The Bells, the bells...

It's different this season without Ghislain. The former head coach of MTT has retired now to persue other interests. He was still around for a chat in his own inimitable style. Still the same character he was. Got me thinking about past years at the training here and I put together a compilation of observations from those years. The photos is the bells from the local monastery in Boutonnet.

The bells of Sant Pierre are calling the faithful to prayer in the Butonnet district of Montpellier. The early morning air is hot and expectant. It’s the feast of San Maria and the streets are quiet and empty. Down the road, past the fountain and across the wooden tracks of the tramway there is a different kind of worship going on in the Gymnase Alain Achille.

The morning silence is disturbed only by the rhythmic sound of table tennis balls and Ghislain Rolandi stalks around like the high priest of le ping pong supervising the practice. The players have just returned from the traditional eight kilometre morning run and are facing two hours of hard training in the growing heat of the day. The hall oozes sweat and effort. This is not the place for the faint hearted.Like Ghislain says “Table Tennis is number One. Everything else comes after".

The coaches are forthright in their opinions and everyone knows where they stand. And if you are standing that’s your first mistake. You can practice your serves or do some physicals. Slackers are not tolerated. You earn the right to practice with good players by hard work and dedication. Whining prima donnas need not apply.

In the quiet University quarter of Boutonnet, it does not seem possible that such hard effort and high intensity training happens inside this Table tennis hall. Ghislan is rightly proud of the high level of the players and the number of people who come to Montpellier for this very reason. But he is ruthless in his assessment of the players.

"The amateur players who come here cannot expect to play with the professional players.It is not good enough for them to practice with players like these" he tells all the gathered participants. Always the straight talking approach which leaves you in doubt where you stand.

For the young players there is the advantage of having Stephan LeBrun taking the training. Stephan was No.7 in France and is still No.59. He is coach to the pro A team in Istres but played for Montpellier in the European Cup winning team of 2002. He is clearly an excellent coach and he guides the young players expertly through their routine.

Although the basic important things were the same there were some differences this year. No Paintball, but do you really want Ghislain chasing you through the forest with a souped-up pellet gun after doing three hours of training?? No Booster. But do you really want to be hurled around at a terrifying 90km strapped to the end of a large bar.

It's a daunting experience for your first time.You come to training. All these brilliant players are strolling into the hall. The bells are ringing from the local monastery like the chimes of Doom and Ghislain shakes your hand slowly and utters his usual greeting - Welcome to Hell!