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August 15th, 2020 Uncategorised Comments Off on Phased Return

Phased Return

Following the successful re-opening of indoor sports facilities last Saturday 25 July, Table Tennis England is moving though the stages to return to competitive table tennis.

See Table Tennis England Coronavirus update.

As table tennis England moves towards stage 3 (see above link), on a local level things are moving at a slower pace. Full local league table tennis will not resume this year, some leagues are contemplating  2×2 short format, however the club are working hard behind the scenes to make sure preparation for return to club practice sessions is thorough and in line with all the guidelines and recommendations.

A big thank you to club members paying subscription fees throughout the lock down, the re investment of these funds is already taking place; as announced by email last week a number of top class new tables are being delivered to the club this week. All monies will obviously go into new equipment, so there is a lot to look forward to as the club returns to normal. Many thanks to Thornton’s Table Tennis, a long term friend of the club, who have given us an excellent deal on these (and will give members a very competitive discount for orders placed through the club).

The diagram below illustrates our proposed hall set up plans for the restart at “Table Tennis England stage 2 guidelines”.

Stage 2 – returning to club activity.

The set up will be put up and taken down each session by a small team of prearranged coaches and organisers. Bookings will be made via the new Club Spark system.

August 13th, 2020 Why Table Tennis Comments Off on Why Table Tennis?

Why Table Tennis?

The most powerful brain boosters are activities that combine both aerobic activity and coordination. The aerobic activity creates new brain cells, and the coordination exercises strengthen the connections between those new cells so your brain can recruit them for other purposes, such as thinking, learning, and remembering. Here are the combination activities that are recommended.

Table tennis is a great combination activity. It also happens to be the world’s best brain sport. Table tennis is a better aerobic exercise than you might imagine, and it gives your brain one heck of a workout. A fascinating brain imaging study from Japan found that just 10 minutes of table tennis increases activity in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum.

It’s like aerobic chess. It’s great for hand-eye coordination and reflexes (cerebellum and parietal lobes). You have to focus (prefrontal cortex) so you can track the ball through space (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), figure out spins (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), and plan shots and strategies (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum). Then you have to follow through and execute those tactics successfully (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum). All the while, you have to stay calm so you don’t get too nervous on game point (basal ganglia). And you can’t dwell on the point you blew a few minutes ago (anterior cingulate gyrus) or blow your top when you make a mistake (temporal lobes).

 

Source; Edited article from International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association.