USATT LEAGUE of the Month - July/August 2004

NJTTC Youth League

By Thomas An

Writer/player Thomas An, recently ranked #10 in the U.S. in under 13.

With a long-standing tradition for excellent junior players, it’s no surprise that the New Jersey Table Tennis Club (NJTTC) was one of the first clubs to join the USATT league by forming the NJTTC Youth League in the early fall of 2003. This league, directed by Sheila Finkelstein, Zhiqiang An, and Anne Mary Fang, now includes over 40 members with ratings ranging from 300 to 2100 and ages from 8 to 15. The league holds three "seasons" each year – Fall, Winter, and Spring. With each season almost all of the participants increase in level and sportsmanship.

The NJTTC Youth League was organized to provide a relaxed, enjoyable environment for practicing table tennis and gaining experience in matches. Players are grouped into round robins according to their levels so that games are more interesting and exciting for the players. Also, as the players improve, they have a chance to advance to a more challenging round robin group. Along with the other USATT leagues, a player’s progress can be charted on the USATT league link off the USATT website.

Currently, the league meets once a week on Saturdays from 4:00-6:00 PM. The two hours are dedicated to round robin play within one’s own group. Matches can be 2 out of 3, or 3 out of 5, depending on the number of people that turn up. The league is open to anyone under the age of 18.

New Jersey junior star Da Tang, #1 in U.S. in Under 10.

Juniors are the very heart of the future of table tennis, as they will be the ones playing the sport in the years to come. Although training with my excellent coach, David Zhuang, increases my playing level and knowledge of the sport, outside training is also required to maintain that level of play. The NJTTC Youth League provides an accommodating, pressure-free time for the juniors to practice what the coaches have taught us, while having fun! As an active member of the NJTTC Youth League, I am fortunate enough to experience first-hand the benefit that is received by my fellow junior league members. With other leagues and training programs like this across the country, juniors will be able to give a brighter future for the sport of table tennis.

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