[Advanced] Ariel Hsing—Table Tennis’ Rising Star (1)

This young woman is an elite athlete in a low-profile sport
David Wharton | Olympic dream is a DIY effort

The day begins around 7 a.m., at the back of the house, in a room outfitted with rows of fluorescent lights, a ping-pong table and little else.

This is where Ariel Hsing comes to practice alone. She starts by crouching silently at one end of the table, then springs up and, with a flick of her paddle, sends a serve whizzing across the net.

The 16-year-old repeats this motion hundreds of times, the balls collecting against a far wall. She must concentrate on hitting with maximum spin, but other thoughts occasionally creep in.

Thoughts of precalculus and English composition.

"That's when I step back from the table," she says. "I try to calm down."

Life can get complicated for a girl who falls in love with -- and becomes very good at -- a sport not many people care about in this country.

If she lived in Europe or Asia, she might be enrolled in a sports academy, training full-time and looking forward to a pro career.

But the U.S. has no such academies for table tennis. "The options in North America are not so good," a national coach says . Ariel must think about a future beyond the game.

Leading a double life
So this cheerful teenager -- with colorful barrettes in her straight, black hair -- divides her time between training and high school. Grades are important because she hopes to get into Stanford or Harvard.

That means waking up early, staying up late and constantly shifting her attention from twisting serves to stacks of homework due for honors math class.

"It can be tough," she says. "You have to lead a double life."

When their only child began playing seriously, the Hsings set aside a spare bedroom for live-in coaches -- talented players they brought over from China -- and added the practice space in back.

After morning drills, Ariel attends school until 1 p.m. -- she took extra classes in advance of this Olympic year -- then heads for afternoon training sessions.

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