Although NCTTA’s mission is to promote table tennis in the collegiate demographic, the organization recognizes that in order to do this, there must be a “pipeline” from earlier schooling to university education. So when an inter-organizational opportunity such as a feature matchup between a university (Harvard of NCTTA) and a high school (Lexington of AYTTO) arises, we are all for the great friendly competition and networking that comes from this!

AYTTO New England Coordinator Jasper Wong remarked that this excellent chance to see some great matches might have stemmed from interactions at the Asian American Day Festival (Click Here: https://newengland.aytto.org/aytto-pongspace-at-asian-american-day-festi... to see event writeup) in Boston Common on September 7th.

“I think the idea started to form when Andrea Tang (1st year Wellesley College) and Kelly Yenn (1st year Harvard U) dropped by the AYTTO/NCTTA/PongSpace booth at Asian American Day Festival held on Boston Common back in early September,” Wong stated. “We also had some AYTTO students at the booth.”

Wong further mentioned what was discussed amongst the organizations during that event pertaining to potential college students and college application advice:

“One topic of conversation was related to college application guidance for high school students who are in to ping pong (AYTTO) and would like to continue their TT career/hobby when they go to college. In fact, Andrea Tang from Wellesley College is working on an article with a similar topic in mind (she started it when she was in her senior year in high school as an AYTTO blogger). We see a lot of potential synergy between the two entities (AYTTO and NCTTA) and there’s an obvious progression path for AYTTO students to move on becoming NCTTA students when they enter colleges.”

After the seeds were planted, Wong said it was only fitting to have Harvard University and Lexington High School participate in a friendly match, representing NCTTA and AYTTO respectively to further these educational and table tennis bonds.

Wong noted that after chatting with NCTTA President Willy Leparulo, that both organizations could benefit in promoting their organizations to other schools through this friendly competition.

The matchup is taking place during PongSpace’s George Braithwaite Major League Table Tennis championship on Saturday November 9, 2024 at SPIN Boston (Click Here: https://newengland.aytto.org/1st-ever-nctta-vs-aytto-matchup/ for event details).

Go check it out if you’re in the area!

The World University Games are governed by FISU, which is the International University Sports Federation and luckily table tennis has been a sport in what can best be described as an Olympic games for University athletes!

NCTTA has been organizing and managing the USA Collegiate Team since 2006 when it was in Maribor, Slovenia. NCTTA is once again organizing the tryouts and team as well as the team leader and coach selection for these games.

(WUG 2019 Team Pic featured here)

Charles Deng, who played for Brown University, attended the 2019 World University Table Tennis Championships that took place in Naples, Italy. Deng competed previously for TEAM USA as a member of the Cadet and Junior teams, but the World University Games was a very different experience!

Deng says, "the set-up as an Olympic-lite experience; I've never participated in the Olympics, but the city of Naples really leaned into its role as a host - from the time I landed and arrived at the airport you could see giant banners/commercials for the World University Games, shops were selling WUG merchandise, etc. The opening ceremony and walking through the tunnel into the Naples stadium with the rest of the American athletes was a key memory, and we also got ten Team USA pins to trade with athletes from other countries which I'll keep for the rest of my life."

It was one of those experiences that one would describe as once in a lifetime. Deng says "I would absolutely go to the WUG again if given a chance! It was expensive, but one of those things you only get one opportunity to participate in."

To those interested, NCTTA is hosting the tryouts in Rockford, Illinois at the 2025 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships April 3rd!

See here the team that represented USA in 2019!

2019 (Napoli, Italy)

Men:
Charles Deng, Brown
Anthony Chu, UC San Diego
Kunal Chodri, UC Davis

Women:
Isabel Chu, UCLA
Lucy Ma, Stanford
Joy Li, UT Austin

NCTTA’s National Table Tennis Scholarship Program has been developed to give deserving table tennis athletes the opportunity for financial support while pursuing a college education.

With the original generous support from NEWGY Industries and the current fabulous support from The HSING FAMILY FOUNDATION, NCTTA is able to award a limited number of scholarships to male and female student-athletes, based on the criteria described on this site.

Recipients are expected to practice with and compete for their school’s table tennis team in NCTTA competition as a varsity or junior varsity player.

The scholarship winners for the 2024-2025 school year are Alexa Vertsberger, Kai Zarehbin, Sean Chen, Ethan Ku, Ved Sheth, and Nick Kozenieski!

Follow this link for more information: http://www.nctta.org/scholarship/

NCTTA is looking for any alumni help and assistance or any inkind donation on specific areas like Transportation logistics. Specifically we are talking about our championship equipment being moved from one city to another.

