Weekly review cw 28

The magic of well-presented criticism

As part of my work as head of the table tennis department at NTSV, I am currently setting the course for a future that puts girls at the centre, combines mass and competitive sports, and doesn't neglect inclusion. This is a process I can only accomplish with a good team, and some things don't work out the way I envisioned right from the start. Given the many issues that need to be addressed, I neglected one crucial point: supporting our youth players in tournament and league play.

Later this week, I received a voice message from a dedicated parent complaining about precisely this shortcoming and asking how it would be resolved. And it was precisely in this message that the magic emerged. The criticism was presented constructively. An appreciative and understanding choice of words complemented this. And at the same time, despite all the politeness, the most important thing was not left out: clarity in the message and a clear understanding of the challenge and the consequences of not addressing it. At this point, many thanks to Chris Neuhard.

The impetus has set in motion several positive developments. I'm looking for mentors for youth coaching within the club – two have already been found. The transition from youth to adult training is actively facilitated by mentors who guide the youth players and approach other adults. I've received an offer for professional coaching, and perhaps a door is opening on the horizon for parents driving the youth to games to be available as mental coaches. And that's just the beginning – simply fantastic!

Podcast with guests

This week, I had planned two recordings with guests for my podcast Server Side Stories. The first round went perfectly. The conversation was relaxed, the topic was exciting, and no technical hurdles arose. The second attempt, however, was entirely different. As usual, I started the session with my tool Riverside. The virtual red carpet was rolled out. After a few minutes, my guest was silent. A moment later, he reappeared in the session. This process repeated itself every minute – what was going on?

My guest's website suddenly froze. A Perplexity search quickly answered our question: Riverside doesn't work on Linux computers 🤯. Apparently, Riverside's client-side magic in the browser to ensure audio and video quality is so device-specific that they don't automatically run on all operating systems. According to Riverside, they only support Windows and Mac 🤬.

So we had no choice but to cancel the session and find a new date. On July 21st, the time has come – we'll meet in person at Maurice's rehearsal room. This already worked for our first guest, Stefan Bothe. So, the anticipation of this insight into the life of an indie game developer remains.

Accept or continue training?

I'm consistently sticking to my running break, as difficult as it is. Occasionally, I feel like the rest period is leading to improvement. Other times, it doesn't feel any better at all. I'm probably too impatient and can't shake the feeling that I'll have to live with the deficit in strength and speed. I still lack the necessary composure.

• Monday long walk
• Tuesday yoga
• Wednesday table tennis
• Thursday yoga
• Friday table tennis
• Saturday gardening rest day
• Sunday Club management course

If you'd like, follow me on Strava.