From September, the Table Tennis Academy at Ackworth School is to be under the expert guidance of internationally renowned coach and player Eli Baraty.
An accomplished table tennis player, Eli has competed at the highest levels in the German league and represented England in Sweden and Switzerland.
The experience of the world stage has led Eli to work closely with five international set-ups, helping coach their best players. With a reputation as a high-performance coach, 20of the players he has coached at grassroots level have gone on to become internationally recognised talents.
No stranger to the schools game, Baraty has previously built up a non-existent table tennis programme to becoming a significant force. Under his expert tutelage, his team served up no less than eight National Schools Championships and finished sixth in the World School Games – an unsurpassed British record.
Taking a bespoke approach, Eli looks to capitalise on each individual player’s personal skillset: “I’m very holistic, I try to take into account each player’s specific needs.
“For example, I coach somebody who’s No. 5 in England at the moment. He’s nearly 7’! So, I have to find solutions for him to compete and win at the highest levels.
“I’ve got players who are fast, heavy, tiny, whatever. I’m always looking for what suits the individual player’s needs.
“Some trainers can only cater for a certain type of player, someone who’ll listen to them. Someone who’s young, small and fast.”
Unapologetically ambitious, Baraty envisions Ackworth School becoming an international destination for the sport.
“I want it to be a place where players from across Europe start to come, where national teams come to train. I want the School to be seen as the place to come if you want to be an elite performer
“If you have that dream of being a top player within table tennis, then this is your opportunity.”
Tom Shennan-Barker, Director of Marketing and Admissions, is pleased with the School’s appointment of Eli: “We’re excited to be working closely with a coach of Eli’s calibre. Appointing him as head coach underlines the School’s commitment to the Table Tennis Academy and to supporting talent development in this great sport.”