The Ideal new Club Set Up ?

[Belisar]

This is a bit of a brainstorming thread.

Let's assume you have a hall that is three badminton courts in size. You get funding for 8 tables and some surrounds as well as beginner bats, training balls etc. You also have a few volunteers to help you run the club and access to the hall two nights per week. You also have the chance to hire the hall on a weekend (at additional cost).

What things would you try to do with the club ?

Is a team in the local adult league really necessary ?
Would you run adult only sessions ?
Would you run junior only sessions ?
Would you get a few star names down for publicity and/or junior coaching ?
Do you liaise with the local primary or junior school ?
How do you go about getting more help ?

Basically I am after any thoughts, however weird and wacky on what you would try to do with your ideal club.

We can discuss the merits of the ideas but for anyone visiting this web site plus those of us who have an involvement with a club I want the benefit of your ideas and experience.

[Moggy]

This is just the thing I started in the Ipswich area last September mainly to increase the number of players / teams in the local league.

So what follows is non wacky:thtease:



We had a new sports hall built with 4 badminton courts and decided to see if there was any interest locally. By advertising in the local mags etc from July - Sept I had about twenty phone calls, and managed to obtain (borrow etc) 4 tables on two courts.

First night was busy with 30 players on those four table for two hours. Support from the league allowed us to purchase another 4 tables, and attendance has been consistent between 20 and 35 players (with the exception of Xmas and Easter).

We started off just looking for adults, but around Xmas there was a demand from juniors, and since the New Year I've been running coaching in parallel for the first hour.

As a result of the interest we have two new teams entering this season in the league, although they are playing for other clubs since the sports hall colour scheme is not too brilliant for TT.

The two hour session is aimed at non league players, adults who perhaps haven't picked a bat up before or haven't done so for a number of years.

The club provides 'club' bats but also some higher quality bats+rubber for those who have the capability.

The club aims to provide a fun TT session, and I often encourage players to play against those they wouldn't normally play against (to stop it getting clicky).

HTH, Moggy

[Annie]

What a great success story Moggy. I really like the part about having sessions for adults how maybe have never played but would like to have a go and get fit at the same time.

P.S. Get those walls painted!

[Moggy]

P.S. Get those walls painted!

I WISH!

When I spoke to the hall committee I was told it was to some 'Sport England'? standard. So we have to use orange balls. Even the badminton players have to play with some of the lights off as they lose the shuttle ****s in the lights because they are so bright!

[Annie]

I WISH!

When I spoke to the hall committee I was told it was to some 'Sport England'? standard. So we have to use orange balls. Even the badminton players have to play with some of the lights off as they lose the shuttle ****s in the lights because they are so bright!

Obviously the Hall Committee don't play sport just politics! :resent:

[Spinmaster]

This is a bit of a brainstorming thread.

Let's assume you have a hall that is three badminton courts in size. You get funding for 8 tables and some surrounds as well as beginner bats, training balls etc. You also have a few volunteers to help you run the club and access to the hall two nights per week. You also have the chance to hire the hall on a weekend (at additional cost).

What things would you try to do with the club ?

Is a team in the local adult league really necessary ?
Would you run adult only sessions ?
Would you run junior only sessions ?
Would you get a few star names down for publicity and/or junior coaching ?
Do you liaise with the local primary or junior school ?
How do you go about getting more help ?

Basically I am after any thoughts, however weird and wacky on what you would try to do with your ideal club.

We can discuss the merits of the ideas but for anyone visiting this web site plus those of us who have an involvement with a club I want the benefit of your ideas and experience.


Great thread plus Moggy has done a great job with the setting up of the new Club. Surely this is something that can be done Nationwide or even Worldwide (if this isnt done already) the "clicky" aspect tends to be standard relative with the key being a wide range of standards and levels meaning all players benefit from every other players involvement.

I have played in various Clubs with to many youngsters playing solely amongst themselves with very few "top" players giving their time to the young players. I do understand time is limited but we all should give more to the new players if the sport is to move forward?

[MK Chris]

At Milton Keynes, we are at an advantage over probably most venues because our table tennis centre isn't used for anything else.. we run league (or summer league) on three evenings a week, with any tables not being used available for hire; junior night on one night; open sessions on two evenings and a few mornings for the older folks who have retired and then another one on Saturday mornings. We get Des down probably once every four to six weeks.

What tends to work well with the juniors is buying a load of Coke, etc, from Costco or somewhere (it's dirt cheap if you work it out per can) and give a can away to each junior attending at some point in the evening. It helps keep them coming back.

We take old bats / rubbers from the more advanced players who change their rubbers every couple of months and make up bats to give away to the kids as well, rather than telling parents they need to go out and buy one.

[Guy]

If I were given the opportunity to start my own club to promote my product the following is my idea but can certainly be used in your situation.

Table 1 would be set up with a robot in which members can reserve for a 30 minute session. The player could have a coach for that time and it would be up to the coach to negotiate his fee for that scheduled time.

Table 2 would be a time reserved table for those players that would like to get a continuous 40 minutes of play.

Tables 1 and 2 are tables that players would pay an additional fee for the convenience of use of table 1 with the robot and the ability of getting on a table at a set time. If the players want to be special then they will have to pay to be spacial.

Tables 3-8 will be part of the regular club fees. Table 3 will be a challenge table. this table will let players advance no more then two positions per challenge. this would be a good way to keep tract of how well a player is advancing and a way to segregate the top players from the beginners.

