Club Spotlight: ICC Table Tennis Club

India Community Center, Milpitas, CA

At last count California had over 44 USATT registered table tennis clubs covering the length and breadth of the state. Most of these clubs have been, and continue to be, strong advocates for the sport’s growth and development. In 2005, the ICC Table Tennis Club, located in Milpitas, California, was like many other California clubs with strong community of enthusiasts and a few regular students.

Enter Rajul Sheth (a former international level Indian player) who took over the club in 2005. Under the leadership of Sheth, the ICC junior program has grown to 70 regular students under the age of 12. They now have 13 dedicated instructors to train the kids, including former Alympian Michelle Do and 2007 US Team member Misha Kazantsev.

The philosophy of the ICC junior program is simple, all of us work hard to make sure the kids have good time playing table tennis. That is our first objective. Up until the time they demonstrate a desire to get serious we just play games and have fun. When they want coaching we are ready for them. ICC’s training program is also little different then other clubs. The time and days for kids in training program is different according to level. In each batch there are 12 to 15 kids with at least 5 to 6 coaches. The guaranteed ratio of coaches to students is 1:3.

The club also conducts full day summer camps. In 2007, more than 120 kids took part in the 2-week programs in June, July, and August. For these camps, the ICC added Stellan Bengtsson, Chen Longcan, Angie Begtsson, and Chetan Baboor as special coaches.

Juniors at the ICC club can also compete in a USATT singles league every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. With 60 players competing in 14 different groups on 14 tables, this is one of the largest leagues in the country.

ICC’s unique training program, regular tournaments, a strong league and special camps has helped many juniors to steadily improve. At the 2007 Junior Olympics held in Knoxville, TN, the ICC team won 27 medals including 17 Gold Medals. Ten ICC juniors now have sponsorships from Paddle Palace and Juic.

Rajul Sheth’s plans for 2008 include helping to start other clubs in the Bay area, coordinating exchange trips to and from India, and creating an after-school program.

The ICC Table Tennis Club strives to be a stellar example of how creative individuals working together with a supportive organization can expand the popularity of table tennis in the community. The ICC club works to provide creative programs to attract new players while serving their existing enthusiasts. ICC’s range of Table Tennis programs, coaching options and open play hours are available on www.indiacc.org