Sharing knowledge and experience is key for coach education, says National Coordinator Franck Roguiez

Coaches are the first people to interact with beginners of any sport and Table Tennis Australia (TTA) National Coordinator - Coaching and Officiating Franck Roguiez believes that setting pathways for coaches and giving them opportunities to share knowledge is paramount to provide a strong base to all athletes, from grassroots to high performance levels. 

“As coaches, we are the first people that new juniors will encounter when discovering table tennis at school or at their clubs. 

“As a result, all coaches need to be educated to the highest standard, in order to promote the sport in the best possible way,” he said. 

Roguiez added that creating coaching pathways across all states and territories with TOPS (entry level) and Level 1 coaching courses, as well as connecting coaches on the national scene through the Level 2 coaches course is crucial to achieving this goal. 

“Currently we are noticing that, as a coach, you can be quite isolated. You work in your club or with your players and rarely have the opportunity to exchange experiences with other coaches who are in a similar environment.

“In April, we were able to hold a Level 2 coaching course for the first time since October 2016 and the course was not only about learning, it was also about sharing,” Roguiez said. 

The experience was a success and Roguiez believes that incorporating sports psychology skills into a coaches arsenal will allow them to have a greater awareness when working with athletes, especially when there are constraints around training time. 

“As coaches, our knowledge cannot be limited to how we execute strokes. Of course the time that we have in the hall with the players is limited and we want to make the best out of it, from a table tennis point of view. 

“However, the ‘off-table’ skills are equally important, as they will be transferable to other areas of the players’ life. We don’t need to be sports psychology experts, but we have to be aware of how important those aspects are and do the work to acquire the knowledge in the area,” he said. 

Coaches are often described as the first students of the game and the ones who continue to learn throughout their journey. Roguiez believes that curiosity is key for coaches to promote a long-term vision of the sport. 

“Some of this knowledge can be acquired through different courses and seminars, but also in a more informal way.

“Table tennis is a game that keeps reinventing itself and a conversation around a cup of coffee at a tournament or during training camps is a great way to share and learn,” he said.