By Andy Kanengiser

NCTTA Media Chair

People who think there’s nothing much to do besides play table tennis in Greensboro are badly mistaken.

Clearly, there’s loads of stuff to do for the NCTTA family away from the table tennis championships in that wonderful North Carolina city April 12-14.

Where to begin? Greensboro boasts at least 135 major attractions. While the table tennis games are being played on Friday, the evening time will feature a concert by country star Kenny Chesney. It’s practically next-door to the table tennis venue. The American singer-songwriter from East Tennessee is famous for hits like “When the Sun Goes Down’’ and “The Good Stuff.’’

Ok, if country music isn’t your thing, the World Championships of Irish Dancing is kicking up a storm down the street. The lively event at the Sheraton is happening the same time as 275 of North America’s best collegiate table tennis players invade Greensboro along with coaches, volunteers and fans.

If you crave other things to do, the best bet is to find out what you’re missing in Greensboro. The Greensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau invites visitors to download their handy city guide.

It tells folks tons of information about fun things to do. Want to escape the table tennis world for an hour or two? Check out the Greensboro Science Center. It’s jam-packed with a beautiful aquarium, museum and zoo. Take the kids! But grownups will enjoy the experience, too.

Hill Carrow of Sports & Properties, Inc. of Cary, N.C. is one of the people who worked hard to bring the NCTTA’s biggest tournament of the year to Greensboro.

It was  natural for Greensboro to be selected by the NCTTA board of directors. After all, Greensboro hosted the Team USA Olympic Trials for table tennis at fantastic facilities a few years ago. Some of the premier U.S. collegians booked at the NCTTA tournament for 2019 are delighted to return to the same fabulous venue they experienced in 2016.

Amy Scott, head of marketing for the Greensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau, is delighted to see hundreds of top table tennis players in her favorite city. It’s always great to host a national tournament in Greensboro, Scott says. She’s got plenty of advice at her fingertips about Greensboro, a thriving city some call Tournament Town.

“She will be glad to clue you in on the many things to do in and around Greensboro,’’ Carrow said.

But with at least 135 attractions to showcase in Greensboro, it is doubtful anybody in the NCTTA family can get to see them all (or even half) in a few days.

Perhaps, it is best to just start by enjoying a delicious North Carolina barbecue sandwich. Located off I-85, Greensboro sits 92 miles away from Charlotte or a drive of 1 hour and 27 minutes. By car, Greensboro is about 53 minutes away from Durham, home of Duke University. Duke Blue Devils players are regulars at NCTTA national championships each year.

For the all-volunteer NCTTA community, it marks their first national championship in North Carolina. In recent years, the huge collegiate tournaments have been held in Wisconsin, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. “We are eagerly looking forward to our first visit to Greensboro,’’ says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo. “We love what we are hearing about this vibrant city in North Carolina.’’

The NCTTA championships in 2020 will return to Round Rock, Texas for the third time. Round Rockers hosted the event last in 2018 and for the first time in 2016. The city, dubbed the Sports Capital of Texas, is located near booming Austin in the Lone Star State.

For more information on the NCTTA championships in Greensboro, N.C. April 12-14, go to the website nctta.org Located near the Greensboro Coliseum, the Greensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau can be reached at 1-336-274-2282.

The 2019 iSET College Table Tennis Championships is hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and Sports & Properties Inc. and Greensboro CVB and is one of the premier table tennis tournaments in North America featuring 6 events: Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, and Men’s/Coed Teams, Women’s Teams.  The event is sponsored by iSET, Double Happiness, SPI, Greensboro CVB, Double Fish and USA Table Tennis

Players and spectators alike will enjoy a jam-packed weekend of table tennis at the iSET College Table Tennis Championships. The event starts Friday April 12th and continues through Sunday April 14th. 

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively for promoting the sport of table tennis at the college level. As the national governing body for college table tennis in the United States and Canada, NCTTA organizes intercollegiate competition throughout North America. www.nctta.org

About USA Table Tennis

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, USATT is the national organizing body for table tennis in the United States, serving 9,000+ members and nearly 300 clubs. USATT sanctions 200+ events a year including the US Open and US Nationals. USATT is affiliated with the International