Club of the Month: Allentown/Lehigh Valley Area TTC

2003 Marks the 30th year of continuous activity

By Fred Kistler

The club was founded in 1973 as the Emmaus Table Tennis Club (ETTC), became the Allentown Table Tennis Club (ATTC) in 1983, and became the Allentown/Lehigh Valley area Table Tennis Club (ALVaTTC) in 1989. The club plays twice weekly at the Allentown YM/YWCA on six Harvard tables and has the best lighting in the U.S. (maybe the world?).  Attendance varies from 15 to 24 with ratings from 200 to over 2100 and ages from 7 to 77. The membership includes two members of the U.S. Paralympic team and numerous state champions.

The club has run many tournaments in the past including the memorable 1977 Pennsylvania State Closed.  This still holds the record for the most entrants (137) at any PA state tournament.  Players still compliment the organizers on the personalized plaques with their picture(s) included.  Many notable tournament entrants and/or club visitors in the last 30 years include the late Sam Balamoun, Bill Sharpe and Karl Szakacs.  Also Dr. Jiing Wang (USATT Exec VP), Eric Boggan, George Brathwaite, Mike Bush, Lim Ming Chui, Hamid Hayatghiab, Parviz Mojaverian, Joe Rokop, Joe Scheno, Sol Schiff (former USATT president), Randy and Ricky Seemiller, Stanley Smolanowicz, Marty Thiel, and John Wetzler.

The club currently runs two tournaments a year, both two-person team events: in December, the "Holiday Classic" one star event with a 24-team limit, and the Allentown "SportsFest" two-star event with a 50-team limit in July (see www.sportsfest.org under table tennis).  This year "SportsFest VII," a three-day sports extravaganza held citywide, will draw over 12,000 participants in over forty sports (including professional boxing, volleyball and wrestling). Admission is free to the over 25,000 spectators.

The members of the ALVaTTC mourn the passing of Robert DeLiedi and Karl Szakacs. Both served as officers for many years and contributed greatly to the growth and success of our club. We also wish to remember Sam Balamoun, good friend to many. They were all supporters of the sport of table tennis.