Learning from Losses
As part of the Learning from Legends event series, table tennis world champion Jörg Roßkopf was a guest at TUM Campus Heilbronn
“I wanted to become one of the best players in the world.” – Jörg Roßkopf has undoubtedly achieved this goal. With his doubles world championship title in 1989, he roused the sport of table tennis from a deep sleep and made it popular in Germany. This was followed by silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games and several European championship titles.
But there are two sides to every medal. Successes also include setbacks. During his visit to TUM Campus Heilbronn, Roßkopf talked to students about the highs and lows of his career and gave them tips on how to deal well with defeats.
Get Up, Keep Fighting, Get Better
“The most important thing is to feel that you have given your best,” the pro advises the TUM students. If you haven’t won despite everything, you have to admit to yourself: “The opponent is simply even better.” “Still” is the key word here. Because after defeat, it’s a matter of getting up, fighting on, and getting better. “In life, you can’t just keep going up and up.” When you reach a limit, something has to change. So Roßkopf changed places and coaches again and again in his career in order to move on and learn new approaches.
Professionally, the table tennis pro has little to do with the TUM course content. But discipline, perseverance, motivation, and a good way of dealing with failure are also crucial in a professional career. Learning from Legends gives TUM students the chance to experience famous personalities up close and learn about their lives.
Bildergalerie: Jörg Roßkopf
