Executive Director’s Report

By Dwight Johnson

Did you know that Table Tennis is the only Olympic sport that can be conducted in the home, is portable, inexpensive, and is family orientated?  Also, did you know that Table Tennis is a lifetime sport that had a monumental impact on diplomacy and computer games?  Yes you know that.  But are we conveying that information to recreational players? Our sport will grow by encouraging all levels of players to join USATT and help us get the word out to the rest of the USA.  

Debbie Doney, our Program Director, has been working on several projects for USA Table Tennis.  One of those projects is a National School Program and a National Athlete Development Club program with the Warren Company of New York along with Sportime, a school athletic equipment company.

This program is in the final stages of development.  Five other Olympic and Pan American Sports will be featured with curriculum and training for Physical Education teachers in the schools.  This idea has been endorsed by the state of New York chapter of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).  The Warren Company is working on the National Recreation and Parks Association for their endorsement.

The concept is to teach lifetime sports to the schools and get the children interested in one of these sports.  With the USA leading the way in obese children in the world we need to provide PE teachers with curriculums, equipment, and certifications to teach our sport to children.  An after-school program is also being developed.  It will be known as the National Athlete Development Clubs (NADC).   This will be used to continue the children’s interest in the sport.  Through schools or recreation programs, the NADC will be the pipeline to continue to develop school-age children in our sport.

It will take 3-5 years to implement this program nationwide.  The Warren Company has targeted several large states to begin with.  These states will have a leadership role in helping to roll out more programs to the rest of the nation.  We’re very excited about the possibilities of getting into numerous schools and finding future Olympians and world-class athletes who will medal in the future

I had the great honor of attending the World Championships and watching some fantastic table tennis matches.  While there, I met the International Table Tennis Federation staff and many other key people in table tennis.  The impression I got from everyone was that the USA is key to helping grow table tennis.  Congratulations to our President Sheri Pittman, who was elected as Vice President of North America within the ITTF.  This will help USATT continue to be involved in the international community of Table Tennis.

Currently, we are working on a membership drive proposal for our affiliated clubs and USATT.  If you would like to share your membership ideas please e-mail me.  I will have more on this idea in the next issue.  Until then keep the ball on the table.