Interview with the Leach Family: 

John, Laura, Chris, Martha: Dom åker till Sverige!

(They’re Going to Sweden!)

By Larry Hodges

Clockwise from back left: Martha, Chris, John, Laura. Photo by Shawn Schmidlen ©2003.

Where are you from?

Erie, Colorado (just outside of Boulder).

Where do you train?

We train mostly in our garage. On Sundays we train and take lessons at the Aurora Table Tennis Club, and occasionally play at the Boulder Table Tennis Club.

When will you be leaving for Sweden, and for how long?

We are leaving on July 30th, and returning sometime during summer 2004.

Where will you be staying?

In Stockholm – the exact living accommodations are not firm. We’ve asked for a 3-bedroom apartment or house somewhere in downtown Stockholm.

Why are you going?

We’ve been looking for an opportunity to do extended overseas training, and Sweden (because of connections, friends, and easy access to training facilities and partners) seemed the logical choice.

Where will John and Laura be training?

At the Angby Sports Club, just outside of Stockholm.

What type of training will John and Laura be doing?

Our training schedule will depend on what type of teams we will be placed on. Most teams train 4 to 5 days a week, with a morning and an afternoon session. We will probably practice 6 to 7 days a week, and work in our own training sessions in addition to the scheduled club practice.

What are John and Laura’s goals for the trip?

In general, we would both like to improve our tournament games. Neither of us has access to a lot of tournaments, and we really need more experience in that area. For the most part, we are trying to improve our games, overall, and make the most of the competition we will be exposed to.

What are their ages/date of birth?

Laura is currently 16, DOB July 3, 1986. John just turned 14, DOB April 26, 1989.

Will there be any "big-name" players at the club or region that they will be training at?

Mikael Appelgren (known as "The Apple" at the club) is probably the most well-known player who currently trains there. We will probably get to see other famous Swedes (such as Persson, and possibly Waldner) at tournaments and in league play. One of the top younger players, Robin Morin, also trains at Angby.

Will they be back in the U.S. anytime during their stay in Sweden?

Yes. We are planning on at least two visits back to the states. Once for Thanksgiving and the Baltimore teams tournament, and again for Christmas and the U.S. Nationals.

What will dad Chris be doing in Sweden? Tell us about his work, and how/why he came to get a job in Sweden.

Chris is a finance professor at the University of Colorado, and is currently the head of his department. Every 7 years, professors are allowed a sabbatical, a break from teaching and an opportunity to do research. Chris has accepted a one-year research position at the Stockholm Institute of Financial Research, adjacent to the Stockholm School of Economics.

What will mom Martha be doing?

Martha (our manager) will continue to home-school John, run the house and attempt to master Swedish cooking (or at least cooking from Swedish supplies).

Have any of you been to Sweden before?

All of us have been there at one time or another, but never as a family. In 2001, Laura, John and Chris spent two weeks there training, and played in an international tournament hosted by the Angby club.

Anything else of interest about the trip?

We are all trying to learn Swedish, with very little success. We find it harder than German (Laura and John), Russian (Martha) or Spanish (Chris), but are still working at it.

John will continue his home schooling (10th grade), and Laura will be taking a year off from academics after completing her freshman year of college at CU.