Junior of the Month: Pan Lin

By Larry Hodges

Photo of Pan Lin ©2002 by Robert Chen

Who is your coach?

My initial coach was Coach Liu Hui Yuan, and my current coach is David Zhuang.

How old were you when you started to play, and how did you start?

Even before I came to the U.S. when I was nine, I’ve played table tennis off the wall on the ground, etc. It was nothing different than the other games I played with my friends back in China. My first serious engagement began a few months before my 10th birthday, a friend of my mom told her that there was a table tennis club about 20 minutes from where we lived in New York City and the owner of the club was a really good coach from China (Coach Liu). Having been second in her entire elementary school back then, my mom urged me to try the sport; however, once I got started no one could stop me from playing table tennis, there are so many different aspects of this game and it was just too much fun!

Do you have a sponsor?

No.

Who and where do you practice with, and how often?

Currently I practice about 2.5 times a week, but it’s subject to variations due to big tournaments and school breaks. Normally, I will take a one-hour lesson with David Zhuang in Westfield and then either hit or play games with other players at the club. I used to practice with Rey Domingo, but now most of the time either my mom or my friend, Santos Shih (2100+ player & my neighbor) would take me to play in NYTTC where there are more varied players above or close to my level, and every once in a while I practice with Shao Yu.

I’ve also made two training trips to Beijing in past summers. Even though to me, it was more like a vacation and a thrilling experience with friends and relatives, nevertheless, the two training trips really improved my level of play and my understanding of the game, since it was systematic training as opposed to just random matches.

What are your best titles, tournament results or rankings?

By far I think my most important accomplishment was winning Under 16 singles at both the Junior Olympics and Junior Nationals last summer! I’ve also won the Under 2250 event several times in 2002. However, I think the tournament that had the greatest impact on me was a non-sanctioned tournament for juniors that I won just a few months after I started playing. I remember being so happy in beating an 800 level kid that I’d never beaten before. It was after experiencing this perfect feeling that I began to readjust the focus of my life and engage myself in table tennis more seriously.

How would you describe your style of play?

In general, I think of myself as a looper. I’m trying pretty hard to develop a forehand-oriented game as the trademark of my style.

What techniques are you working on to improve?

I’ve always been trying to improve the power of my stroke. Currently, I’m trying to improve my footwork and consistency. However, I’d say that a more urgent area in need of improvement for me is to learn to concentrate on my matches and not to underestimate my opponents.

Outside of table tennis, what do you like to do? Hobbies, sports, school, etc.

Beside table tennis I have a really tight schedule, most of the time I’m preoccupied with school and other extracurricular activities such as clubs and community service. I also enjoy reading for fun when I have the time and energy to do so. One of my favorite things to do is watching and playing sports (basketball, soccer). I’m one of these international soccer fanatics that wakes up 2 in the morning to watch soccer, as during the World Cup. Music plays a part in my life as well; I have many CDs and quite a few Chinese singers in my collection. Recently jogging and jumping rope were added to my weekly agenda, due to the insistence of David.

What are your table tennis goals?

I haven’t set any specific short-term goals for myself, but I hope to get my level and rating up to around 2350 by the end of the year and try to stay competitive in my age group. My long-term goal is to play in the 2008 Olympics in my home city [Beijing, China, where Pan grew up], although it seems a little farfetched at this moment, but I’ll do the best I can.

How about your non-table tennis goals?

As a student, the biggest priority lying before me is college; my goal is to attend a selective college by developing my potential to the fullest extent. I would also like to seize as much out of life as possible through hard work since we all have only one life to live.

Anything else interesting to add?

I think table tennis is different from any other sport; it develops a person’s personality and helps a person to handle problems in other fields as well as life in general. What fascinates me about table tennis is that there are innumerable aspects of the game, just by looking at how a person plays you can learn a lot about him/her as an individual being. Playing table tennis has given me the impetus to forge ahead in other areas as well; I can’t imagine what my life would be like without table tennis.