Richard Lee and the North American Tour

In 1999, there were eight 4-star tournaments in the U.S. This year there are nearly double that many. The main source for this, of course, is the North American Tour, which includes five 4-star tournaments and the annual North American Teams Championships in Baltimore, Maryland. The mastermind behind this inaugural Tour is a multi-talented, 21-year-old youngster named Richard Lee. Don’t let his boyish looks deceive you though; this young man touts an incredibly impressive resume despite his tender age.

Besides being the founder and president of North American Table Tennis, Lee is also a full-time student at the Johns Hopkins University, majoring in computer science, and founder of the Johns Hopkins University Table Tennis Club (JHUTTC). A former junior table tennis star, he is a 2300-rated player with a menacing forehand loop that parallels his desire to put table tennis in its much anticipated and deserved place.

Two years ago, in an effort to fundraise for JHUTTC as well as "to show the [club] members what table tennis is really about," Lee organized the 1998 Eastern Open as tournament president. The tournament, once a yearly competition for East Coast players, had not been held in a decade. With the help of members of the club and table tennis community friends, the Eastern Open was a huge success, attracting 411 entries from all over the country, the most entries ever for a 4-star tournament.

Later that year, the annual U.S. Open Teams Championships held in Detroit, Michigan was cancelled. "I was interning in Taiwan over the summer when a friend told me about how the Teams were being cancelled and I thought, it would be a great event to hold in Baltimore!" said Lee. After returning to the U.S., Lee began preparations to bring the Teams to the Mid-Atlantic region in just a few short months. Lee said, "I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, Bowie Martin of Martin-Kilpatrick Company, then-USATT President Jim McQueen, and the many friends I’ve made playing table tennis through the years."

The North American Teams Championships, the new name of the teams, "will be held in Baltimore for the next couple of years. We are proud to hold this event for the membership." Lee said.

Lee’s other endeavor is the North American Tour. It is a collection of tournaments that are linked by a tour points system where participants can track their results at NATT’s website. Lee said, "The tour would be just some tournaments being held with nothing except for USATT ratings linking them together. With the points system, it gives players something else to work for. Something like a season that has a beginning and an end."

When asking Lee about the status of the tour, he said "I learned a lot after the first two tour events. The staff of NATT is constantly making adjustments to our plans."

The staff of North American Table Tennis is made up of Zachary Sng, Fong Hsu and Alan Williams. Lee said "They have been very supportive and innovative. We work great as a team!" NATT has gone as far as creating its own database application to tend to its needs. According to Lee, "We tried several software applications and we could not find one that fit our needs, so we decided to create our own."

Tournament participants seem to be extremely impressed with the efficiency at the last two tour events.

"After attending the first two tour events, I am convinced that these guys can run anything smoothly," said Ross Brown of Atlanta, Georgia.

Lee said "The Butterfly Open ran on time with the Eastern Open sometimes running ahead of schedule. This is all due to careful schedule planning and conflict management. Fong Hsu has done an excellent job in this area. We have learned from Donna Sakai, who in my opinion is one of the best."

Lee started playing when he was 10 years old. Originally coached by Zhiyong Wang and his wife, he has been a student of Coaches Cheng Yinghua and Jack Huang. He still tries to maintain his 2300 level, but admits that it is getting harder to do so with all that is going on. He currently holds the Junior Olympic and National Under 22 Men’s Title. Lee said, "I love playing the game. Whenever I get a chance, I’m on the phone asking Sean Lonergan to practice."

Lee sees a future for table tennis. Combining the skills of NATT’s staff, Lee said "NATT will be sure to put on quality events with much needed publicity for the sport. We hope to bring table tennis into the spotlight of American sports. It is a long journey, and I hope in conjunction with USATT’s plans for grassroots, membership and club development, NATT will be able to continue to put on quality events for the membership."

Richard: It is a series of national four-star tournament that is linked by Tour Points. Players earn tour points through participation as well as finishing well in events.

Richard: We hope to encourage more players to play continuously on the tour. Tour points give players something to work for. Some players are afraid of losing their rating so they selectively choose matches and events to play. It is especially disconcerting when it is a junior. I feel this is the wrong way to look at ratings. Ratings should only be an indicator of a player’s level. So, the tour points encourages players to participate more and earn points.

Richard: Yes, the Teams will be held by NATT for the next couple of years in Baltimore, Maryland. Over these next few years, we hope the tournament expands.

Richard: The teams will have added events at the tournament, including the North American Tour Finals as well as the North American Hardbat Championships. These events will be held in conjunction with the Teams so that all participants will be able to play in these events without time conflicts.

Richard: Yes, Zachary Sng, our director of computer operations, has worked long and hard with the rest of the staff in molding a database application that fits our needs. We have features that enhance our ability to create a schedule that minimizes conflicts.

Richard: We have our own website at www.natabletennis.com. You can also get information from our advertisements in USATT magazine.

Richard: I would like to thank all the members that have support NATT in coming to attend our events. Not only does NATT need you, but also the Top players in the United States. At this stage of table tennis where there are few sponsors, these events are built on the membership’s willingness to play in these events. The membership is the driving force that will make table tennis big! With that in mind, NATT promises to put on high-quality events that everyone will enjoy. Again, thanks for supporting North American Table Tennis and see you soon!