Watfordttblog

Maria Ingles - New coaching co-ordinator for the Eastern region!

Our very own Maria Ingles who is playing div 3 in the Watford Table Tennis league has been appointed as the new Coaching Co-Ordinator for the Eastern Region. Maria's son Jordon is one of our very promising young players also making his name in the Watford League! Below the email from the ETTA and the duties that cover the role that Maria has now taken on.

I'm sure we would all like to congratulate Maria on her new position and wish her all the success in helping Table tennis to move forward. Well done Maria!

From: Stephen Gertsen [mailto:stephen.gertsen@etta.co.uk]

I am pleased to announce that Maria Ingles has accepted the role to become the new Coaching Coordinator for the Eastern Region. Maria has been very helpful since I started the role and will be a very good addition to the team. I hope you will all welcome Maria on board and the roles in which Maria will be working on can be seen attached.

Duties

Coach Education:
• Promotion of UKCC qualifications - highlight importance of and support the process.
• Promote UKCC courses and Coach Education Workshops.
• Collect money and attendance list to pass onto the regional coach.
• Assist in selection of appropriate education topics for Coach Education Workshops.

Regional Training/Development:
• Club visits to meet coaches/players.
• Contribute to a club/coach/player needs analysis.
• Attend regional coaching meetings to discuss future implementation plans.
• Investigate possible future regional venues.
• Talent scout for regional squads (Coordinated by Regional Coach).
• Regional training administration – letters at the start of the season.
• Booking of venues – together with the regional coach.
• Assist with coaching/management of regional training centres.
• Assistance with regional finance management.

Coaching Bursary Management:
• Liaison with RDM with regards to available bursaries.
• Receipt of regional bursary applications.

ETTA Awards & Butterfly Skills:
• Promote ETTA products/courses regionally.
• Inform regional staff of any requests.

Other duties may be required from time to time commensurate with the business of the ETTA.

NB. All Regional Coaching Coordinators must hold a UKCC coaching qualification by 1st January 2013.

Off Season Coaching

On Wednesdays evenings I shall again be offering group Table Tennis coaching from 8pm to 9.30pm. Aimed at players in Div 1, 2 or 3, or hoping to be so, and looking to improve their technique. The cost is £6 per session with a limit of 12 players.

For best results you do need to try to come for several weeks. The first 4 weeks will start on Wednesday 28th April and if there is sufficient demand there will be a further 4 weeks starting 26th May.
 
Please let me know if you wish to attend
 
Post submitted by : Stuart Seaholme

Table Tennis Coaching

Since the league has started the blog I often get enquiries about Table Tennis in Watford, miscellaneous random phone calls from people who used to play at school years ago or have a child interested in playing. Sometimes something happens as a result sometimes not, but last Saturday I took a call and was able to direct a person to Watford Boys Grammar School on Saturday morning itself...

On Friday Urfi ( Urban Progress TTPro ) took some video of a couple of old Dotards (Roger Pyle and I) warming up. I don't often get a chance to be in a video as I'm often taking them of other people playing. But here is a short clip of me demonstrating the Backhand and Forehand topspin...

For those interested in Table Tennis Coaching click the link and have a chat with either Stuart or Urfi about a session that fits in with your timetable.

Table Tennis is a dying sport? Think again !!

This week Wednesday 14th October 2009 saw the first day of the Watford Table Tennis Academy, a joint venture between Watford Boys Grammar School and Urban Progress TTPro Table Tennis Club.

The first session was an after school session from 3:30pm to 4:30pm for the students at the school only and there could not have been a more responsive start to the Academy. No less that 60 students turned up for the opening session with all 12 tables in full use.

An amazed Urfi (Gergely Urban - Urban Progress TTPro Director) speaking to the head master Martin Post, said - what an amazing turnout, and this was without heavy promotion internally within the school or to the parents. Think what can happen if we start to advertise what is going on down here?

WWCC have now moved their venue to the new Urban Progress TTPro - Watford Boys Grammar School WBGS) Academy you can find directions to the Watford Table Tennis Academy here. The league has been advised that within the next month the two WWCC Teams will revise their names and they will become known as Urban Progress WBGS 'A' and Urban Progrss WBGS 'B'. Look out for further updates as the transition to the new Academy completes over the coming weeks.

With two teams representing Urban Progress WBGS in the Premier and First division of the Watford & District Table Tennis League most players in Watford will get a chance to experience the venue at some point during the current season. You can be assured you will be given a warm reception.

The first league game took place at the new venue for the WWCC 'B' team and everything went according to plan. Please note there is a time restriction on exiting the premises of 10:30pm, so please ensure when playing at the Academy that your team arrives promptly.

It's nearly there !!

First look at the New Watford Boys Grammar School - Urban Progress TTPro Table Tennis Academy... Wednesday 7th October.. tables arrived, unpacked, final details thrashed out on timings and sessions... and West Watford Conservative Club (WWCC) check out the new venue.... even a surprise visit from a Blog Fan who takes the Met. train up to the venue from HARROW to check it out (Adam... plays with Steve Levin in the Wembley League)

I'm sure you'll agree it looks pretty fantastic... what a boost for Table Tennis in Watford and the local area!!

Sessions offiicially start on Wednesday October 14th timings as previously reported. Unofficially if you'd like to check out the venue we have an open evening on Friday 9th... why not come on down and see the venue for yourself and get more information... click here for Map to WBGS - Urban Progress TTPro Table Tennis Academy

WBGS Urban Progress TTPro Table Tennis Academy Map

The all new shiny Watford Boys Grammar School - Urban Progress TTPro Table Tennis Academy tonight - Wednesday 7th October opens it's doors for the first time.

