Need help motivating my 13 yr old son.

I second that !

I'm in a similar situation with skatz. Got a 11years old boy and I'd love teach him some TT. This little brat is gifted in any sports he tried. He's been doing gymnastic, table tennis and archery. This is disgusting how natural he is...! The only thing is that he canno't stand not mastering a thing at once. Say you give him a new playstation game, he's right in it and finishes it within a week. TT isn't as easy. He learned TT in his 9th with a coach colleague of mine but quited before the end of the year. I also have my TT table in the garage and sometimes I do some practice alone. Last week he came to me and asked me to play with him that we did. Then he asked me to re-enroll him next year in the club. But when I tried to correct some wrong motion of him he stoped me and said that was the way his coach (btw he hasn't seen him for 2 years...) told him to do ! In short, the best you can do, and that's what you did already, is to introduce him to the sport (I mean not only TT) and not pushing him too hard. If he finds any interrest in it by himself, this is it ! Otherwise, it's useless. We'll see if my boy keeps wanting to play in 2 or 3 months time , if not we'll try something else : c'est la vie !

Good luck with yours !

 

probably my dad felt the same way about soccer years back... when i leaned to table tennis and field hockey.

 

... and that we are expecting our first kid in a few months ... probably i will be in skatz's position few years down the line.

 

thanks for bringing up this topic ...

If I take him for training down in New York, he likes it.  His latest coach in New York is Attanda Musa.  A really great guy and unbelievable player.  We hope to get back down there soon for more training.  The 1.5 hour commute each way does make it difficult. 

 

I do want to thank everyone for all their help on this issue.  I have learned alot about me and my relationship with my son.  This forum is a great place to meet people and discuss things like this.  A special thank you to those that provide this forum.

 

Lastly, I have been asked to teach a couple of kids who never played the game.  The parents want to pay me but I won't accept money, so so far nothing has happened.  I suggested to my son that he teach them!  I have no problem if the parents pay him.  His rate is $15 per hour and he will start the kids off with some basic videos and then onto the Newgy robot.  That's how my son and I learned.  He likes the idea of doing that alot.  Especially the getting paid part.  He's a capitalist, just like his father!

 

He is making up a flier and he is developing a website where he can market this.  He will include some basic clips on the fundamentals on the website.  When it is up and running, I will put the URL up here.

 

I feel that this is great because it will integrate table tennis with other skills like marketing, web design and video production.  Plus it is a real low cost way for parents to introduce their kids to the sport and see if they like it. 

 

 

 

 

 

13 years old and he's worried about getting too tired.  Go figure!

 

is it really that difficult for you to remember what it was like when you were 13??

 

the problem is that, for most kids, it's just way too trendy nowadays to play with the nintendo games instead of doing something that requires some sort of physical exertion.  and even when they do that it's usually the stuff they see regularly, like basketball, football, baseball, or skateboarding.

 

anyway, if he likes playing tourneys, then take 'em there when you go.  perhaps losing games at the tourneys might be the thing that motivates him in the end.

 

but if you try to force him to play because YOU love it so much, he's just gonna end up doing what everybody does in that situation--rebel.

 

who needs that??