Table Tennis England The Winning Edge Issue 5 | Page 7

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tennis, including socialising and
helping mental and physical
well-being. It’s a massive area of
revenue for the centre here too.’
Clubs can use examples like
Keighley, where a grant has been
turned into a hugely active club
with strong league sides and a
massive pool of social players, when
they apply for grants of their own.
The numbers and lounge revenue
mean, like in Cheltenham, they
are now self-sufficient, as well as
playing a major role in keeping
people healthy.
Importance of the coach
Ultimately, Davidson argues his
region was just waiting for someone
who could commit to growing the
sessions. ‘That person could be
any table tennis coach with good
communication skills.’
Then once people start coming
through the door, introduce them
and get them interacting. ‘The more
you rotate people the more they
get to know everyone and then you
slowly build the social aspect at the
sessions, thus becoming a united
little team,’ Davidson added.
‘Everyone generally still wants to
learn and this is no exception as
you get older. Having a regular

coach on hand to guide players
and teach them is a real advantage.
Not everyone wants a detailed
lesson over a full hour, but a quick
knockabout and 15 minutes’
coaching will see them through for
the rest of the session as they try
and practise that.’
Echoing Davidson’s point that older
players are less likely to want a
detailed, technique-based lesson,
Ainley explained that his method of
teaching focuses on small aspects
of the student’s game.
‘With seniors I always kick off by
saying “I’m not going to turn you
into a world-beater, but I can help
make you better at the things
you’re already good at.”
‘The biggest thing for me is
footwork and service. If your
mobility isn’t so good, work on your
serve so you can win points early
doors. With older players, they’ve
already got into bad habits that are
hard to fix, so by all means tinker,
but you can’t expect to solve them
quickly,’ Ainley advised.
‘Older players tend to have lower
confidence so the head game is
important. For example, if I’ve
got someone who’s got their first
league game coming up I’d tell

them to relax, enjoy it and just
look forward to getting a couple
of points on the board. Eventually,
the more they play, those points
will turn into games and then into
matches.
‘Building a good working
relationship with them is important
and you realise what a big impact
table tennis is having. Some of
them have been on their own
for long periods, so to get them
out and doing something is an
achievement. Instead of them only
going out to the pub to socialise we
can get them out and active.’
Davidson is also clear that getting
older people involved in your club
isn’t just about increasing numbers
or revenue, it’s about helping table
tennis make a difference in their
lives.
‘Once you’ve got them into
the club, those players that are
established build their regular
weekly activity around the sessions.
We all like a routine at some point
and getting active is on everyone’s
list somewhere. Make the sessions
enjoyable and affordable and it
becomes a vital part of a healthy
weekly routine.’

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