JCoSS student is rising star of English table tennis
TABLE TENNIS JCoSS student Scarlett Anders has emerged as a one of the best young players on the national English table tennis circuit — and admits she has set her sights on representing Team GB in the Olympics.
The talented 15-year-old is one of four Jewish teenagers now featuring high up in the national rankings. Scarlett herself was ranked number two in the country at under-15 level and won the national doubles tournament in 2017, while reaching the final of the singles contest that same year.
Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has caused competitions to be postponed, she has still maintained a relentless training schedule throughout lockdown.
“I am very strong and I hit the ball much harder than most other players,” Scarlett told the JC, when asked to explain the secret of her success. “And I’ m quite fast too; I can move around the table pretty fast.”
Scarlett began playing at the Urban table tennis club in Barnet, where she has played since year five of her schooldays at Wolf son Hill el Primary, in Southgate, north London.
It helped that the friend who went along to play matches with her at Urban was Millie Rogove, now another J Co SS pupil, who also features highly in the table tennis national rankings.
After taking part in local and then national competitions across the country, with her parents doing the driving duties to venues across the country,
Scarlett was asked to take part in monthly training sessions with England coaches at Nottingham University.
She is quick to praise JCoSS for encouraging her progression in the sport— with Urban coaches being allowed into the school at lunchtimes to train her. Now moving up to under-18 level, Scarlett is currently ranked 12 thin the country, and she had been selected to represent England in an international clash against Belgium in April this year, only for the tournament to be cancelled.
Asked about her ambitions in the sport, she admits she would love to compete at the Olympics.
And her message to the young Jewish table tennis enthusiasts out there?
“It’s a hobby you can play anywhere but if you pick up a bat, why don’t you turn up at a club and have a go there?” she says.
“When I started, I didn’t even know how to hold a bat. A lot comes from commitment .”