Contact Willy Leparulo at willy.leparulo@nctta.org for more information!

#shipping #delivery #control #loader #warehouse

By Michael Reff
NCTTA Press Committee

It’s smiles all around as table tennis equipment powerhouse Paddle Palace signs a partnership deal with NCTTA! In exchange for their high-quality equipment and table tennis supplies, NCTTA will be promoting Paddle Palace within our monthly newsletter.

Here are some of the quotes from the important players involved in getting the contract signed.

Ryan Hoarfrost, President of Paddle Palace:
"We are thrilled to partner with the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association to elevate the game at the collegiate level. Our commitment is to provide the best equipment, like the world-renowned Nittaku balls, ensuring that every player has the tools they need to succeed. Together, we’re not just growing the game; we’re setting a new standard of excellence for the next generation of champions."

Sean O’Neill, OLY
Paddle Palace Media and Sponsorships:
"This partnership with the NCTTA is a perfect match for our mission to support and enhance the collegiate table tennis experience. By supplying the highest-quality Nittaku balls, we’re investing in the future of the sport, making sure that every collegiate athlete competes with the very best. Our collaboration with NCTTA is all about serving the players and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in table tennis."

NCTTA President Willy Leparulo could barely contain his enthusiasm about this latest sponsorship breakthrough:
“We in NCTTA are excited to partner with one of the premier table tennis companies in North America. Looking forward to moving the respective table tennis needle forward!"

Here’s to a bright future with Paddle Palace paving the partnership path!

By Shaquila Sarapao, Press Committee

In the archaic days of NCTTA, the tech committee had only fire. But with that fire, they created shadows to dance amongst their caves that had wandered out into the wonders of the world. Out there, they found calamity and chaos.

That is when they sought for order.

In the past, NCTTA used to have independent school membership registration applications where they had to send emails and write on paper. Over time and especially after the Covid pandemic, Tae Kim, the Chair of the Tech Committee, had an idea. With the help of Willy Leparulo and James Wang, Kim created and bought the domain nctta.app.

The original purpose of the app was to help schools register where you can add and edit players as well as update ratings.

Now, after months of hard work, the nctta.app has improved to be more efficient, user-friendly, and intuitive.

For the user, due to the change of framework, EVERY USER, including staff, will have to reset/renew their password by using the “Forgot Password” feature.

The app will be released on September 4th!

Let the fire burn bright.

Be “in the know” with new 2024-2025 NCTTA Regulations*

Every year, NCTTA updates its rules and regulations. Whether you are a coach or current player it is a good idea that you are familiar with any changes.
Registration starts Wednesday September 4th, so we hope you all are ready!

Here are the highlights:

· NCTTA fees went up. This is not a surprise as the fees were advertised last semester. Click here for updated fees: http://nctta.org/content/fee-schedule

· NCTTA added rules about Medical Hardship waivers. As NCTTA VP Joe Wells says, this addition “could lead to a number of student athletes who have encountered some difficult circumstances that would not allow them to compete for an extended period of time, the opportunity to put time back on their competitive clock. We strive to grow as an organization, and one of the ways we do that is to try and make our competitive rules to align with similar sporting organizations.”

Click Here: http://nctta.org/doc/2024-2025%20Rules%20and%20Regulations.pdf and scroll down to 2.12 on page 7 to read the full waiver.

NCTTA Eligibility form is also a general photo/video release. All NCTTA players (A, B, C, etc. and singles) must sign this. Eligibility will still only be counted for Singles, Women and A team however.

· Clarified how to be eligible for the postseason.

In addition, the NCTTA Eligibility Form which must be done by every school 72 hours before your first tournament is here (Fall 2024 Eligibility Form) Click Here: http://nctta.org/doc/Fall%202024%20Eligibility%20form.pdf

By Michael Reff
Press Committee Chair

I had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew Pougher of the Parkinson’s Wellness Initiative, who volunteered at the NCTTA champs in Eau Claire as well as purchased tables from NCTTA after the tourney for his organization.

1. Please describe the history of your initiative. When and how did table tennis first get introduced to you personally as well as your foundation?

The Parkinson's Wellness Initiative was formed to serve people in the WI area who have Parkinson Disease (PD) and wish to pursue exercise as part of their ongoing care and rehabilitation. My father has Parkinson’s so I researched study programs (such as that done by Ken-ichi Inoue, MD, of Fukuoka University in Fukuoka, Japan) that had been proven to make an impact on a persons ability to improve their hand /eye coordination, dexterity and therefore assist with basics functions like getting out of bed, posture, dressing oneself, getting up the stairs, thus generally building up confidence.

