Sometimes, it seems like we’ve forgotten what table tennis is supposed to be about. We need plenty of people on the periphery to keep things going. But, there are lots of things our sport shouldn’t be about, and one thing that matters. Let me go through a few things we could live without as long as we don’t forget the most important thing.
Parents – If your children play, they need your support. They don’t need any added pressure.
Fans – There are some table tennis fans out there, but we make a mistake if we’re trying to play to our audience.
Clubs – Clubs are just groups of players. It’s hard to get players involved without places to play.
Coaches – Coaches are important, but there have been players who have learned to play without any formal training.
Tournaments – They can be great, but tournaments are essentially nonessential.Â
Sponsors – Beware of treating table tennis like a business instead of a sport.Â
I could continue this list of items that are actually good things for table tennis, but shouldn’t be the main thing. Table tennis is about the players. The more we keep that in mind, the more popular our sport will become. It’s not about anything else. Let the players play….