▁his ▁father . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁T SV ▁Hö ch st . ▁At ▁age ▁ 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁Hel mut ▁H amp el , ▁a ▁H ess ian ▁tra iner ▁who ▁promoted ▁him . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁he ▁started ▁to ▁train ▁at ▁the ▁training ▁centre ▁Pf ung stadt ▁and ▁four ▁years ▁later ▁changed ▁teams ▁to ▁ ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁Second ▁Division , ▁at ▁which ▁time ▁he ▁attract ed ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁other ▁table ▁tennis ▁associations . ▁ ▁rec ru ited ▁him ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁a ▁move ▁which ▁required ▁the ▁entire ▁team ▁to ▁re loc ate ▁ 1 7 0   km ▁away , ▁to ▁Hö ch st , ▁to ▁enable ▁daily ▁training ▁with ▁the ▁then ▁ 1 4 - year - old ▁B oll . ▁B oll ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁position ▁five ▁on ▁the ▁team , ▁but ▁lost ▁only ▁one ▁match ▁throughout ▁the ▁whole ▁season . ▁This ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁team ' s ▁transition ▁to ▁the ▁table ▁tennis ▁national ▁league ' s ▁T isch ten nis - B undes liga ▁( First ▁Division ). ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Junior ▁success ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 4 , ▁B oll ▁held ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁young est ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁national ▁league ▁( A ▁title ▁he ▁shared ▁with ▁Frank ▁Kl itz sch ). ▁He ▁celebrated ▁his ▁first ▁international ▁success ▁during ▁the ▁Table ▁Tennis ▁European ▁Youth ▁Championships ▁in ▁The ▁H ague ▁in ▁ 1