Interview With Marc Burman

Marc Burman is a county level senior player and an experienced coach. This interview provides some insights into how his career has developed, his thoughts on how the game should be developed and how he once dished the dirt in a league match

12/4/11

So Marc, how was last season for you?

I was heavily involved in coaching and attended tournaments on a local and national level

Where did you coach?

At the Elite Centre (East Grinstead), at Lewes (St Michaels TTC), Brighton City TTC, Warden Park TTC, and individual coaching of various junior players

Are you still playing competitively?

Not this season just gone. Due to commitments, some health issues, and lack of time to practise myself, it led to poor form when I did play, I wasn’t enjoying it so I thought I would have a break this season. I am starting to miss the competitive side now, and will start playing again a little next season after some practise in the summer.

Do you prefer coaching or playing?

It’s a difficult question as they both have different pros and cons, I think if push came to shove I would prefer to coach, although it depends on who your coaching.

If you had to give an aspiring player three tips for the top what would they be?

Above all unstoppable determination/hunger  to be the best  in the face of good times and bad times. You can have all other attributes but if you don’t have this one you have no chance, secondly a real competitive spirit, to love competing and winning. Thirdly good technique.

Who’s been the biggest influence on your table tennis career to date?

I wouldn’t like to point to one person, as a coach I take what I have been influenced by various people inside and outside table tennis,  there are a few people that stand out although the people reading this may not know them. Number one would be my old coach and good friend Selwyn Walmsley, also Mike Kercher who was and still is a very experienced coach in Surrey, and Mike Pantin the best coach of large groups I have ever seen, based in Surrey. As a player, locally I really liked Paul Carter’s way of playing when he is at his best, on an international level, Waldner and Samsanov, Gatien and their way of playing.

How did you first get into both playing and coaching the game?

My dad played and coached at the local club, and initially he asked me to come down when I was about 11, but I didn’t want to as I was more interested in football, however when my dad came home one day to tell me that my best friend at the time Lee Teirnan had been to the club and my dad had been coaching him, I jumped at the chance to go. At the time my dad was coaching a small group of kids on a Monday night, in a room with one table, my dad made it really fun, we played lots of games, round the table, table tennis cricket, table tennis ladder, doubles, and amongst that he coached. I caught the bug then, and got better and better very rapidly, and as I couldn’t bear to see my friends being better than me, as my dad was the coach. I became obsessed with getting better and I did so. When I was 16 I fell into coaching, for a big of pocket money. I went to my local leisure centre looking for part time work as a leisure centre assistant, and the manager said they had been looking for a table tennis coach, I offered to run the sessions on a Saturday morning, although I did them for free, until I could get the numbers above 10. Over a period of 2 years, this built up to three session with 45 kids playing. I only stopped running that club in 2005.

A number of Sussex county teams did well last year particularly in the juniors. What do you put this down to?

I think it’s down to a lot of people pulling and working together in Sussex now, and real momentum is now building. People are starting to think bigger, funding has been secured for some significant projects and success is starting to breed success. A number of clubs are have really started investing in their junior players. The Junior Circuit made a difference to now well established juniors in their earlier days such as Finny Wilson, Emma Torkington, Michael White, Louis Peake, Dan Barna, Vinal Patel, Dan Pound, Josh and Jack Bennett to name a few and out of that process has grown more graded and other competition. I think the Elite session is now coming into its own as well in preparing players for the challenges of higher level competition.

Which players/coaches do you most admire?

I really admire Nicky Jarvis, Shu Huang and Ken Phillips as coaches. As players Waldner, Samsanov and Boll are the first to spring to my mind.

What do you think are the key priorities for the game’s development in this country?

I think each County should look to take an active role in the development of new players, both juniors and seniors. Running regular local low level tournaments for young players learning the game who are not good enough to play local league and tournaments and yet need a competitive platform to develop.  I think the emphasis should be on improving standards and increasing the numbers of player playing. I also think counties should work together and exchange ideas, and inspire each other. Counties tend to work in isolation from each other and have no clue what the other is doing and I think Sussex is now providing an example of what benefits cooperation can bring. I also think the regional coaches, have gone some way to developing stronger networks, but I think more could be done.

You coach rising star Emma Torkington. How’s that been going?

Yes it’s been going very well. I have learnt a lot, travelling and being heavily involved in the development of one player to a high level. It is a rollercoaster ride, and highlights the complexity of developing players, and the trials and tribulations that come with it, Emma has real potential, and it’s a great experience and very enjoyable seeing her get better and better and achieving the results she has. I think that in the next year she will really break through.

Have you got any amusing stories to tell linked to your table tennis involvement?

Lots of amusing stories, there are so many its hard to remember. I remember before a league match I must have stepped in some dog muck in tiny lightweight Tibhar shoes before I went into the hall. It was a hot evening and I didn’t notice at first, until I started playing. The players were looking at me very strangely and I wondered why, then I smelt this awful smell, and realised that I had trodden in the dog mess and as I had been playing bits of it was spread all over the floor. It was so embarrassing. It was an away venue, and the match was stopped for twenty minutes to clean it all up and my trainers. Throughout the evening I had to endure the wise cracks from teammates and opponents alike.

Have you got any other sporting interests?

I love football, badminton and tennis, boxing, bastekball and golf.

Marc, thanks for your time and we hope you find a bit of time for relaxation over the close season!