Jha Signed to 1st Div Bundesliga

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 Lightspin wrote:

A player has to be really careful where they go to train overseas.  When I went to China, I was forced to train with people who basically had never played before and it was immensely depressing.  I was paying money to basically teach them how to play.  Another player I know was only around 2400 and beat everyone at his training facility and thought his trip was a waste of time.  However if you are willing to spend a lot of money with a high profile province team, you will play with good players.  It will be very expensive though.

Germany and Sweden are no better unfortunately.  Things are very hit or miss.  Players have to be extremely careful where they go to train. Some places aren't even safe for the players with extremely shady things going on.  Safesport would have these places shut down if they were in the USA.  

Having coached a considerable amount of time internationally and having been involved in various table tennis venues around the world (both training and competitive), coupled with the many discussions with players and coaches on this matter, I strongly support your excellent summary of the overseas training environments as you so eloquently expressed it.

For almost all USA players seeking the attainment of national-level (and beyond) playing ability, my view today is that the best and most trustworthy environments for such rigorous development are in the full-time centers in the U.S., with the acknowledgement that the quality within these centers varies by significant degrees, both in coaching and culture, for the purpose at hand.  In the accepted context of these centers functioning as profit-requiring enterprises, the ingredients are nevertheless present to create player capabilities within the junior ranks equivalent to those from the European systems.  At some point in this developmental track, the U.S. competition dimension becomes inferior, thus requiring, for those of such interest, to seek other environments far advanced in match opportunities.  With the systems of China, Japan, and Korea functioning as closed systems in the practical sense of the term, it is Europe that is the golden land for U.S. juniors of high aspiration.  Essentially, Kanak has demonstrated the best model to optimize the prospects for the most ambitious of the U.S. juniors.

Thank you again for your insights.