Table 4 would be a king of the hill table. the winner will remain on the table until they lose or surrender the table to two new players.

Tables 5-8 will be open play tables. The players can decide if 1 or 2 of the remaining tables will be used for double.

Every member would be supplied a card that would be place on an open play table to indicate who and which table they are challenging. The winner may stay on the table for 2 matches and after a player has won 2 matches 2 new players will take the table. The card would help to keep order so that players can not jump in front of other players that have been waiting to play.

As far as getting the facility for weekend use, maybe the additions fees raised from tables 1(not including the coaching fees) & 2 will provide a little extra revenue to put to the weekend rental fee.

I think that table 3, the challenge table would be the a key element to attracting new players. this would allow the beginners to compete against others at their own skill level and advance to the top as they get better and not get totally crushed by an experienced player. The Idea is to get new players interested and involved and not discouraged to the point they will not come back.

Sorry I didn't answer any of you questions but this is the weird or wacky idea I would start my club with if I were in a position to start one.

[Hovis Bread Eater]

One thing everyone has forgotten. Try and be self funding, Be the centre of the community and a place where people go and meet and also play table tennis. You need a bar/social side. Look at golf clubs and tennis clubs most have bars where people meet after the sporting activities.

I once played a competition in Belguim and then went to holland and germany to see friends, no intention of playing table tennis after the Belguim competition, but driving to Holland in the town of my friends, we drove past a sign for table tennis club, we popped in to see if we could practice there, there was about 10 people in the bar area, socialising of all ages who used it as recreation to keep fit and meet friends, The club had 10/12 tables in the hall and was all full with kids playing.

You have to think table tennis is for all and make it the centre of the area.

[HarryBelafonte]

most sensible thing you ve ever said mr hovis....especially regarding the bar......:fcb::fcb::fcb::fcb::fcb::fcb::fcb::fcb:

[Robstar]

Totally agree look at Ashford and Barnet but the secret behind these clubs is the extensive work done by the backroom boys I have spoke to ron/chris at both these venues and they are surprised nowt doing up north A guy from p/boro used to coach at a centre and provide fun sessions 4 mothers and provided a creche I know cost can be the major factor but for example springs and david lloyd tennis in this area in the past have tried table tennis tasters to no avail ita a case of will local players pay no matter what area they live in some people r contend to spend £3 a night regardless of the conditions and sometimes that includes their beer money

[Loopy]

One thing everyone has forgotten. Try and be self funding, Be the centre of the community and a place where people go and meet and also play table tennis. You need a bar/social side. Look at golf clubs and tennis clubs most have bars where people meet after the sporting activities.

I once played a competition in Belguim and then went to holland and germany to see friends, no intention of playing table tennis after the Belguim competition, but driving to Holland in the town of my friends, we drove past a sign for table tennis club, we popped in to see if we could practice there, there was about 10 people in the bar area, socialising of all ages who used it as recreation to keep fit and meet friends, The club had 10/12 tables in the hall and was all full with kids playing.

You have to think table tennis is for all and make it the centre of the area.


The idea by Hovis is exactly right, with centers made accessible to all people in all areas you then have numbers which mean the ones who maybe drop out still leave larger numbers behind to progress through the ranks. Self funding is a big issue aswell with Clubs hunting sponsorship, the problem sometimes is the people to do the donkey work because most are just content in picking the bag up and playing Table Tennis which i fine but doesnt develop the sport in any area let alone specific areas.

Pretty much every player if they are honest could do more for the sport in relation to developing it.

For example how many times have you coached young players instead of having a knock amongst yourselves?

How many times have you helped at meetings for administration and running ?

How many times do you have input into positive development in your area instead of moaning about how poor it is?

Just some but there are many ways to do your bit or something to assist your Club / League and other issues to develop.

[Annie]

You have to think table tennis is for all and make it the centre of the area.

Totally agree. Most people are happy to kick a football around in a park and this is probably why the sport is the best promoted in the country. If Table Tennis was more open to people who just want to keep fit I think we would see a tremendous turnaround. At the moment I feel the focus seems to be more on being part of a team and playing in leagues/tournaments. It's quite snobish really.

Another point I would like to make is with climate change the way it seems to be, an indoor sport like Table Tennis has surely got to be on the up?

I don't actively play Table Tennis I have to say and haven't done so for a number of years but I'm going to conduct an experiment and see if I can find somewhere locally to play for fitness alone.

Watch this space! :static:

[Annie]

Well What can I say! I have just phoned up a local club where my Father and Brother used to play. Well a guy called Harry who trains the youngsters was very nice. I explained that I haven't played for many, many years but want to get fit and lose some weight and he was very enthusiastic, even said he tutors fitness regimes if I was interested.

Anyway I've got to run out and buy a bat now cos guess what?....................I'm playing next Wednesday! :woho:

I can't tell you how excited I am about this! :static:


OMG! OMG! OMG! :Ahhh:

Well there you have it! Don't be scared because if I can do it anyone can :thumbsup:

(beats jogging on the streets I have to say)

[TheMoose]

This is the story that we hear a lot of where i live with many players returning after long periods away from the sport. The fitness side of Table Tennis is not focused upon enough with if i remember correctly more calories being burned off playing Table Tennis than any other sport in the same time frame.

Well done hope you play well.

[Annie]

Well you can just imagine my reservations but I want to give it a go and will let you all know how I get on :covereyes: