NCTTA Newsletter - December 2010

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NCTTA Newsletter
December 2010

Happy holidays from NCTTA!

We've got a break in the college table tennis season for the winter holidays, and in this month's newsletter we bring you the remaining fall division results from around the country, profiles of some new college teams, and some fun college table tennis videos. Plus NCTTA is looking to fill some key committee slots, so get involved to help grow college table tennis!

Read on for all this and more ...

Fun Videos from the World of College Table Tennis

Check out the Texas Wesleyan table tennis team, putting on an exhibition halftime show at a Dallas Mavericks basketball game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsoCOUVa2yg

And here's a cool promotional video done by Jack McCarthy of Cal State Fullerton, with footage from the Southern California division competition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuVm_bskMXM

For all the latest college table tennis updates, follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/collegett

NCTTA Looking to Fill Key Committee Slots

The NCTTA is conducting a star search across the USA and Canada. During the holiday season and into the new year, we are seeking talented men and women with a passion for collegiate table tennis who want to do more for their favorite sport!

We are sounding the trumpets and making a pitch to table tennis lovers to serve on our key NCTTA committees. Do you like to pen stories about collegiate table tennis? There's a slot for you on the media relations committee. Are you interested in developing the NCTTA's web site? We want creative folks out there to sit on the web development committee. Do you want to get women more involved in table tennis? We want you to go to work on the women's committee. You get the idea.

There are other panels with important functions to make the NCTTA stronger. These panels will help us do a better job serving our players, coaches, fans and others at colleges across America and into Canada.

Other committees with slots to be filled include:

marketing
alumni development
coaching
eligibility
disabled athletes
audit/rules
recruiting

This would be a terrific way to meet some of the coolest people on the planet. Besides that stuff, it would look good on your resume in the midst of a bad economy. And it's a tremendous way to build your leadership skills in the wonderful world of collegiate table tennis.

The NCTTA recently polled its committee leaders and they decided it would be an excellent idea to reach out and attract new members as we enter a new year, said NCTTA President Willy Leparulo. “We welcome your input. Don't sit on the sidelines! Come join us and promote collegiate table tennis at its very best!”

So sit down, drink a cup of coffee, do a little soul searching and give us a shot. We know you won't regret becoming part of our leadership team. Send us a brief statement about yourself, which committee you’re interested in, and why you want to help. Send the information to info@nctta.org by January 10, 2011.

Ottawa Team Rules in Eastern Canada

Ottawa, Canada is a breeding ground for some of the greatest collegiate table tennis players in North America. The city of 900,000 is best known as Canada’s capital city, but the home of the University of Ottawa is quickly gaining a reputation for excellence in college table tennis.

Ottawa team There’s good reason for all this. After all, the city is the headquarters of the Canadian Table Tennis National Training Center. That’s the place where stars of Canada’s national table tennis team polish their skills and get ready for Olympic competition every four years. In a city where the average winter temperature is 14 degrees (Fahrenheit), table tennis is a terrific indoor sport on or off campus.

When it comes to table tennis, the University of Ottawa team is the dominating force in an Eastern Canada division that includes the University of Toronto, Waterloo, Western, McGill, York and McMaster. Toronto is their toughest foe at the moment.

“We are confident we can beat any team that comes our way,” says Xian Meng “Sam” Huang, the president of the University of Ottawa Table Tennis Club.

NCTTA Seeks 2012 Championships Site

The 2011 College Table Tennis Championships is fast approaching in April with Rochester, Minnesota to host the games. But, at the same time at NCTTA headquarters, we're making plans to book the 2012 games.

The deadline is just around the corner - January 31st, 2011, to be exact for cities across the USA to put in their bids. Once the bids come in, we will ask NCTTA leaders to take a look at the proposals, and weigh everything from the venue sites to hotels to transportation. We will look over details about lighting, flooring for the games and what facility will be home base for our fantastic Saturday evening awards banquet. Trust us. The food and fellowship is always good! We seek the input from players, and other NCTTA supporters before we select a site for the 2012 games.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin hosted the 2010 championships and after a number of twists and turns and roadblocks along the way, we selected Rochester, home of the famed Mayo Clinic, as host of the games in April 2011. The event should attract more than 30 college teams bringing 250 college athletes, plus lots of fans, coaches and others who love collegiate table tennis.

For cities interested in bidding:
1. First read the 2012 Championships Bidding Guidelines
2. Submit a completed 2012 Championships Bid Application
Deadline is January 31, 2011.

Miami of Ohio Launches Table Tennis Team

Let’s face it; the Miami of Ohio football team gets tons of media coverage. After all, the RedHawks are the 2010 Mid-American Conference champs in the Eastern Division.

At the same time, Miami’s collegiate table tennis is a new and growing sport at the 16,000-student Ohio school. In fact, the team was founded last year and played in its first NCTTA competition in Akron on December 4th.

Although it may not get quite as much media attention as other sports on campus, the table tennis team is starting to get noticed around the Midwest. Miami’s team was founded by Brett Passen, David Wang, Matthew Brower and Trent Infield, all freshmen, in 2009-2010.

There was a reason the Miami students got busy, formed a club and joined NCTTA ranks. “We all loved the sport and saw room for a club on campus,” says Passen, the team’s leader. “We gained status as an organization last year, and this year gained status as a full club sport.”

Last year, three Miami players qualified for the singles competition at College Table Tennis Championships near Milwaukee. That was another big step forward. In 2010-2011, the team continues to make progress. “We have lots of new players – watch out for Kendall McQuay and Yuan Sun!” Brett says. “We are looking forward to a good year.”

With NCAA sports in the Mid-American Conference, others competing in the Collegiate Hockey Association, and still more under the U.S. Figure Skating Association umbrella, there’s plenty to do when it comes to sports on the Miami of Ohio campus. Now add table tennis to the mix of collegiate teams.

At NCTTA headquarters, we are delighted to welcome Miami of Ohio to our growing list of more than 150 collegiate table tennis teams across the United States and Canada!

Governors State Strong in Upper Midwest Division

Hosting the Upper Midwest regional tourney for the first time, Governors State University’s table tennis team really shined and sits in 1st place in a talented NCTTA division.

When all was said and done, Governors State defeated 5th-ranked Wisconsin, its toughest challenger, in a tight battle decided by doubles.

With a lineup of six college teams, the November 20 tournament on the University Park campus in metropolitan Chicago worked in so many ways. The opening ceremony was terrific with all the teams introduced to the crowd.

Governors State University President Dr. Elaine P. Maimon and other school officials welcomed the visiting players, who were all treated to a free buffet lunch and a nice towel to take home.