January 16, 2018

Tip of the Week
Best Way to Learn – Watch, Mimic, Practice.

Board Teleconference – Executive Session
Last night we had a USATT Teleconference from 7PM to 8:40PM. Unfortunately, most of the meeting was in executive session, where we discussed confidential matters (personnel, legal, and/or certain financial issues). So I'm limited in what I can talk about.

We did come out of executive session to approve the 2018 USATT budget. It should be published on the USATT site sometime soon. We went over this previously, and went over it again during the teleconference. We also went over the dates of the USA Nationals this summer in Las Vegas – and the official dates should come out very soon. (There were scheduling complications in regard to the World Veterans Championships, June 18-24, also in Las Vegas, which I may blog about later.)

I've been pretty busy with USATT meetings recently. In December we had two days of meetings at the U.S. Open, plus the USATT Assembly. I flew out to Colorado Springs for a meeting on USATT Coaching Education and Certification on Monday, Jan. 8. There was the teleconference last night. And next Monday I'm on another teleconference regarding USOC online coaching resources that we may use or adapt. Mondays are becoming USATT Mondays.

USATT CEO Gordon Kaye returned Sunday from Vacation in Hawaii. Yes, he was there during the mistaken reporting of an incoming missile strike, and for 40 minutes or so thought his life was in danger!!!

Shoulder Injury
I was out for a month with a shoulder injury. I was having shoulder problems all through November and December, and at the U.S. Open in December I injured it pretty badly. I was forced to cancel all private coaching until this past Saturday, when I started up again. The shoulder is perhaps 80% healed, but I have a feeling this is one of those injuries that won't completely go away for a long time. I'm doing various exercises with a long rubber band.

I do have another injury. On Thursday last week, while getting the newspaper outside (yes, I still get one), while reaching down for it I released the screen door, which slammed into my heel, tearing an injury four inches long. It was pretty bad, and I really should have gone to the hospital. Instead, I cleaned it with soap and Neosporin, bandaged it up, and I've been limping ever since. But it doesn't really affect my table tennis, though it does hurt some moving as it puts pressure on the scab. It didn't get infected, and it's healing up.

The No. 1 Brain Sport
Here's the article by Mark Dekeyser in The Active Senior's Digest. "How do we stay mentally sharp as we age? Some try computer programs such as Lumosity (www.lumosity.com) or Fitbrains (www.fitbrains.com), others may prefer puzzles such as Sudoku and crosswords. We may be surprised to learn that physical activity is also good for our brains. Any type of physical activity can be valuable. The top physical activity for the brain is table tennis, say some experts."

2018 Team World Cup – China Team
Here's the article and pictures from EmRatThich.

How China Develops Their Players
Here's the video (1:57).

Training With Ma Long and Lin Gaoyuan at World Cup 2017
Here's the video (18:42) by Arnaud Scheen.

Sharon Alguetti (USA) vs. Artur Abusev (RUS) 2017 WJTTC
Here's the video (6:21).

The Future is…Ping-Pong? Omron Shows Off Incredible Table Tennis Robot
Here's the article and video (1:46). "Amid the buzz of drones, companion bots, and self-balancing rideable, an unlikely star shined on the first day of CES: ping-pong. Omron offered an incredible demonstration of its massive ‘Forpheus’ robot, which uses artificial intelligence to help improve your pong skills and set up the perfect volley."

Navin Kumar at Parkinson Association of Southwest Florida
Here's the video (6:01) of his motivational speech on Jan. 9 in Naples, FL at the Live Laugh and Learn Symposium for PASFI. (Here's a shorter 24-sec video of him bouncing a ball as he speaks.) The "Bionic Man," Navin Kumar has Parkinson’s and is a survivor of five open heart surgeries with mechanical heart, pacemaker and other artificial components.

Estee Ackerman to Appear on PIX 11 News
Here's video (9:20) of her playing with reporter Mr. "G" (Irv Gifoksky) in West Hempstead, NY. Estee won four gold medals at the recent U.S. Open in December. The story will come out in a few weeks.

History of USATT – Volume XX – Chapter 11
Here’s chapter 11 of Tim Boggan’s latest volume, which covers 1991-1992. Or you can buy it and previous volumes at www.timboggantabletennis.com.

Shot of the Day - Nandan Naresh
Here's video (11 sec) as Nandan pulls off a lunging, spinning backhand chop block that double bounces. Opponent is older brother Sid.

Ma Long in Smart Phone Commercial
Here's the video (30 sec).

Pongfinity – "Spin Serves" Episode 11
Here's the video (4:54). "In this episode Emil tries to flip a bottle with a ping pong shot, spin a coin with a ping pong serve, do various table tennis spin serves and eat a whole meal while keeping the ball in the air with his paddle."

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