Author: bfekttc

Hi Everyone,

EKTTC Session 4 Tuesday 17th November 2020
– Looking forward to another session with our club players on Tuesday night from 7pm.
– Topic this week will be on Serve and Serve Return and what can we learn from watching video’s of the games involving our top player’s.
– We will send out a Zoom link on Monday.

EKTTC – UWS Student Placement
– Welcome to UWS students Ross and Nathan who have agreed to a placement with our club.
– Ross is studying Sports Development and Nathan, Sports Coaching courses at UWS – they will work with our club coaches to review our club structure.
– The students have committed themselves over the next 4/5 months to assist us as best they can in putting new ideas in place for coming year’s
– At some point in the future we hope they can join us at the club to explain how things are progressing.

Club Fees
– Just a reminder to our club members who are still paying club fees,that we are very grateful that you continue to support the club.
– However we would understand if you stopped paying. At present we have no idea when we are likely to return.

Liam Pitchford British No.1
– Watch Liam in action – some great games and rallies on links below.
– Liam Pitchford v Felipe Olivares Champions League 2019/20
https://youtu.be/kMi9iBcGuIk
– Tomokazu Harimoto v Liam Pitchford 2019 Team World Championships
https://youtu.be/_UFnddVITM4
– Dimitrij Ovtcharov v Liam Pitchford Swedish Open 2018
https://youtu.be/IOtBk9HvIjs
– Sunday Table Tennis Live – good listen as Liam’s explains how he has got to where he is and what he is up to next.
https://youtu.be/ghxDz6BLIq4

Thanks for your support

Peter

In recent years the club has been implementing elements of video analysis into our training and club nights. This started off a few years ago when we were approached by students of the University of the West of Scotland to run a series of video analysis exercises as a project for their studies. This was a mutually beneficial exercise that included our now club captain, Luke Jackson, kindly giving time to be the focus player within the project (pictures above).

Of course performance and video analysis are becoming more and more prominent in professional sport. Unfortunately we do not have the time or resource to provide the same time and dedicated approach as Luke got with the student project, but we have managed to take parts of the process that we feel makes a positive impact to the payers at the club in a manageable fashion.

Key to the process is our goals remain the same. We set drills & exercises and allow players to go and work on them; our coaches will then observe and consider elements of improvement or feedback. If we feel we need a better look, we can then film at that particular moment, or we can film a couple of minutes just to help engage the players in the coaching points. On any given night we can use this often, or not at all, key point is that it is used at coaches’ discretion when it adds value.

From our experience players embrace the opportunity to watch footage back and often identify for themselves areas to work on in their game. Furthermore, simple features such as annotations and slowing footage down can really enhance particular coaching points. We expect the analysis will be used more when we return as we will all be a bit rusty!

At the club, we welcome & support players to identify and work towards their own goals or purpose within the sport. For many this is to develop, compete and become the best player they can. For others it is about playing socially, having fun and making friends. One thing we try and encourage is no matter the goal, we are all committed to creating a positive club environment and ethos.

To bring this idea into something more tangible, we introduced a player of the month award back in 2019. This was off the back of one of our coaching group meetings where we outlined the criteria for the award to be:

• Most improved player
• Results achieved where applicable
• Concentration & Work Rate
• Support for other players development at the club (e.g. providing a feed, leading warm ups, generally leading by example)

Each month we look to award a player of the month, and a young player of the month. To make a decision, each coach would make a nomination based on the criteria, before talking through and deciding on the strongest nomination or on a vote.

Player/young player of the month are awarded a small trophy to keep for the month, as well as a sleeve of balls, with all award winners being noted on club news and social media channels.

We have been really pleased with the range of players who have won the award and the reasons for it. No doubt the first month after we are able to return is going to be extremely well contested!

Good Afternoon,

EKTTC Session 3 Tuesday 3rd November 2020
– Looking forward to another session with our club players tomorrow night from 7pm.
– Topic this week will be on video analysis and what can we learn from watching other players.
– We will send out a Zoom link tomorrow.

EKTTC – UWS Student Placement
– We have submitted an application to support UWS students who are looking to find a placement at a local club to assist with their studies.
– The students are mainly from sports development or sports coaching courses at UWS and will apply to the club to do work with the club over a set time.
– We have received two applications so far and will keep you posted on how things develop over the coming months.

Bizarre Ping Pong Ball World Record
– This guy is nuts !!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=typS7s2Ds48&feature=youtu.be

Thanks for your support

Peter

The EK Shield and EK Open are both annual club competitions that were setup to encourage club players to compete. At the time our junior players had little opportunity to compete and these events enabled the players to do so in familiar surroundings. The EK Shield was exclusive to club members only, while the EK Open – being supported by EK Sports Council – allowed players to compete from schools and clubs in the South Lanarkshire area. Most club players gained confidence from competing in both events which meant they also entered other events out with the club such as WOS Junior/Senior League and throughout Scotland. Recently and in the past, I recall some great matches and big upsets in both singles and doubles events.

Club players gained valuable experience of playing in these matches and, in most cases, improved next time around. Many players acquired new skills in learning to umpire for the first time in a competitive match and gained a better understanding of the rules of the game. While I believe the players enjoyed both events, I think it is also important to recognise that the club coaches and volunteers gave up their free time to organise and support successfully events each year.

Unfortunately we were not able to host either event this year, but we cannot wait to see our defending champions defend their titles next year:

EK Shield 2019 U18 Jack Brown, U13 Diarmid McCreadie.
EK Open 2019  U18 Bobby Gray, U13 Diarmid McCreadie.

