Players and coaches representing Dorset/Hampshire based Table Tennis club New Milton have called for more to be done to attract young people into the sport of Table Tennis.
The club have started group coaching evenings on Wednesdays, providing a fun and engaging opportunity for young participants to develop and get into the sport of table tennis.
Chairman of New Milton Table Tennis club, Brian Vibery, who has played in Dorset mainly throughout his playing career, said how the amount of juniors/young people representing the club has drastically fallen.
This is due to a lack of funding and support.
Funding has been taken away from Table Tennis, especially in the Dorset area.
Vibery said: “15 years ago we had 20 juniors representing the club, now we haven’t got any representing our teams in the league.”
Table Tennis England have stated they do not have the funding to help clubs grow their numbers of young participants.
This is down to high cost of venue hire and equipment such as buying tables.
Matthew Daish, professional Table Tennis player who represented England at Youth level, is one of the few people leading these coaching sessions.
Daish highlights how younger people playing the sport from a young age at school is incredibly important in getting people into the sport.
Daish said: “A lot of schools I have been contacting do not even have a table for people to play on.”
“It’s quite sad because Table Tennis can be so beneficial for young people; physically, mentally and for a social aspect.”
He also said: “If they aren’t introduced to it from a young age, they may never get the chance to even play it, so how would they know it’s a sport they enjoy?”
Speaking to other coach Andrew Stainton, he also emphasised how partnering with schools, such as putting on after school clubs for Table Tennis, could positively impact participation.
Stainton said: “The only way young people are going to be introduced to the sport is if they are taught it/play it at an early age.”
“It’s crucial that the sport funds more into not only facilities, but also by promoting the sport better on social media – as that’s where people see things in today’s world.”
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