My way to the American national champion of 2025 by Sally Moyland

(by Sally Moyland)

I led 3: 1 in sets in the single final of the ladies at the American National Championships … one match away from my first title. A time-out was forced from my opponent when I took the lead 9: 8 in the end game of Game Five. I have to shake a little in my corner. From the time-out and fully focused on my tactics, I committed myself to a backhand film of the short side of the table. Taking that risk pushed me a little further on the scoreboard.

“I now have two championship points … I can do it well?” “Stop.” “Focus.”

With a push to the middle and a fast forehand against down, I sealed my first ladies some title on the 2025 US National Championships. The feeling of satisfaction at the moment was unprecedented for me. A strong sense of joy and excitement rushed through me while I ran from the court to hug my coach, aka mother. Then the more tender emotions began to rise.

“I want to cry. We have taken a long way … Do I have to cry? Let, I am too happy to cry.”

Let’s rewind the tape a little and look back on what happened in the month prior to the Nationals. I was in North Carolina and played American youth tests after just being back from the Doha world championships. Long story short, I didn’t win. I had been quite dominant in the Domestic U19 field for quite some time and I definitely did not expect to lose. That was of course a mentality problem that helped me with the state of defeat.

The player I lost to, I think she was about thirteen while I just turned eighteen. The loss itself was quite devastating. The age gap, the amount of people who look, and the way I lost … to be honest, what it brought about shame. Do I encourage you to embarrass you because you have lost a competition? No. But if you can take that difficult result and roam to grind to your next goal, or even to see a better version of yourself, then yes.

I had three weeks until the national championships. Only three weeks. I am sure you have heard the saying “Failing learns success”.

To break down the lake I would say:

1. Failing you will learn what you need to improve
2. Failing gives you the natural motivation to want to work to improve (as long as you don’t think about it)
3. You have done the work to improve and resolve the identified problems
4. You will reach/succeed in something
5. Fail again and the cycle continues

*I’d rather use the word “setback” instead of “failure”. The latter just comes with a stronger tone and is used more often.

So, instead of getting a low and “success” to be expected, there is a process that must be followed and successfully carried out to get your next high. In my case here I was lucky to chase that process in three weeks.

With my mental and technical problems pushed into my face, I worked on it every day. I had a good training in my club (table tennis America), morning and afternoon, because many other players were also fired for the Nationals. Even if it was not clear to me for the tests, it was clear as a day after that I could slide to someone. It encouraged me to concentrate on every ball and to cherish every chance I had to train.

I participated in five events at the Nationals and managed to first take four of them. Today’s story is about the single title run of my women. It was nerve -racking. I lost the first set in my round of 16 match – the first of the event for me. However, I was mentally prepared and pulled along with a good shape in the next three games.

From the quarterfinals the format changed to the best of seven games. Guess who I played? Do you remember my loss in the youth tests? Yes, it was the same opponent. What a place to get the chance to continue where I last fell. I locked the zone, my full mind and body in winning every point and with control the game took in a clean sweep.

I went on to my semi -final, I played a colleague teammate. The score turned out to be more nail biting than the final. I knew I was nervous before the competition. I could feel it. Looking back now, a few motivating videos and a few more deep breaths would have helped. I started slowly. Literal. Slowly on my feet, but also slowly in reading the table and performing strategies. Inevitably I fell behind the scoreboard, bad, one match to three.

The only thing that prevented me from falling off despair at that time and came to me to come back from the edge was mental grain. It was the biggest lesson I had learned from my last loss at the time and it was what saved me to reach my biggest title to date. I stood my ground and made life difficult for my opponent one point at a time. That was all there was. 80% mental and 20% tactics, skills and everything you want to throw there. I didn’t play well, but I fought well. My colleague teammate did that too, and it was just a shame to meet each other in the semi -final.

I had an afternoon to adjust and prepare for the final. I had some butterflies. Yet I did my best to stay calm and collected, and again read my notes. Because I had succeeded in upgrading the semi -final, the line for the final of the women as the sowing suggested was. The show was on with a full crowd.

I hit the ground. I am proud to say that, because more than often I hit the ground and do not move faster than a turtle. In this specific game I played as I told my coach that I would do that. I went out completely, waved at the fences and things happened to go my way. I went up 3-0 in games. That was more than a dream opening. I was more than happy, but in a sense I was shocked. Anyway, the game was not nearly over yet.

Despite my efforts to keep the momentum and close things, I suffered a stingy memory in the fourth set of what happens if I don’t follow an almost A-Game version. After a fourth set of 2-11 loss, I gathered myself again in my corner.

Although the fifth game was really back and forth when we threw up the neck of the scoreboard and the neck of the scoreboard, a few deep breaths and a few words of confirmation did it. It was a gold for me and everyone who supported me !!

A big thanks to my parents for playing a major role in this tournament, especially Mama. She was in my corner as my sidelines coach completely. We did it! I also want a big thanks to my sponsor, Bowmar Sports – Butterfly Noord -Arikika and shout to my club – send table tennis America. And thanks for reading this article by me. I see you in the following

Click for more information about Sally HERE

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