First table tennis serving this weekend

The Table Tennis Club will be holding its first practice on Sunday, and players - especially girls - are wanted.

The Table Tennis Club will be holding its first practice on Sunday, and players - especially girls - are wanted.

The club will meet for the first time this season at the Whitehorse Elementary School gym between 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

In the past club organizer Dave Stockdale has recruited members from high schools and found success.

“We had some really top notch players,” he said. One player from Hong Kong happened to be at the top of the league in China.

Stockdale is hoping some new exchange students in the area will be interested in coming out to the club.

“We are thinking of going to the schools and doing a trial,” he said.

Stockdale is particularly searching for a few female players.

Once more players have been recruited Stockdale hopes to increase the number of practices.

“We’re hoping to get a second session going,” he said.

The local club holds tournaments every few weeks, but they aren’t the only places that players can showcase their skills.

“There are opportunities to travel,” said Dave Stockdale, who organizes the club.

The club is planning to take a group of youth players down to Baltimore this fall to compete and is already looking ahead to the 2011 Canada Games, where they hope to compete.

Stockdale says the Baltimore competition will be good for the players, because they will get a chance to play many times. The tournament lets participants play until they reach their own skill level. Stockdale said some players at other tournaments get out in their first round and don’t get to play again.

Interested players don’t need to bring any supplies to the Sunday practice.

“It’s probably the cheapest sport in town,” said Stockdale. Without any equipment to purchase, the only costs are for memberships.

Annual memberships for an adult are $30, juniors (under 18) are $20 and for those who just want to try the sport out, the drop in rate is $2. Family memberships are also available.

For more serious players, Stockdale says a supplier will be on hand to purchase equipment.

The club has members that range from beginners to experts.