Anne Vlieg (born 1956) is a former Dutch table tennis player and head coach of the Dutch national table tennis federation (nl) (NTTB).
Vlieg competed about 70 times for the Dutch national team, but never won main prizes. He became once second at the national championships and became national double champion together with Han Gootzen.[1]
His brother Jan Vlieg is also a former table tennis player and national head coach.
Biography
Born in Ferwerd in 1956 he moved at the age of five to Medemblik. Vlieg started playing table tennis at the age of 10 with table tennis club Midstars. He played in the first team together with brother Jan Vlieg and Tom Pitstra. At the end of the 1970s, they played in the national Eredivisie (main Dutch national league), competed in the National Cup and played with the club at European Cup.[2][3] The first Europa Cup appearance was in 1977.[4] In 1980 he moved to club ‘t Hooge Huys in Alkmaar.[5]
As a member of the national table tennis team he played c. 70 matches. He competed at European Championships and World Championships.[3][6][7]
In 1978 he was involved in a dispute about the European Championships selection. At the 1978 NTTB-Cup Vlieg had to withdraw due to a foot injury as a result of playing indoor football. Due to this head coach Bert Schoofs didn’t select Vlieg for the European championships because, according to him, Vlieg “took a conscious risk and that shows an incorrect approach to table tennis”.[8] Vlieg didn’t like the reasoning of Schoofs. Table tennis club “Tempo Team” also didn’t support the reasoning of the selection procedure including stating that playing indoor football is not a reason not to select Vlieg, as Bert van der Helm (who was selected) just returned from winter sport.[9] As a result of the of “Tempo Team” the two “Tempo Team” players (Bert van der Helm and Nico Slobbe) who were selected to play the European Championships were removed from the selection. [10] Vlieg was asked to join the team, however, Vlieg was solidair with Van der Helm and Slobbe and refused. After long discussions, the disagreement was settled and all three players were allowed to participate.[11]
He was not a continuous member of the national selection. He returned in the selection in 1982,[12] and again in 1985 when his brother was national head coach.[13]
Vlieg suffered from mental problems when competing under pressure, resulting in, according to himself as a “mop backhand”.[1][3]
Vlieg became a table tennis trainer. He became national head coach.[14] Vlieg also coached several national table tennis teams. In 1993 when he was coach at VSB/Harkstede, “Treffers” made an offer that he would become their main trainer.[15] In the late 1990s he became, together with his brother, trainer-coach of their original club: Midstars. The team returned to the Dutch highest league (Eredivisie) and became national champion.[2]
Vlieg got burned out and quit his job at table tennis federation. He later started his own table tennis business in which his son is involved also.[3]
References
