Meet the Coaches: Alois Rosario

Behind the success of Australia’s table tennis stars is a group of experts who work tirelessly to give our players every chance of succeeding internationally. We’d like to formally introduce to you Table Tennis Australia Head Coach (Para), Alois Rosario.

Table tennis runs deep in the veins of Alois Rosario. Raised by an Indian National Champion, he played his first tournament at the age of nine and proudly went on to represent Australia.

The pathway to success as a player was clear for Rosario but little did he know that a career in coaching would soon blossom and would eventually see him making history, when he coached Paralympian Sam von Einem to win Australia's first medal in the sport at an Olympic or Paralympic Games in 32 years. 

“It all started when I was five,” Rosario said.

“Mum was Indian National Champion and I used to bug her constantly to hit the ball up against the wall. It was an obsession that turned into something else, and by the time I was nine I was already playing in tournaments.”

With his hard work and dedication to the sport and his training, Rosario played for the Australian National Team from 1986 until 1991, and it was during this time that he found his way to coaching.

“I got into coaching probably fairly early while I was still playing. I started at my local club just working with a junior group there and enjoyed that. It got me hooked on coaching pretty quickly.”

Soon Rosario found himself working as the Development Manager for Table Tennis Victoria, fostering talent at the grassroots level upwards for 18 years. 

Though he was exposed to the world of Para-table tennis while working with State and Junior teams at TTV, he had never coached them so it came as a surprise when former Para Head Coach Roger Massive called upon his coaching expertise just one year before the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

“I remember in 2000 before the Sydney Paralympics, the US team trained at MSAC at the time. I remember being amazed by what the wheelchair athletes could do.

“It was all I’d really seen of higher level Para-tale tennis outside of a few Para players around Melbourne, but I was ready to jump in.”

While so much has changed for the Para version of the sport internationally, Rosario believes he’s grown as both a person and a coach from working with athletes with impairments.

“It’s incredible what you learn from people who have gone through different journeys. Generally speaking, Para-athletes don’t have the same expectations as others, and seem to rely on themselves and that passion to succeed really comes from within,” Rosario said.

“I think that was one of the things I felt initially. There was no pretence, it was just about how each of them could improve as a player.”

Just one year later, Rosario was selected to coach at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, and needless to say, the event inspired him greatly.

“It opened up my eyes at another level, not only in table tennis, but other sports and what athletes can do at that level.”

Initially thinking he’d reached the pinnacle of his career, the end of London 2012 marked the first day of a new quadrennium; his first full Paralympic cycle, which would culminate in the highlight of his career to date.

“Then there was Rio and Sam winning the silver medal,” he said.

“I was more immersed in the Para space by that stage and felt accepted into the Para-sport world. It was great. There’s been some incredibly moments since like Melissa Tapper winning Australia's first gold at the Commonwealth Games, Andrea McDonnell winning bronze in the same event, World Championship events since and lots of other international Para tournaments over the years which have fulfilled me more than I could have ever imagined.”

As for what’s next, Rosario’s eyes are firmly set on Tokyo.

“Tokyo is the next major thing we’re working towards. We know everyone’s going to be in a different situation. No one’s ever been in this situation before, but the biggest message we’ve got as a team is that it just gives us another year to develop.”

“The next year is going to be interesting. The biggest thing for me and our athletes will be adaptability and resilience. We’ve got some really good plans in place as far as how the players can adapt heading into Tokyo.

“But overall it’s about developing myself as a coach as well and learning more and more over the next 10 or 20 years, however long I’ve got in this coaching game.”

To see more of Rosario's work, head to his world famous Table Tennis website www.PingSkills.com