Club of the Month: Allentown/Lehigh Valley area TTC

By Fred Kistler

The club was founded in 1973 as The Emmaus Table Tennis Club         (ETTC), became the Allentown Table Tennis (ATTC) in I963, and became the Allentown/Lehigh Valley area Table Tennis Club (ALVaTTC) in 1989. The club plays twice weekly at the Allentown YMCA/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 ranging from 200 to over 2100 and ages from 8 to 80. The membership includes two members of the USA Paralympic team and numerous state champions.

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

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