Be A Professional

By Tim Boggan

Zlatko Cordas, a former member of the great Vjesnik-Zagreb Yugoslav team of the 1970’s (Surbek/Stipancic) era and recently for many years German Team Captain, spoke to me at the ‘96 Olympics of how years ago ("when they were 9-10 years old") he contacted Jeorg Rosskopf and Steffen Fetzner as prospects for Joola, and how thereafter, as they grew up becoming along the way professional players (and eventually in 1989 World Men’s Doubles Champions), he traveled extensively with them.

The teenage Rosskopf, Cordas said, was a "nice guy" type of player. After the 1987 World’s, when he had just turned 18, the Swedish men began their six-year domination of the world table tennis scene, and "Rossi" not only admired these great players, he was in awe of them.

Since Rosskopf was not a natural "fighter-type" player--like, say, Belgium’s Jean-Michel Saive--Cordas saw that the most important thing he could do for him was to make him into one. Else Rosskopf would never achieve his potential.

"Therefore," said Cordas, "as his coach and role model, I had to play the part of the bad guy. Accordingly, I deliberately began protesting vigorously to umpires if I thought Rosskopf had been wronged. And I urged Jeorg personally out there on court not to think of his opponent as his ‘brother’ player but to ‘hate’ him--though just in the match of course."

"I was not really being myself in doing this, but I felt I had to toughen up Rossi. And I still feel I had to do it. Unless Rosskopf had naturally become more aggressive, he would never have reached the heights he has now. [At the time Rosskopf won his bronze medal in the ‘96 Olympics he was #5 in the world.] Of course in being harsh I made enemies. But I wasn’t worried about that--I’ve plenty of friends in the sport."

"Perhaps a turning point for Rosskopf came not in his teens but in his early 20’s. At any event the incident will serve as an example for what both coach and player felt we had to do."

"Jeorg was playing for the same Bundesliga club as Sweden’s Jorgen Persson [1991 World Champion]. To Jeorg, Persson was God."

"But then in a tournament in Sweden Rosskopf was playing very close with Persson and in the match-deciding end-game was awarded a controversial point by the Swedish umpires."

"When Persson protested, Rosskopf, wanting to be a good sport and admiring Persson so, looked to me for advice. At which point, since I was sure Rosskopf deserved the point, I vehemently insisted he take it--and he did."

"Afterwards, in the changing room, Persson had some highly critical words for his clubmate--and Rosskopf, being naturally sensitive, was tormented to tears."

"An ugly job I had, yes, but I had to gradually increase the mental pressure on Rosskopf and make him deal with it."

"If a player is going to give his life to table tennis, he’d better learn how to be a relentless fighter--that’s part of being a professional."

"Let other coaches teach Rosskopf and Fetzner about backhands and forehands. My contribution to their careers is this: that they must think like a professional, must practice like a professional, must earn money like a professional."