Club of the Month: Lewiston, Maine

In a Northeast corner of New England, about half-way between Boston and Bangor lies a bastion of table tennis enthusiasts. Lewiston, Maine isn’t located near one of our country’s population centers, it isn’t located near an area with a large immigrant population, and it isn’t where one would expect to find a strong table tennis club.

But strong would be an understatement. With the hard work of club leaders Guy Boisse, Rich Shea, Norm Berube, Mike DeBlois, Al Landry and many others, Lewiston has grown to become one of the strongest clubs in New England. They have over 80 annual paying members in their USATT league, a “pro shop” for equipment sales, and a core group of great people.

Lewiston runs a two-star tournament each year and will be adding the Maine State Open this year. The last tournament drew more than 70 players from all over New England and awarded $700 in prize money.

The club generally meets in a large room in the basement of the Lewiston Armory. Tournaments are played on the spacious Armory floor with room for 12 tables, plenty of lower level seating, and even a balcony.

Anyone is welcome to visit, so if you find yourself on the way to Sugarloaf for skiing, or Kennebunkport to enjoy the beaches, plan to stop by Lewiston to visit the club.

Information about the club and league may be found at www.mainetabletennisleague.com