NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2023
Welcome to the latest Newsletter earlier than usual as there is a lot going on!
CRAIG BRYANT COACHING SESSION – Saturday 9th September 2023
Former England National Player/Coach Craig Bryant (UKCC Level 4) will be visiting the club to run a coaching session on Saturday 9th September at Teign School, 9:00-12:00. This session will replace our normal Saturday morning club session. This event, which is kindly being sponsored by Bob Parkins, PSP Group Insurance & Financial Solutions, will be free of charge. There will however be a maximum number of participants so if you want to be involved you MUST book your place with me. It will be on a first come first served basis so respond now to not miss out on this excellent coaching experience.
Craig Bryant coaching session
NEWTON ABBOT TABLE TENNIS CLUB KIT
An exciting new partnership has been formed with local sportswear company VX3 who supplied the excellent match shirts for the PARKHOUSE Pairs. Check out our club shop on the VX3 website where you can purchase all manner of items direct from VX3. Nick, from VX3, will be present at our Craig Bryant Coaching Session with a selection of kit from the club shop so you can see the quality and try on different sizes, prior to ordering your personalised kit for the new season.
https://vx-3.com/collections/newton-abbot-table-tennis
SOUTH DEVON AND TORBAY TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE.
We are again hoping to enter 14 teams in the local league although there are still a good number of you yet to sign up. Please do so ASAP as teams need to be finalised in the next couple of weeks.
Division One – Should be home to five Newton Abbot teams this time out. The Batmen, Buzzards, Eagles and Condors will hopefully be joined by a young Parrots team.
Division Two - Our Raptors will be joined by a new look Falcons team and hopefully a strengthened Kestrels side
Division Three – The Hawks and the Harriers are currently our only two sides in the third division, but with several 3rdDivision standard players out there at our sessions I’m hoping they will form a new Owls team.
Division Four – We are a little short of players to make up four teams currently so I’m keen to encourage a few of our Saturday morning folk to give it a go. The Merlins, Ospreys and Vultures should all be ok to field teams and hopefully we will get one or two more of you to help make up a Kites team as well.
We expect the South Devon League season to commence on Monday 2nd October.
Best of luck to all the teams and hope you have an enjoyable and competitive season.
BRITISH LEAGUE
Kevin Nicholls again leads a team of top local players representing Newton Abbot TTC in the Senior British League, National C (5). Kevin is joined by Mike Hugh, Simon James, Rhys Lush, Wim Faassen, Mark Burridge & Naomi Jackson.
We also have a team representing Newton Abbot TTC in the Veterans British League (Men) Division 2 (Group 2) – Kevin Nicholls is again joined by Mike Hugh and Simon James with Kevin Taylor also signed up for the vetts team.
CLUB COMPETITIONS 2023 – Free to enter for all regular attendees of our club sessions – normal session fee applies
ALBANY FLORISTS CUP – Friday 15th Sept
A change of format this season as playing over several weeks proved difficult in September for many of you. This will be a handicap event restricted to Division 3 & 4 standard players as well as any social players who want to give it a go. It will be played off in groups on one night, Friday 15th Sept. Registration for the competition will be on the night between 6:15-6:40 with a 6:45 start.
DON BLATCHFORD CUP – Saturday 16th Sept
Our Junior competition for the Don Blatchford Cup and the consolation CLUBMARK plate will take place on Saturday 16th Sept commencing at 9:40. Registration on the day at 9:30.
SINGLES SHIELD – Friday 22nd Sept (and Friday 29th Sept if required)
Open to all, this is our main club singles competition. Registration on the night from 6:15-6:40 with a prompt 6:45 start. Depending on numbers this competition may run on to the following week.
Last Season’s Singles Shield Winner – Dennis Gibbs
PARKHOUSE PAIRS 2023
Congratulations to Brixham Sharks who despite losing their first match went on to be undefeated throughout the rest of the tournament to lift the PARKHOUSE cup, getting revenge in the final over the only team to beat them, Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty. Another excellent competition in which 17 teams took part, 56 players were involved who all wore their own team shirts thanks to sponsorship from Tim Shears (Black & White Asset Finance) and Jo Eckersley (Spotty Dog Digital marketing). Many thanks to Fred Wakefield from PARKHOUSE Furniture Restoration for supplying the trophies and presenting the awards to the winners and runners up.
PARKHOUSE PAIRS – Clive Banham, Chris Harper (Brixham Sharks) Fred Wakefield (PARKHOUSE sponsor) Ben Hoare, Rhys Lush (Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty)
SOUTH DEVON & TORBAY TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE - Early season tournament
Sunday 12th November 2023 at the Torbay Leisure Centre, Clennon Valley, Paignton.
Although taking place in Torbay the tournament is run by Newton Abbot’s Tony & Sonja, who can supply you with further details and entry forms.
Four events take place during the day which commences at 9 o’clock:
Handicap Singles for the Collins Cup
Handicap Doubles (partners assigned based on handicaps)
Excell hard bat challenge (21 up, with hard bats supplied)
Family doubles (parent or grandparent with child under 18)
A fun day with lots of games guaranteed. It would be great to have a good contingent of Newton Abbot TTC players taking part.
Early Season Tournament 2022 – Torbay Leisure Centre
BECOME A NEWTON ABBOT TTC TABLE TENNIS ENGLAND LEVEL ONE SESSION COACH
We are offering you the chance to become a qualified coach and assist us with taking the club forward by giving some of your time to coaching at our club sessions. The Table Tennis England Level One Session coach course is run by our National Governing body and costs £190. The Club is happy to pay for the course for anyone who is willing to help during our club sessions. If there are a few of you willing to give it a go we will try and get a course set up locally.
CLUB SESSIONS DURING THE LEAGUE SEASON
Our Friday night club session is slightly different during the league season as all our Friday league matches take place in the Sports Hall where we are hiring the whole hall.
It is expected that the top 3 league matches will take place behind the curtain at the entrance end of the hall while the remaining 1 or 2 matches will take place at the far end of the hall behind the curtain. Only when matches are rearranged should it be necessary to use the centre part of the hall where up to 10 tables will be available for our normal club session.
Saturdays will not be affected at all during the league season.
Please note that the Match Room is still being used on Tuesday nights during the league season and there will be several dates where there is space for you to play re-arranged or cup matches. You must book the space with Tony.
TABLE TENNIS EQUIPMENT
Remember that some savings can be made on purchasing blades, rubbers, bats and any other specialist TT equipment by buying from Bribar through the club. Let me know of anything you want. I can also make up bats and replace worn out rubbers for you, all usually within a week.
NON-LEAGUE PLAYERS
While a great deal of this newsletter is focused on the new season and league players I would like to assure all those not playing in the League this coming season that the club remains just as committed to you. Providing opportunities for anyone to play and improve is just as important to this club and if you have any suggestions on improving club nights for those not in the league please let us know.
NA BUZZARDS
The Buzzards have been fairly busy during the summer break from competitive TT. The skipper has hosted a couple of nights at her pad, we have watched Arrival (Abba Tribute) in Taunton and had an interesting encounter with Freddie & the Queen experience at the Palace Theatre, Paignton. More recently we had an excellent meal at the Manor Inn, Ashton, to celebrate my birthday. Our pre- season tour next month takes us to the Greek Island of Zante. I doubt whether we will encounter any TT tables, but I can assure you I will make sure the senior members of our team will be in the best possible shape for the coming season (I wont be!!)
Freddie & the Queen Experience
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
