5 minute read
Let's bounce
EXCITING LAUNCH
Table Tennis England introduces TT Kidz, an eight-week programme that introduces children to the sport and teaches them key skills to play a match.
T KIDZ, developed by
TTable Tennis England, is an inclusive and accessible programme providing children aged seven-11 with a fun, engaging and inspiring experience of table tennis in schools, clubs and community centres.
Children, regardless of gender, ability or background, will learn new skills, make new friends and most importantly have fun.
The eight-week programme is designed to be the best first impression of table tennis for children new to the sport and is delivered by trained, DBS-checked activators in venues up and down the country.
Each week focuses on a different skill, providing children with the tools to enjoy a great game of table tennis. All the key skills are covered, including forehands, backhands and serves, and the children will be ready and confident to play a match by the end of the programme.
All sessions offer elements of the criteria for the National Curriculum in PE for primary schools, including running, jumping, throwing, catching, flexibility, technique, control and collaboration.
As part of the package, children receive a kit bag containing a T-shirt, bat, balls, activity book and stickers so they can practise at home. And the fun doesn’t have to just be for children – we encourage parents to get involved and have a go, too.
Along the way, and as they continue to develop their skills after the initial eight-week programme, the TT Kidz Awards give participants the opportunity to earn badges as they master the key skills of the sport, from the basics all the way up to more advanced techniques and tactics – and even how to umpire!
TT Kidz was launched in July 2019 on National Table Tennis Day, when England Commonwealth Games medallist Maria Tsaptsinos, junior international Louis Price and under-10 national champion Kacper Piwowar joined children at Chester Park Junior School in Bristol for an inspirational launch event. Since then, hundreds of children at table tennis clubs and schools all over England have had their first introduction to the sport through TT Kidz, with the majority of sessions sold out. As well as working with dozens of table tennis clubs, we work alongside Premier Education Group, our official primary schools delivery partner, to deliver table tennis in schools.
Whatever the setting, kids and parents love the initiative – 95% rated TT Kidz as good or excellent value and 73% of participants say they enjoy taking part in sport and exercise more since joining TT Kidz.
Even the pandemic could not stop our work – when in-person
sessions could not take place during the national lockdowns, our team worked hard to keep youngsters active through the TT Kidz Afterschool Club and, during the summer holidays, the TT Kidz Virtual Summer Camp, which both broadcast live online activities into classrooms and living rooms across the country.
Dozens of year groups across Year 3 to 8 also competed in the TT Kidz Virtual Schools Championship, demonstrating their skills and completing challenges as they bid to be crowned national champions.
Chris Turner, Table Tennis England’s youth participation lead, says: “Table tennis is a fantastic and inclusive sport, which can be enjoyed by all the family and TT Kidz is designed to be the best first experience of the game for children.
“The programme has been a huge success to date, engaging lots of children with an overwhelming percentage of parents reporting the programme as a positive experience.
“The equipment is lightweight and activators are taught how to adapt the game to different abilities, so children can really enjoy the game and develop key fundamental movement and sporting skills. We’re really excited for the future of TT Kidz.”
PARENT & HOST CLUB FEEDBACK
Don’t take our word for how good TT Kidz is – here’s what some of the parents and host clubs have told us:
● “TT Kidz is a great initiative to help inspire the next generation of players. It has been a massive success for us and amazing to see many new young faces playing table tennis for the first time, having lots of fun and making friends. All the children left the first session buzzing and excited and wanting to come back.” – Kingfisher Table Tennis Club, Reading.
● “It was a fabulous first session, Harry absolutely loved it and the instructors were brilliant.”
● “We really enjoyed our session at Whittlesey Table Tennis
Club. The booking process was straightforward and the coach was clearly passionate about the sport and delivered a fun, interactive session my daughter very much enjoyed.”
AWARD-WINNING PROGRAMME
TT Kidz has also achieved wider recognition and notice and was recently recognised at the prestigious ukactive Awards, being highly commended in the Generation Active category, which recognises a programme, project or initiative that engages, promotes and sustains physical activity in children and young people – inspiring them to be more active, more often.
We have also worked with partners including the Rackets Cubed charity and local authorities to provide TT Kidz kit bags to children in deprived areas, helping them and their families to get more active. TT Kidz has even gone all the way to Australia – the Spinaroos initiative there is a licensed version of our very own programme!
With the weather turning colder, now is the perfect time to try an indoor sport that also supports the development of fine motor control and hand-eye coordination. Our next phase starts in February 2021.
For more information and to find your closest venue and to book a place simply visit: www.ttkidz.co.uk
ABOUT TABLE TENNIS ENGLAND
Table Tennis England is the Governing body for table tennis in England, responsible for representing, coordinating, administering, marketing, and developing the sport with a mission to increase the number of outstanding and exciting opportunities for everyone to enjoy and achieve in table tennis.
For more information about Table Tennis England please visit:
