Table Tennis Club

Open for Fun!

Table Tennis Club— Open for Fun!

Interviews by Joan Wells

It all began in 1991 with six friends and one second-hand table tennis table……..

Since those early days MCTTC has moved on to become one of the largest and most established Clubs at the Centre with over 100 members spanning five decades in age. The Club welcomes all, from recreational to advanced, for both daytime and evening play. With COVID receding it now can offer the occasional in-house tournament and against external clubs. More than this, the club provides its members with opportunities for laughter, friendship, and healthy aging. Table tennis is renowned for promoting fitness, coordination and strategic problem solving. It is friendly towards those with impaired abilities. For example an annual world championship is held for those with Parkinsons. Although we believe the sport speaks for itself, we think our members should also have a say:

Betty Emery

Betty has been a member of the club for 14 years. She joined shortly after moving to Victoria. She found it to be a wonderful way for her and her husband to meet fellow table tennis enthusiasts. Since then she has honed her skills competing with club members, and against others in the BC Seniors Games. Monterey is a great club, full of friendly and supportive members. Over the years, I have enjoyed the friendship and fun as well as great fitness both mental and physical. I plan to play for as long as I can. As one ages, the body gives you some hints that maybe you should not play as much as before - darn it all.

Mike has been a club member since July 2002. I joined because I love the game; I have since high school. After retiring in 1995, I wanted to build some social connections with new people. Table tennis at Monterey Centre helped me do this. Playing with like-minded, kind, and fun-loving people is a great natural medicine for good health, mental alertness, and overall fitness. I have always enjoyed playing both recreationally and competitively particularly when preparing for the BC Senior Games.

Fred Kong

Along with his wife, Sue, Fred has been a member of the club for 24 years. The reason that Sue and I have been with Monterey for so long is that we found people in the Centre to be very friendly towards newcomers, the same in the past as they are today. We are pleased to be involved with such a loving group for so long. We also found that while the sport was popular among the young in China, here it is also popular with the elderly. We started learning the new International Table Tennis rules here such as eleven points per game rather than 21, rubber instead of cork paddles, and so on. There are always exceptionally skillful players here and we ourselves have improved. With this Centre’s help we have played in the BC Seniors Games from 2005 onward. That is why we keep playing here even though we live farther away than most other members.

Joan Wells

Joan has been instrumental in transitioning the club to its current diverse membership. In September 2001, at the age of sixty-three, I did a drop shot from London, England to Oak Bay. At the time I only knew my son but soon enough I was to meet my match and future doubles partner in life, Jack. One day while doing a cross court drive down Oak Bay Avenue, I collided with the table tennis president. She invited me to try out my smash on some real competition at the Monterey Table Tennis Club. Like many of us I hadn’t played table tennis since I was teenager. I had last played with my dad at the London bus garages in the 1950s. I took a little spin past the club one day and was immediately in a twirl. I’ve been backhand slicing and forehand smashing my way through the Monterey Centre ever since. As our members attest, the Monterey Table Tennis Club plays a significant role at the Monterey Centre, in involving mature adults in a fun, social, and active recreational activity. Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability, and will continue to be for as long as you choose to keep on playing.