The Sports Hall will be open for visitors to come down from 7pm tonight, Gergely Urban and Chris Ogle will be on hand to answer your questions, so please everyone is welcome.

Below a map to show which entrance to use at the school, where to park and how to get to the Sports Hall.

From Rickmansworth road heading towards Croxley away from Watford take the turning before the school into Shepherds Road, then take the second left entrance into the school. Drive past the Theatre block (on the right) and continue until you reach the far end of the playground area (indicated by the red circle on the map), park here. Follow the route shown by the Blue line to walk to the Sports Hall.

From Croxley / Rickmansworth, head up Rickmansworth Road towards Watford, take the turning left immediately after the school into Shepherds Road, then take the second left entrance into the school. Drive past the Theatre block (on the right) and continue until you reach the far end of the playground area (indicated by the red circle on the map), park here. Follow the route shown by the Blue line to walk to the Sports Hall.

 

Watford TT Academy - WBGS Update

Great News for Students at Watford Grammar School, Urban Progress TTPro, Table Tennis in Watford and Watford Sport is the confirmation of the Opening date for the Watford Grammar School Table Tennis Academy.

The Table Tennis Academy will open its doors on Wednesday 7th October for the first time with an exciting programme for the 1st day!

• 3:30pm - 4:30pm Table Tennis & Coaching for the students of WBGS
• 5:00pm - 7:00pm Junior session for Urban Progress Members from the community
• 7:30pm - 10:30pm Senior Table Tennis session for Urban Progress TTPro members
• The opening evening will also include a Watford Premier League Table Tennis match with WWCC moving their home venue to WBGS

Non members can attend the open adult evening session for a £5 flat fee

Urban Progress TTPro will operate at the school the Wednesday sessions as described above, and on Fridays a breakfast session (for students) as well as the Junior and Adult evening sessions.

It is envisaged that a Sunday morning training from 10:00am through to 1pm will be announced shortly which will commence during October in addition to the activity during the school week.

I'm sure you will all agree that this is an exciting development for all in Table Tennis in the Watford area and we look forward to welcoming some new young Table tennis players into the sport and perhaps even joining the competitive Watford & District Table Tennis league.

Watford to get new Table Tennis Academy!!

Look out Watford a new Table Tennis Academy is just around the corner. The article below has recently been featured in the FULLER NEWS which is the bi-annual news letter that goes out to Pupils, old boys, friends and associates of the Watford Boys Grammar School.

In summary the Watford Boys Grammar School have teamed up with Urban Progress TTPro to host and run a professional table tennis academy here in our own town! It is anticipated that within a relatively short period the fruits of the Academy will be new teams joining the local league!!

Will Maybanks was there to promote the new academy he himself being a product of both Watford Boys Grammar School and the Urban Progress Table Tennis Club. 

For further details please click on the image below :-

Do you want to improve your game ???

'the more I practice the luckier I get!' this is a famous quote from Greg Norman, the famous Golf Player, but it doesn't matter which sport does it? We all know from experience that the more we practice table tennis the better we get. This is not rocket science, if we want to improve we have to commit ourselves to learn new techniques, listen to quality coaches / players and work hard. It is no different to our working lives.

In the off season Roger Pyle and I practice on average 3 times a week for two hours, but not just playing games and knocking but quality practice with exercises involving movement and with supervised coaching from players who make us look pretty poor and can instantly see the problems in our games. Now, Roger is filled with enthusiasm and dead keen he's just come back from 23 years outside the game! but his progress has been nothing short of remarkable losing 2 stone in body weight in the first 12 months back playing TT and with an unquenchable thirst for practice.

We can all change and improve our game, my style is vastly different from 20 years ago, I'm playing further away from the table (i've lost some of my reactions) but my technique is stronger and my use of services and spin is far better than ever before. Small changes can sometimes make 3 or 4 points difference in match situations and when identified are not difficult to implement. Why not bring your game on and create a few surprises next season ?

Check out below Roger in a typical MultiBall session, you can get through 100 table tennis shots in less than two minutes, when do you ever get that kind of intensive practice ??? 3 buckets of balls, 100 shots per bucket you can see how Roger appears completely knackered after this 5 minute (yes just 5 minutes) training. But the improvement doing this three times per week is unbelievable.

Come on Watford Table Tennis Players..... get in touch with your coach, get them to work with you using Multiball practice, and shock a few people next season with your improved game!

Table Tennis is all about good movement!

I was chatting today with Urfi (Gergely) a well known Hungarian coach in the area and Head coach for Urban Progress TTPro about footwear for Table Tennis.

The conversation started when I brought up the need for some new Table Tennis footwear myself. My current shoes have the battle scars of a few hard games and I'm starting to wear out my socks and toes as well now (picture right).

Urfi's advice was that so long as the shoes have a good rubber sole and not the plastic variety then they should be ok. The lighter the shoe the less likely to last, the heavier the shoe the more difficult to move. Good rubber soles provide the best grip on most floors and assist good movement. It is absolutely essential to have footwear you can rely on to perform under the pressure of match play situations.

To be honest it all comes down to personal preference, good squash or badminton shoes are as equally serviceable as expensive table tennis shoes.

One things for certain, I need to make the investment pretty soon or i'll end up a few centimetres shorter come the start of next season!