Hi everyone,

EKTTC Session 2 Tuesday 20th October – Stephen Gersten QnA
– Delighted with how our QnA went with Stephen Gertsen on Tuesday night.
– Fascinating insight into how Stephen’s career has developed and how he has continued from the age of 8 to love all aspects of the game.
– Next EKTTC Session 3 will be on Tuesday 3rd November 2020.
– Thanks to Chris for his support.

Stephen G in action
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcuOl0xHrgo&t=158s

Committee Meeting
– Thanks to everyone who attended our committee meeting on Thursday night.

Pop in and Play
– Unfortunately the unit allocated for our Pop in and Play in EK town centre has been assigned to a retailer.
– However we’re hopeful we will be allocated a new unit in the near future. We are keen to get this up and running now more than ever 🙂

Best Table Tennis Points Ever (Insane Skills) – Amazing
– When I watched these clips I found myself laughing at the incredible skill level which I agree is insane !!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_66SqLWwpk

Thanks for your support

Peter

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As part of our clubs development plan, under our vision is a purpose to increase table tennis participation at all levels across all demographics of our community. Although the club has a heritage of over 40 years as a local sports club attracting youth players from East Kilbride and the surrounding area, in more recent years we have grown to support new and exciting opportunities throughout the community.

The club works closely with South Lanarkshire Leisure & Culture (SLLC), which as part of this relationship the club has reviewed and updated its structure and has achieved bronze level status within SLLC’s ‘Club SL’ programme. We are also a long time affiliate member of East Kilbride Sports Council, as well as an active member of the local community sport hub.

Through the hub we have delivered sessions at many community events alongside other local clubs. Furthermore we have been part of programmes working with Scottish Sporting memories and mental health referral groups. More recently the sport hub has been helping our plans for pop in play, in addition to supporting the club to identify and engage with new demographics. Over the years we have also been fortunate to develop many school links, with a couple still going strong when things unfortunately had to stop earlier in the year.

The club are very proud to have a long standing relationship with East Kilbride Youth Disability Sport Club, whom we have provided sessions with for many years. These sessions are always great fun and many of our players really enjoy coaching and helping out, giving them highly valuable experiences.

As part of our planning and active committee, we are always looking ahead to new opportunities. Our ambition is still to continue growing and explore satellite avenues across South Lanarkshire where possible, whether this is a new branch of the club or through the pop in & play concept.

Join us again for our second virtual club night where this time we are joined by highly valued and respected friend of the club, Stephen Gertsen.

You may know Stephen for the exceptional sessions he has delivered at the club over the years, but in this session we will learn a lot more about his own playing and coaching journey.

With a vast experience playing in various countries and coaching for various organisations this will no doubt be a highly insightful session with plenty to take away.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98561195682?pwd=Z0VKR1QzZmRnbG5VZno3Y1lVRWRVdz09

Meeting ID: 985 6119 5682
Passcode: 212997

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Luke Jackson has been a member of the club for over six years now and was voted into the role of club captain back in 2018. Luke has progressed and played all the way up to division one of the West of Scotland Junior League and has completed two seasons in our senior league squad. Many club tournament wins at various age groups, in addition to his positive attitude and personality make him a highly respected player and role model within the club. With it being the school holidays we were fortunate to have Luke answer a few burning questions of ours for this week’s blog.

How did you get involved with the club & why?

I first became interested in table tennis while playing it abroad with my family; however I wasn’t good at all. I hated (and still do) hate losing so I was determined to become better than my dad. When I came back home I went to training with my brother who had already been going to the club for a while. From the minute I started I have loved every moment!

What is your favourite thing about Table Tennis?

I love the social aspect of table tennis; everyone gets on with everyone regardless of their ability. You always have a number of people backing your corner during competitive matches as well.

What Junior or Senior League match have you enjoyed the most?

I couldn’t pick one specifically however the entirety of my first senior league was very beneficial as I seemed to learn a lot from older and more experienced players. After my matches my opponents were always willing to help me learn and improve.

Has your involvement in other sports helped with your Table Tennis (& vice versa)?

Yes. After playing football for several years I believe my confidence has risen and I can be very vocal in the table tennis hall. I would also say table tennis has helped me understand that many sports require a lot of strategy and tactics.

As Captain, what advice would you give to younger & newer players at the club?

Perseverance is so important when learning how to play table tennis. You mustn’t give up if you are unable to hit the ball or play a certain shot. Everyone has their own ability so don’t compare yours to everyone else’s. 

What are you most looking forward to getting back to when then club returns?

I can’t wait to see everyone at the club. There are loads of people I only get the chance to see when at training and matches it will be nice to speak to them. I am also eager to get back into senior league although I will need to learn how to play table tennis again it has been that long!

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“A ladder tournament is a form of competition for games and sports. Unlike many tournaments, which usually have an element of elimination, ladder competitions can go on indefinitely. In a ladder competition, players are listed as if on the rungs of a ladder. The objective for a player is to reach the highest rung of the ladder.”

At East Kilbride Table Tennis Club, we have made use of this format to encourage and facilitate competitive play on selected club nights each month. A new ladder is created for each tournament with competitors names drawn at random and placed on the ladder starting positions – this offers the opportunity for less experienced players spend a bit of time further up the board than they would normally be.

Competitors are allowed to challenge anyone above themselves on the ladder and must play everyone on the ladder before challenging the same player a second time. The ladder competition is timed and finishes at an agreed time.

They make for exciting nights and frequently deliver surprises right up to end of the session.