Table tops: Coaches Robert Frank and William Henzell help 15-year-old Nathan Pellissier hone his skills.
JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Junior competition is the lifeblood of any sport club, no matter the code.
Neglecting junior development is akin to a death sentence, as several local clubs have found to their detriment.
It was with this in mind that the progressive committee at Table Tennis Geelong instituted a campaign to win back junior players.
Attracting the number one and four ranked players in Australia to spearhead the campaign wasn’t a bad start.
Australia’s top player, William Henzell, teamed up with his fourth-ranked teammate Robert Frank to create a coaching clinic called TT Edge.
“We were both working full-time and just could not find enough hours in the day to train, let alone pass along any tips to younger players,” William said.
“As we thought about the game and declining numbers of juniors, we saw not only a business opportunity but also a chance to promote and grow the sport.”
William disclosed declining participation in table tennis over the years.
“Kids are attracted by their computer games and iPhones,” he said.
“We wanted to reverse the trend but instead of waiting for them to come to us we knew we had to go out to them.
“This is all about reinvigorating the game. We want to make Geelong the best table tennis club in Australia.”
William said the support from the Table Tennis Geelong committee had been “phenomenal”.
“The facilities here are great, among the best in Australia. This is the right place to create the best club and demonstrate to other regions what can be done.”
Geelong Table Tennis Centre boasts 32 courts with a mixture of international standard tables catering for players of all levels and abilities, including the disabled.
The centre was established on North Geelong junction of Church Street and Ballarat Road in 1977.
The first step for William and Robert was to do the rounds of local primary schools to gauge the level of interest.
“The schools welcomed us with open arms,” William said.
“We put on an exhibition and a few demonstrations and coaching clinics. We want to get kids excited about how fast and explosive the game can be.”
Robert said the key to keeping juniors was to make both the sport and the centre a place where they wanted to “hang out”.
“The aim is to create a social environment. We want to make it the place they hang out where their friends are.”
The pair hopes to eventually launch a table tennis academy in Geelong, building on their junior recruiting campaign.
“Hopefully we can find the junior who goes on to play for Australia at the Olympics,” Robert grinned.
“We want to create the champions of tomorrow.
“When we first started we had no coaching. We would have loved to have had the number one and four players coaching us.”
William recently returned from world championships in Holland where he played both singles and doubles.
More information on the table tennis centre is available by phoning 5278 8451 or visiting
tabletennisgeelong.com.au.
