack during competition. Sigh...
It made me feel like what I had been doing all these while during training - trying to improve on their attacking skills, is wrong. Perhaps I should have just concentrated on teaching them to cut...
In fact during today's competition, I got paranoid. I started thinking if I was to be blamed for encouraging the 2nd singles to attack whenever she has the chance, i.e. when the opponent's service is topspin and long. To me, it just doesn't make sense to cut those balls, especially when the opponent's attacking skills seemed good and her attacks were pretty accurate and powerful. Oh well... there is just no right or wrong. Anything that seems reasonable is good. Its just differing opinions... think I ought to have a discussion with Thomas about what we expect from the players for the subsequent matches. Hope that we can agree on something that will yield the best result.
After all, if I encouraged them to attack and they manage to perform well, it would be good. But if their attacks don't get in, I would feel like its my fault to have asked them to attack and cause them or even the school to lose. I think its quite a tricky issue here and I hope there is a good solution to it.
On an ending note, I hope that the players will play better in the coming matches and display more fighting spirit. All I hope for is that they play their best with the 'want to win' attitude.