Interview with Jim Scott, "Big Whack" Director

By Sean O’Neill

How did you get involved in table tennis?
I first played in my cousin’s garage in Corvallis, Oregon in l957 at 14.

What are your fondest memories as a player?
Gaining 181 rating points in the 1990 U.S. Open at Baltimore with a string of “upset” wins.  It was clear to me that the Northwest players at the same rating levels were far superior to the east coast players.

What are your best memories as a tournament director of the Pac-Rim Open?
Often having 8-15 of the top players in North America; 18 players in l990 from Gotemba, Japan; four players and two coaches from Saigon team at my house for 10 days; Fan Yi Yong playing and winning six times; plus the highest U.S. Women’s prize money.

Tell us about the Portland Table Tennis Club.  When was it created?  How is it set up?  Who are the key people?
The PTTC started in the 1930’s, to my knowledge.  We have some pictures of it then.

We also have a state champion’s trophy going back to the 30’s, won 14 consecutive times in the 50’s and 60’s by Carl Cole.  There is a whole history of places where PTTC has played during that time.  Currently, we have two locations in Portland based either on league play or open play; you can find this at www.portlandtabletennis.com.  We were the Paddle Palace from 1974-1978 with 11 of the top 100 U.S. Players.

PTTC is a non-profit corporation with a 9-person board which meets every other month.  The board members and our location directors are also listed on the web site.

How did the Big Whack come about?
Having been a coach and instructor at Portland Community College since 1973,  I have always enjoyed programs involving the youth.  We always had some programs at individual schools and a college four-school league (since l975 til now).  We had 36 tables which were rotated for two weeks to three schools at a time and then rotated to three new schools.  Each one had a two-week unit before relinquishing the tables. You had to sign up at the beginning of the year to be scheduled for your twelve tables. We at the PTTC often did exhibitions\clinics the first or second day a school got the tables to set the tone for their unit.  The tables never left the gym floor for the two weeks.  PTTC also did some in-service clinics for the PE teachers.

1989 was the start of this table rotation.  Each year from then on we held a competition to designate champions from the school age-divisions.  Since 1995 we have called this competition THE BIG WHACK, since we wanted the kids to whack the ball instead of just pinging and ponging it. 

In 1997 we added a team event which carries with it perpetual trophies in elementary, middle, and high school levels separately for the boys and the girls.  Through THE BIG WHACK, PTTC has involved 91 schools in the Portland metro area.

Describe the Portland School System Program that you have created.
The idea behind the school system we have developed is to help each school to form its own club after school.  With this club, anybody who is a student may join the club and play for fun.  Then the best ones may be selected to be on the school team.  If the school shows interest, we do an exhibition at full assembly or at lunch.  If during an assembly, we bring in some of their kids who play to join in on the assembly and give those kids some rewards for playing.  If during lunch periods, we play and sign up 30-60 kids and turn the list back to them to follow up with to form their club.  Then we organize our team leagues and play for the perpetual trophies and hold THE BIG WHACK singles competition at year’s end.

How do you think things went this year?
On May 20-21, we held the 2006 STIGA BIG WHACK tournament.  We gave away 24 trophies. Wow, there is nothing more satisfying than to see a kid admire his trophy and say how it was his first trophy ever.  This year the level of play seemed so high.  I can truly say that for the first time we have really developed a great group of skilled, interested young players who can compete with most anyone in our club. Always in the past there has been some good talent, but this time it was more plentiful with better overall play.

I thought the parents and players all were into it.  Our officials, photographers, and reporters were all into it.  Our host, Portland State University, was into it. The Paddle Palace and STIGA were into it.  I, as director, was into it, and it was great!

How would you like to see the school program evolve?
As the years have gone by, we have tweaked the school programs, some for better and some for worse.  Now we believe what we believed in the beginning:  No matter what tweaks you make, sticking with your program of keeping the schools you have and adding 5-10 every year works.  The size of the leagues grows.  Team competition becomes more interesting for everybody.  Sponsors are easier to find.  The media is more interested. People everywhere know us.  Now we are looking for the logical conclusion to our efforts which is to obtain some major funding, whereupon we can make a pretty good thing great.

What would it take to go national?
With some major grants to take the place of our painstaking volunteerism, we can take the programs national.  Then it takes endorsement of the right people in – and outside the USATT in order to get the ball rolling towards an organized approach to tens of thousands of new young players who become intent on being Top 12 juniors, having to beat out a few thousand competitors to make it there.  We have the written grant plan, now we need the endorsements.