Club Programs Report

By Larry Hodges, USATT Club Programs Director

As reported last year, I’m focused on a three-pronged approach for club programs: Junior Training Programs, Beginning Classes, and (the main one in regards to increasing membership in the forseeable future) the USATT League, which we hope to have ready by Jan. 1, 2003. There has been great support from the USATT Board, including a motion promising their support of the USATT League.

I’ve spent much of the past year or so creating the Primers for Junior Training and for Beginning Classes, which are available from USATT, and online at the USATT Club Programs Page (along with lots of other materials), at www.usatt.org/club_programs. I’ve spent many, many hours on the phone and on email explaining how to correct discipline problems for 8-year-olds, how to convince 50-year-old basement “champions” that they won’t do well in tournaments with their sandpaper rackets, and every other imaginable question. Of course, the two favorite lines of questioning are 1) How do I teach this technique?, and 2) How to I get players into my class/program? The first is answered (at least the basics) in the Instructor’s Guide to Table Tennis (online at the Club Programs page), and the latter in the Primers. If you have questions on Club Programs, feel free to contact me (via email, when possible, so I can give more complete answers). Contact info is at top.

Setting the structure for the creation of Junior Training Programs and Beginning Classes was necessary before getting into the most important membership generator: the long-awaited USATT League. If the League does bring in large numbers of players, we need a structure for the rapid creation of programs/classes to meet the need, or we lose them, just as we lost the many thousands who found our sport during Ping Pong Diplomacy in 1971, during our Olympic debut in 1988, and other times. We don’t want to make that mistake again.

The software for the league is being created by USATT Vice President Robert Mayer, who’s creating many thousands of dollars worth of software for free. There have been technical problems in this creation, but the light is at the end of the tunnel. When it’s ready, expect a feature article, both here and on the USATT home page, with more info. Info on it will be in USATT info mailings to all who contact USATT – and that’s a lot of would-be members! Currently, other than tournaments and magazine, there isn’t a whole lot to offer new players. We hope to change that.

The upcoming USATT League is a club-based singles league, but that doesn’t mean it will only be played in clubs. It is loosely designed on how table tennis is organized in Germany and much of Europe, and how bridge and other activities are organized in the U.S.  The basis of the program is that anyone will be able to run a league anywhere there’s a table or two. It’s all organized online. Leagues can be run in clubs, basements, rec centers, schools and colleges, at work, in churches, just about anywhere. There’s little hassle – it’s all user friendly. All the would-be league director has to do is get his friends and other players together, sign them up for the league, and play. Finally, a way to start attracting the estimated 13-20 million basement players into the USATT tent! (USATT members will be eligible for the USATT League at no charge. There is a proposed USATT League Membership, which would be a lowered fee that would allow players to play in the league, but not in tournaments or get the magazine.)

The basic format (with other formats to be added later on) will be as follows: The league director starts off with a printout of potential league players, in order of rating, with room for a checkmark on the left. As players show up, they are checked off on the left. New players are added to the list at the bottom. Players without a league or USATT rating are given an estimated rating. The top five players in the list are put in the top group, the next five are put in the second group, and so on down the list. If the number of players in the league is not divisible by five, then the number of players in some groups would be adjusted. Players are then hand-written onto blank RR group sheets. (Or, if they have a computer handy, it can all be done via computer.) Players play all other members in their group. The goal is to win the group, and to improve one’s league rating. Recommended format is best of five to 11, although if there are a lot of players and few tables, it can be best of three to 11 or just about any other format.

When the league is done, the league director gets online, goes to the USATT League Page, punches in his league code, and up comes his league page! He then inputs the results, the results are processed, and the new ratings appear. He then prints it out, and he’s ready for the next league session. All those in the league are now part of a Nationwide League, and their league ratings (which are similar to USATT ratings, but separate) will be online. Just as in, say, bridge, players can now work to improve their USATT League Rating (and perhaps reach various levels such as “Master,” “Grand Master,” etc., with names to be worked out later). An added benefit: a player may be able to use his USATT League Rating as an initial rating for his first USATT tournament.

Please go to www.usatt.org/club_programs, and read more about club programs. See the link that explains the upcoming USATT League in more detail, and browse over the links at the bottom. And contact me if you have any questions!