Recent Richard Montgomery High School graduate John Hsu, 17, grew up playing basketball and baseball. But at 5-foot-6 he was often overpowered.

At age 12 he turned to table tennis, a sport that requires tremendous athleticism but doesn’t revolve around stature and physicality.

Five years later, Hsu is on track to compete for a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Table Tennis team next spring.

“You kind of need to be tall for [other sports], and I was not exactly gifted there,” he said. “Table tennis was a way for me to play a sport and be competitive.”

Hsu and younger brother Nathan took home a combined six medals at the AAU Junior Olympics in New Orleans, which ran July 27 through Aug. 6.

Nathan Hsu, a Richard Montgomery rising sophomore with sights on the 2016 Olympics, won the tournament’s prestigious Joel Ferrell Outstanding Performance Award, which recognizes one athlete per event based on performance and sportsmanship.

The brothers won three medals apiece earlier this month. John Hsu won gold in the 18-and-under individual and team events and silver in the 18U doubles with his brother.

Nathan Hsu won gold in the 16U individual and 18U team event. It was the siblings’ third appearance at the Junior Olympics but their first gold medals.

“It felt really good to finally get on top of that podium,” John Hsu said. “We’ve worked on our games a lot and we were ready but you have to make sure you keep a level head during the competition.”

Table tennis is deceptive. Though its playing surface is only nine feet long and five feet wide, matches require stamina. Athletes are constantly moving and must be quick on their feet with impeccable hand-eye coordination and timing.

Table tennis is as much about strategy as physical ability. There are a lot of options for a court that small.

The Hsu brothers said they spend three hours a day, six days a week honing their skills. Workouts include yoga, weight training and cardio.

They’re both consistent, carefully constructing points until they create the right time to go for a winner. John has incorporated more off-pace shots to complement his powerful game; Nathan is propelled by his ability to prevent opponents from getting into a rhythm by constantly changing the speed and depth of his shots.

A healthy dose of sibling rivalry keeps the two motivated to improve. But having each other’s support in trying times is also beneficial in a primarily individual sport.

Representing the United States on the U.S. National Team together is their ultimate dream.

“[John] is always there whenever I’m sad about losing a match. He’s always there to comfort me,” Nathan Hsu said. “It’s also useful for us to have each other to train with, like if its before a competition and we want to work on something.”

Table tennis is one of few sports that doesn’t center around physicality and power. And that’s what the Hsu brothers find most intriguing.

“Power is not the most important thing,” Nathan said. “It’s about outsmarting your opponent.”

jbeekman@gazette.net