So I set about creating a custom program, building upon the research findings for Table Tennis that would be accessible in the Eau Claire and surrounding areas. I called it 'Healthy Eau Claire’, table tennis for Parkinson’s. The program combines a mix of drills and workouts, warmups and appropriate skill sets that are tailored to PD while bringing all the fun of the game to the fore.

Finding like minded people who are on the same mission to support the PD community meant opening up a variety of sports, reaching as many folks as possible. Allowing for collaboration with other programs such as boxing which paved the way to establish our 501c3 organization called Parkinson's Wellness Initiative (PWI). The programs preceded the formation of the charity last year but as a not for profit we are able to unify, raise funds and awareness while being 'under one roof' with a common goal.

Table tennis has been a love of mine since schools days back in England. From playing and teaching in clinics at a young age to playing in tournaments. Albeit my career took me into other fields, I have returned to this wonderful sport from a very personal perspective while applying my vocational skills to this program now in terms of data analysis, program building, coaching and creating a solid foundation to allow members to map their progress. Working with people and helping folks with needs is the most rewarding work one can do. PWI is a great vehicle to allow support and information to the PD community while raising awareness to the benefits of playing table tennis.

2. Please tell me how you first caught wind of the nctta tables being sold after post champs and how they have been affecting your foundation.

As a NCTTA supporter and volunteer worker at the UWEC this year and indeed a member of the local TT club, I became aware that the championship tables would be available for purchase after the event. As a charity, we are reliant on donations, affordable equipment and collaborative help. These tables are a huge benefit as they are utilized in a few locations to allow members to play, train and enjoy games on a quality piece of equipment. They are simple to port within a building and to store away. The Healthy Eau Claire Table Tennis group is currently made up of 18 registrants with PD, a mix who attend classes twice a week at a local center in EC. We are looking to expand into other locations and facilities so as to ease accessibility to as many as possible. These tables are a great asset and we are grateful to the NCTTA for making them available to our organization at a good price.

3. I heard you had some great volunteers come to the champs. Describe what you and others from your foundation liked most about the setup of champs. What were some memorable moments for you all?

The event proved that the TT community in EC is strong and that with supporters of such events like this, we can come together to provide resources, help with the behind-the-scenes setups while getting the privilege to see some top class players in a sport we all love. Such as the finals between Sheth and Kumar, both from California. Makes us all want to play more and brush up on our skills! We came together at the event to coordinate setup and seemed to make it a well oiled machine. Thanks to Willy Leparulo and the team. The TT player is a unique breed of sportsman who is often a details person, enjoys the technicality of the sport and the competition. No doubt this will encourage future events and familiar faces willing to keep this momentum.

4. I know I’ve heard about the neurological benefits of table tennis. Would you like to take this time to talk about how you and your foundation have benefited from this great sport?

It’s now become better understood in the wider community that table tennis has a positive impact on people with Parkinson’s and indeed many with a range of neurodegenerative conditions. From the aforementioned study in Japan to the one that HealthyEauClaire is running right here in EC. Outside the physical benefits of a table tennis/ cardio workout are the social aspects too. We have become more like a supportive family now with a common cause. This sport is great fun, shared experiences at different levels with laughter, tears and joy. We get to give back and offer a very beneficial program that holds true to its claims. I don't regret a moment, having segued into the field of applied sports for community need as I see the impact this superb sport has on the PD community. I hope the message can reach far and we are able to sustain the PWI programs via our charity, putting table tennis on everyone’s radar as a sport for all ages, ability and indeed to improve brain health.

Andrew has kindly allowed us to publish his website and email for those interested:

Parkinsons Wellness Initiative
info@parkinsonswellnessinitiative.org
parkinsonswellnessinitiative.org
healthyeauclaire.com

NCTTA's Photo/Video Release form here!

Now when student-athletes sign the NCTTA eligibility form this will be addressed there!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TQEJVCRytUlt8X6NrHDqpBbZg4nh6SJzldOk...

By Shaquila Sarapao, Press Committee
and
James Liao, Alumni Committee

The Alumni Committee has some exciting news: we will be hosting our first ever NCTTA Career Panel this summer!

After graduation or leading up to it, the future can be intimidating and stressful. Thoughts of "What’s next?" and "What do I do now?" fill your brain.

But fear not, the career panel is here to answer your questions. Whether it is about seeking future internships, full time jobs, or even applying to grad schools, this is an opportunity for you to get some valuable insights from alumni in the NCTTA family, and build up your future networks!

The panel will occur on Aug 21, 7:30pm ET, with a Google Meet link in the reservation form below:

https://forms.gle/4WVqjZAkpnTYdqdk6