Norm Bass has stood on the mound as a
professional pitcher with the Kansas City A’s, pounded the gridiron in the
backfield of the Denver Broncos and, in perhaps his greatest athletic
accomplishment, won a Bronze Medal for the U.S. in the Paralympics! He is a pure
mental athlete: a smooth competitor who wins through self-awareness, hard work,
confidence and match intelligence. According to Sean O’Neill, who coached him in
Brazil, “Norm is in the top 1% of all athletes,” in terms of psychological
toughness and fighting spirit.
A defensive genius with a pick-hit backhand
and killer chop, Norm methodically breaks down his opponents; he has thrown many
world-class table tennis players into uncontrollable fits of rage! The soul of
his table tennis game is built from his experiences as a major league pitcher.
If you think about the mental toughness required to stand on the mound in front
of 60,000 people and throw a fastball low over the plate – then you begin to
understand why Norm Bass has little or no trouble with match pressure in table
tennis. He knows when to bring the heater and when to throw the junk out over
the plate; he knows when to stall and when to step back on the rubber. All of
the tricks of the pitching trade are present in his game tactics.
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The
Great Norm Bass