says
You sent me the following PM which you didn't ask for a...
Spoke to someone 'in the know' today and it seems that the current predicament (regarding kids being asked for huge amounts for a chance to play for their country) comes down to our sport being run by people from outside table tennis and them being extremely short sighted.
The bottom line seems to be money and the need to secure funding from Sport England. To do this we have to increase participation. TT England's strategy for this is to get their regional coaches to set up groups to attract more senior members of society into the game. This leaves pretty much everyone else out in the cold. I would love to know how much time our regional coaches (probably some of the most trained in the country) actually get to spend working with kids. Ask one and they will tell you it is almost zero.
What are we planning to do with the funding anyway? Get them to set up more groups get more middle aged/elderly players to secure more funding? Where is the future? Sadly this is the only future as there is no other funding available unless we can produce medals at major events. Are things ever likely to change if we withdraw funding from our kids?
BTW I am not against groups like this being set up in communities, but let's not waste the time of TT England's most qualified coaches on this. Get them bringing on the kids which I'm sure is much more what they would like to be doing.
Anyway, rant over.
The bottom line seems to be money and the need to secure funding from Sport England. To do this we have to increase participation. TT England's strategy for this is to get their regional coaches to set up groups to attract more senior members of society into the game. This leaves pretty much everyone else out in the cold. I would love to know how much time our regional coaches (probably some of the most trained in the country) actually get to spend working with kids. Ask one and they will tell you it is almost zero.
What are we planning to do with the funding anyway? Get them to set up more groups get more middle aged/elderly players to secure more funding? Where is the future? Sadly this is the only future as there is no other funding available unless we can produce medals at major events. Are things ever likely to change if we withdraw funding from our kids?
BTW I am not against groups like this being set up in communities, but let's not waste the time of TT England's most qualified coaches on this. Get them bringing on the kids which I'm sure is much more what they would like to be doing.
Anyway, rant over.