By Andy Kanengiser
NCTTA Media Chair
Located 75 miles south of San Francisco's cable cars, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk features a cool roller coaster, lots of skateboarders, wonderful shops and a fantastic coastal view.
The beautiful city touching the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay is also home to the University of California-Santa Cruz.
UC-Santa Cruz is growing research institution with some students showing a real passion for the Olympic sport of table tennis.
Coming mainly from the California Bay area and Los Angeles, ten UC Santa Cruz students bring a good deal of experience to the school's table tennis team.
Chances look good they will join the NCTTA and compete with other college teams this fall. At least that's the hope of UC Santa Cruz team president Zihua "James" Huang, along with vice presidents Cheuk Fung Lau and Sage Lysobey, treasurer Dennis Lee and other leaders.
The goals of the UC Santa Cruz team are pretty simple as NCTTA action returns on campuses in late August and early September.
"I hope my team's table tennis skills can be improved by playing with other colleges," Huang says. UC Santa Cruz is situated in a heavily populated state with powerhouse table tennis teams like the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Southern California and UCLA.
With the Santa Cruz team seeking to step up its game, there are other benefits to playing the fast-paced sport. "We can make friends and have fun," Huang said.
UC Santa Cruz is one of ten campuses in the California system.
Other schools may join the NCTTA in the months ahead. Staffed by volunteers, the organization presently oversees table tennis competition involving more than 150 colleges across the USA and Canada.
Another school eyeing NCTTA competition isn't very far from Gulf Coast beaches. Located in Mobile, the University of South Alabama plays in the Sun Belt Conference when it comes to sports like football. The Jaguars competed in the 2014 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.
If they join NCTTA ranks, the USA Jaguars would compete in the Dixie Division. The Dixie group includes 2015 coed team champion Mississippi College, as well as squads like Mississippi State, Southern Miss, West Florida, Alabama-Birmingham, Alabama-Huntsville and Tulane.
At least two schools in the Keystone State may sign up for NCTTA competition this fall. The newcomers that may sign up include the University of Pittsburgh and Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. "Every year we are delighted to welcome new colleges and universities into our ranks," NCTTA President Willy Leparulo says.
"As summer approaches, we would be happy to walk you through the process and tell you about the benefits of joining our expanding table tennis family," Leparulo says. "What is exciting to us is to see schools that make dramatic improvements during their first season."
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