Another semester has now ended and the only thing standing between us and summer is our final exams, but we cannot forget about our Club Sport of the Month. University Recreation would like to highlight the Table Tennis Club as Club Sport of the Month for April.
Marlene Wong, Competitive Sports Coordinator, had nothing but great things to say about the team:
“Table Tennis has been really successful competitively this season. They won the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship hosted at Virginia Tech this past February, which qualified them for Nationals in Monroeville, Pennsylvania for the first time in several years. Five Table Tennis Club members competed for the national title the first weekend in April. Additionally, they have improved organizationally this year and have big plans for the upcoming season.”
President Scott James, took the time to answer some questions about the Club Table Tennis team.
University Recreation: When was the Table Tennis team established?
Table Tennis: The club has been around since at least the ’90s.
UREC: When does your season start, and how long does your season last?
TT: Our season starts the first week in September. We continue practicing until the end of April, though our tournament season ends in early April.
UREC: What upcoming competitions are you preparing for?
TT: Our season is now over, but we just participated in the national championships at the beginning of April.
UREC: Does your team have any recent achievements that you are especially proud of?
TT: Yes, this season we were Carolina Division Champions, Mid-Atlantic Regional Champions, and placed 11th at the National Champions.
UREC: What is a tradition your team has?
TT: Our team is very diverse, so on trips to out of town tournaments, we often talk about cultural differences among our team players. For instance, this year our traveling team consisted of players from the United States, China, France, and India. Aside from table tennis, being part of our club is also a great multicultural experience.
UREC: What is your favorite thing about playing and being a part of a Club Sports team at N.C. State?
TT: Being able to meet new people from various parts of the world, and to compete in a sport I enjoy without the time commitment of a varsity sport.
UREC: How often do you practice? What is your typical practice like?
TT: We practice twice a week. A typical practice for many of our players simply involves getting together and playing games. For our more competitive players, a typical practice involves a 15 to 20 minute warm-up, footwork drills, and practice on serves and serve returns.
UREC: What is it like to travel around and compete against different schools?
TT: It is great, we all enjoy getting to see different campuses and meeting players from different schools.
UREC: What is your best memory about Club Sports?
TT: Going to nationals this past season was awesome. We placed 11th in the nation and were able to play with and meet some of the best players in the country, including US women’s Olympian Ariel Hsing of Princeton!
UREC: What if someone is interested in the Table Tennis Club? How can they find out more information? Are there tryouts?
TT: Interested students can contact us using our club email account to learn more information. Interested students are usually given 3 practices to decide if they would like to join. There are no tryouts to be in the club, but we do hold tryouts for the tournament team when necessary.
University Recreation is extremely proud of all of the accomplishments the Club Table Tennis team as had this year. We want to wish you the best with all of your matches and tournaments in the upcoming semester.
Forever backin’ the pack,
Morgan
University Recreation Howler 