Struggling to improve at recreational group

Hi everyody. First time posting a question here! First of all, thanks for all your work on Table Tennis.

My question is: I'm a beginner player (USATT 800). I train with a coach once a week, and the rest of the time I go to different clubs, most of them not very well organized, where people play mostly recreational TT. I find it hard and sometimes frustrating to play in an environment that doesn't encourage improvement and it's not "goal oriented". People in these clubs just play "for fun", ie, no further expectations. Many times their levels are also below mine. I myself have the goal to move on to bigger leagues and tournaments.

On the other hand, I do have some opportunities (not very frequent) to play in a competitive environment, where ranks are kept and there's a tournament structure. This I enjoy a lot.

My question is: should I stop attending the purely recreational clubs, or stop playing with people that don't really have a goal? If not (because all practice can be beneficial), how can I get the most out of that practice, and use it to improve myself? How could I avoid being "stuck" at that level or environment?

Thanks! BesTT for y'all.

Hi Jose,

Thanks for the encouragement.

I think attending the recreational group can be useful if you play some matches with them.  It may also give you exposure to a wider variety of styles.  This could be finding different serves or shots to play against.  If you feel you can get that then continue going. If it frustrates you then see if you can find another playing opportunity somewhere else.