Table Tennis England The Winning Edge Issue 5 | Page 15

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Schools in the Plymouth area have long had table tennis
as an option on the curriculum and the Devon Schools
competition there currently boasts 244 active players.
Plymouth Table Tennis Partnership (PTTP) Chairman
Graham Pearson explained that they are now looking
at spreading the game beyond the current core group
of secondary schools. ‘Talent identification has recently
been centred on work in primary schools with the
support of the PTTP,’ Pearson said.
‘We have also worked with a number of secondary
schools to set up satellite clubs and these have offered
themselves as hosts to their local primary feeder
schools as well as providing after–school opportunities
for their own students.’
Notre Dame Sixth Form College have similarly made a
success out of the creation of a satellite club, following
on from hosting a Teachers Award and an Introduction
to Coaching Award for some Sport BTEC students. That
gave the staff the confidence and skills needed to form
the club, while introducing the game to students who
could use it as part of their development.
‘The BTEC students really grew in confidence,’ PE teacher
Jill Camm commented. ‘They went off and coached at
primary schools on the back of it. That experience, on top
of the course, was of incalculable value. For some it was
the first qualification they’ve had!’

The idea of having linked, or satellite, clubs has been
a national focus and something that Leeds Ping!
Activator Peter Thompson has been taking higher up
the education chain. He has recently been working with
two of the Leeds universities to get PGCE students
involved in table tennis coaching.
‘We need to get people starting the sport early on, get
it into schools through proper coaches,’ Thompson said.
‘We’ve got a satellite club at Leeds Trinity, funded by
Leeds United FC, which can target younger people. We
need to keep looking at how to improve these courses,
how to communicate with young people in the best
way. That’s how we can really grow our sport.’
Taking table tennis into your local schools?
Here are some coaching tips for when you arrive:
• Get all the children involved by playing group
games like relays or run-around.
• Keep the drills simple, like balancing a ball on the
bat while performing other tasks.
• If the school is short on tables, try ‘King of
the table,’ where everyone gets one point to
challenge the reigning ‘king’.
• Ask the children to find school items to us as
target practice!

WE

CUPS, GRIDS AND STRING
With school children, don’t restrict yourself to traditional drills.
Raine’s Foundation School Head Coach Maria Ingles demonstrates
the innovative work they do at their after-school sessions.