NEWSLETTER - February 2015
Club Sessions
We are regularly getting over 35 players attending both the Friday and Saturday sessions at Teign School, many thanks for your continued support. With usually 2 or 3 matches also taking place on a Friday night in both the Dance studio and the main Hall there is a really good buzz around the Club. Welcome to several new faces in the New Year and we hope you will continue to enjoy your table tennis and stay with us. Those that have regularly attended our sessions have improved tremendously over 2014 and should be able to go on and have success in the local leagues in seasons to come.
As a reminder to all: our Club Sessions run from 7.00 – 10.00 every Friday night and 9.00 – 12.00 every Saturday morning throughout the year. When you pay for a session (after your first free trial session) you automatically become a ‘member’ of the Club, there is no fee. You just pay a session fee of £2.50 students and £3.50 adults with reductions for families. Coaching is available, although limited on Friday nights during the season.
South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League
At the halfway stage of the season there are some creditable performances to report: In the top Division N A Batmen are 3rd behind the excellent Brixham Sharks & Torbay Academy I sides; N A Buzzards are currently 6th but could go 4th behind Batmen with a good win in their game in hand. Kelvin Cheung is 3rd in the averages, only beaten once. N A Eagles are unbeaten in the 2nd Division just one point behind leaders Taverners, with Jim McIvor top of the 2nd Division averages. Similarly N A Falcons are 2nd in the 4th Division just one point behind leaders Torbay Academy IV. Dan Webster-Hall tops the averages and remains unbeaten for the Hawks.
The cup competitions have seen some good wins by Newton Abbot sides; Falcons, Buzzards & Hawks.
Please could all team captains and players note that postponement of matches must be a last resort, as it is exceptionally difficult to reschedule within the time scales permitted by the league. Reserves should be used where possible so please help out if asked to play.
Teign School Champions
Congratulations to nine Newton Abbot TTC players who represented Teign School in the recent South Devon Schools Table Tennis Tournament held at Teignmouth Community College. Both the Key Stage 3 & Key Stage 4 teams completely dominated the tournament, winning all of their matches. Best of luck to the Key Stage 3 team who will go on and represent the area at the Devon Schools Championships in March.
Key Stage 3 Team – Josh Abrahams, Alex Walmsley, Sam Hiles & Adam Sercombe
Key Stage 4 Team – Luke Robins, Andrei Constantin, Joe Strickland, Travis Graham, Lewis Short.
Newton Abbot TTC Junior ‘CLUBMARK’ Challenge Cup
A year on from being awarded ‘CLUBMARK’ status we are holding our 2nd ‘CLUBMARK’ Challenge Junior Tournament on Friday 20th March. This will be a Singles event open to all juniors and will feature the main cup competition for the winners and runners-up of each group and a Shield competition for the other competitors, ensuring lots of table tennis for all. Competitors need to be ready to start matches by 7.15.
Junior Umpire Awards
Table Tennis England have an award for junior umpires which several of our juniors undertook and passed 12 months ago. With many new faces at the Club we would like to offer the chance for them to obtain this award. It involves a short, multiple choice test paper and a practical assessment of the individual umpiring a couple of matches. This is carried out during the normal club sessions at Teign by the Club’s coaches, and successful umpires receive a Table Tennis England Junior Umpire Certificate. This award is designed to improve knowledge and test basic practical skills in the umpiring of table tennis. Please speak to any of the Club’s coaches if you would like to have a go.
South Devon & Torbay Closed Championships
Early notice for the Annual Championships which will take place at Torbay Leisure Centre on Sunday 19th April 2015. Make a note in your diary! We would like to see a good contingent of players from the club taking part in this event which is organised by Nick Halse. There are competitions for age groups and Divisions as well as the major events where you can get a chance to play against the top local players.
Give it a go, for free
Come and join us, we are particularly keen to encourage beginners, females and those just wishing to get more active, at our Saturday morning sessions from 9.00 – 12.00. See who you can bring along! Remember your first trial session is free.
Website
The website is constantly updated with useful information: team details, fixture lists, contact details and newsletters, together with all the club’s policies, codes of conduct etc. If you have anything that you would like to see added to the website or any ideas for improving it, then please speak to me, Tony Halse, or send an email.
A link to this newsletter is sent to all those players who have attended our practice sessions at Teign School in the last few months. If you do not wish to be included on my circulation list please let me know. tonyhalse@hotmail.com
Coaches Development
Nick Halse is in the middle of a Table Tennis England Coaching Course, so be prepared for new drills!! Dennis Gibbs has just attended a ‘Time to listen Workshop’ to further develop his skills as our Welfare Officer and Lead Coach. As a ‘CLUBMARK’ accredited club all our coaches are DBS checked & have undertaken Child Welfare and First Aid courses.
Pink Pong
Look out for this charity event being staged at Torbay Academy in the Spring. No date has been agreed yet for this fun day of coaching, competition etc all in aid of Cancer charity. Check out the website below if you are interested in what will be a really good day of table tennis.
South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League’s Website
Keep an eye on all things table tennis locally by logging on to the League’s website at: www.tabletennis365.com/southdevon
