March 31, 2015

Table Tennis Birthday Parties

One of the things we do at Maryland Table Tennis Centers is table tennis birthday parties. I've run dozens of them over the years. We had one this past Sunday for Ryan Lee, one of our up-and-coming players - he just turned eight, and is already racing around looping like a maniac. Here's a picture from the party, and here's another. There were just over 20 kids this time, all about Ryan's age. Past ones have ranged from this age group up to teenagers.

The typical party starts out with a demo, which usually includes an exhibition. Then we give a short clinic on the basic forehand, backhand, and serve, usually taking the players up two at a time for about five shots each. Then we go to games. The most popular is the cup game, where I ask if the kids like to build things; they say yes. I ask if they like to destroy things; I get an emphatic yes. So explain how there's nothing better than where you get to build and destroy! Then I have them build pyramids, walls, or forts on the table with paper cups, and then they line up as I feed multiball and they knock them down. Here's a picture of this from a previous party. (We start with a lot more cups than this, but at this point they've knocked most of them off.)

We often finish with the bottle game, where if they hit a bottle I put on the table that's full of squeezed worm juice, I have to drink it. For the younger kids, who rarely can hit the bottle, I'll put two or even three bottles together on the table to give them a bigger target.

Then we go to free play and let them hit and play games on their own. Adults always want structure and rules; the kids have less interest than that, and like to just hit on their own. I sometimes join in and hit with them, or give demos of table tennis tricks, such as balancing the ball in the air by blowing on it, doing the 50-foot-serve trick, and serving with heavy backspin so the ball comes back into the net or bounces over it. I try to convince them it's magic while they argue that I'm only blowing on the ball or using spin.

Calling the Police

Yesterday, shortly before I was to leave to go coach at the club, I got a call from Raghu Nadmichettu, one of our top players and part-time coaches. When I answered on my cell phone, all I could hear were the sounds of someone crying and screaming. I kept saying, "Hello?", but there was no answer, just crying and screaming. After about 20 seconds we were disconnected. So I called back to see what was going on, and nobody answered; it went to voice mail. I left a message, and then called back again, but still no answer.

At this point I was pretty worried - what was happening? I finally decided I had no choice, and called 9-1-1 for I think the first time in my life. I explained the situation, assuming they could track Raghu by his cell phone, but they said they couldn't do that, and asked for an address. I didn't have it, but said I could get it, and that I'd check it out myself. So I called USATT, got Raghu's address, and drove over. (I've picked him up before and know where he lives, but didn't know the actual address or what apartment number he lived in.) When I got there, I listened at the door, and believe it or not, I could hear the same crying and screaming! I debated whether to call the police, since I had no idea what I'd find inside, and it sounded pretty scary. I finally worked up the nerve and knocked. Raghu answered, had no idea what all this was about. We finally figured out he must have accidentally dialed my number, and the crying and screaming I heard was coming from the movie they were watching on TV!

I jumped in my car and raced to the club, making it there two minutes before I was scheduled to coach - I have a reputation to maintain. See next segment!

Timeliness and Table Tennis

In 23 years at MDTTC and about 25,000 hours of coaching (about half group sessions), I've never been late to a single group session, and only twice (once every 11.5 years) have I been late to a private coaching session. (Once due to a scheduling mix-up, the other a traffic jam.) I'm kind of proud of this record, and still rue those two incidents that spoiled an otherwise perfect record. I always plan on getting to the club about 15 minutes before I'm scheduled.

Butterfly Tips

Butterfly is now using some of my Tips. Here's one they just put up, "Develop the Five Types of Rallying Shots." What are the five? Click and find out!

Expect the Unexpected

Here's the ITTF article, reposted by Butterfly.

Ask the Coach

Episode #106 (22:30) - Forehand Finish Position (and other segments)

Coaching Two Players at a Time

Here's video (31 sec) of a great way to work with two players at a time - one doing multiball, the other standing behind and shadowing the player. (There'll be at least one more player, doing ball pickup!)

What It Takes to be Great at Something

Here's the article by Ben Larcombe.

Ben Nisbet Interview

Here's the interview by USATT of the chair of the USATT junior advisory committee, co-founder and director of the American Youth Table Tennis Organization (AYTTO), and former Executive Director of USATT (circa 1999-2000). He's also the one I hit 2755 backhands in a row with (to his lefty forehands), at a Seemiller camp in 1978, when I was 18 and he was about 16. My arm still hurts just thinking about that.

Classroom Pictures from Richard McAfee's ITTF Course in India

Here are the pictures - click on them to see more. The ones at the start are all classroom shots, later they get to pictures at the tables. The courses are roughly 50-50 between classroom and at the table.

Chinese Team Focusing on English

Here's the article - I can't wait to star chitchatting with them!

Xu Xin vs. Jun Mizutani Point

Here's video (30 sec) of a great point from the 2015 Asian Cup.

Backhand Looping Around the Net Practice

Here's 12 seconds of what should be central anyone's training regimen.

Crazy Doubles Pong

Here's the cartoon!

Skeleton Pong

Here's 26 seconds of a skeleton (really!) dancing to music while others play table tennis! Notice the great focus of the two players as they keep their concentration and completely ignore the distracting dancing bones.

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