says
Hello! My name is Cielo (pronounced Shell-o). I grew up...
Member
SS, or double S, (my Korean coach when I started in Korea was Lee Seung Sook, who also called herself double S)
What you describe for a USA outfit is even better than normal. Most USA places have to go the route of extreme economy... which means renting cheap space in a rec center or church or school gym (or getting it free) and setting up tables to pretty much play matches... little to no chance of training, and who gunna train you if everyone is 200 to 1600 USATT level?
So I get it about your club situation... it is not normal for someone with any means to take over a part time operation and make it full or near full time.
I also get it about no one around you being able to do the things you need to train effectively as you want... so you take what you can get and try to make things around you better with time... I get that too and it can be tough... but your situation is still way better than normal USA places who have to drive 3-6 hours to find anyone even remotely close to a level to train at a higher level.
Koreans in Korea identify the kids with potential real early, hire an ex-pro for 2000 - 3000 USD a month, then turn their multi-purpose room or small gym floor into a pro training center with collection nets and every basic drill you can imagine with kids feeding and blocking for each other single ball multib ball bh to bh fh to fh topspin to topspin topspin block topspin all under the guidance of drill sgt coach and they love that stuff.
In USA, 2000-3000 a month wont even pay a janitor part time work, let alone train 12-20 kids 3-4 hrs a day professionally.
You're right. I used to call other clubs without realizing that they are 2-4 hours away from my location, and I can't do that while working full-time. But now that I'm working at home, and my kids are getting bigger, it has been easier to go to the club and train, even by myself. I was lucky enough to find somebody (training partner) who was willing to put in the work. We are helping each other a lot. But when we talk about the past 10 years, he said he understood where I was coming from because there really wasn't anybody to play with that can help me improve in a consistent level. My desire to go up the next level is still there, and I can finally try to fulfill that with consistent training so I'm thankful. I can't ask for me.
I'm also blessed to have such a supportive husband. We are both working, and like different sports, but we make it work so we can be both happy.