Club Spotlight: Club JOOLA

By Richard Bowling

“Have paddle, will travel” is my motto. And over the past several years I’ve played in numerous table tennis clubs along the east coast. In my experience, table tennis clubs generally fall into one of two categories — shared space in a public facility, where tables are stored, and there’s club access only a few times a week; and then there are full time clubs, usually operating in industrial, or sketchy parts of town.....and often in the basements or upper floors thereof.

So it came as a refreshing surprise to walk into Club JOOLA Rockville - located in a small, neighborhood, shopping center - which has the look and feel of a modern-day health club.... matching polo shirts of the employees, a bar code scan-in for it’s members, and a well-stocked pro shop in the entrance/lobby area.

A quick walk from the lobby into the playing area reveals eight top-of-the-line JOOLA tables positioned on red Gerflor flooring (used in the Olympics). Plus there’s a table dedicated for robot training, and another for serves or multiball training - all under great lighting, and adequate space.

But beyond the surfacy stuff, there’s a solid foundation, which could make Club JOOLA one of the best table tennis clubs in the US. For starters - ooddles of top players, open daily, structured programs, reasonable rates, private coaching, a friendly staff, and professional management.
Club JOOLA is owned by Richard Lee, a dominant force on the US table tennis scene for the past 10 years— President of North American Table Tennis and a national distributor for JOOLA table tennis products. Second in command is the club’s director, Larry Hodges, who brings a wealth of experience to the table as a coach, player, and organizer.

Club JOOLA opened it’s doors to the public in December 2007, in the heart of a US table tennis Mecca — Maryland! Maryland has a number of top junior, and adult players as evidenced by the strength of it’s weekly elite league which has a dozen or more players rated between 2100 and 2500.

During the month of December, everyone played for free, as a promotion for the club; and there was a Grand Opening on December 8, 2008 with 150 people in attendance - complete with an exhibition, facilities tour, and the usual party favors. By early January, the first official month, there were already 50 members, a Washington Post article, and a live TV showing on Fox TV.

In addition to “open play”, which is the main course at many US clubs, Club JOOLA offers a number of structured programs to add value to the member experience - from traditional group training sessions, to off-table fitness. Additionally, there are three leagues: one for intermediate players, one for advanced players, and one for all levels. There are also beginner classes, junior programs, and monthly tournaments with $1,000 in cash prizes. Also, this summer, world class players Chen Weixing and Jorg Rosskopf will conduct training camps.

In the past two months, I’ve practiced at Club JOOLA almost daily, and I’ve been very pleased with all areas of this club - hardware, and software. I’ve witnessed players of all levels, and demographic backgrounds, coming together under one roof to enjoy a great sport. I believe that Club JOOLA has raised the standard in what people will want in a US table tennis club.
To learn more, visit them on the web at www.ClubJOOLA.com