http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1124172745252560.xml?starledger?s&coll=1


Table tennis: Find inner peace and have a ball
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
BY MARY KATE BRENNAN
Star-Ledger Staff

There is more than a trademark that separates table tennis from Ping-Pong. Table
tennis, as a sport, is so much more than Ping-Pong, a casual activity confined
to basement play. It is arguably more mental than physical, yet still leaves
players catching their breath and wiping sweat from their brows. It is not just
something to do on a rainy day. Table tennis is an Olympic sport.

As Daniel Guttman of Westfield says, "Table tennis has been hiding in plain
sight in the United States for the last hundred years."

Guttman plays at one of the largest clubs in America, the New Jersey Table
Tennis Club, located in downtown Westfield. Mike Kuklakis, another member, says
it is "probably the finest club in the country. ... There is a range of players
from beginners to Olympic champs and world-class players.

"We all started out as basement players. I've been playing competitively for 40
years. We all thought we were the best players until we joined the club. Very
few people know a club like this exists."

The NJTTC is a blend of a community organization and competitive club.

Another tier of play is the collegiate level. Aaron Souza of Williamstown,
Mass., is the vice president of Princeton University's club this upcoming
season, and he enjoys the competitive and therapeutic aspects of the sport.

"It's a great way to blow off steam or take a study break," he said. "Also, the
sport is totally adjustable to the skill level of the players. When it's being
played by true masters, it's astounding to watch. The ball spins and darts from
side to side with amazing precision and speed. ... The entirety of the game
takes place in a very small area, but there's a lot of intensity and skill
contained therein."

Wayne Chin, a middle-aged Staten Island resident who commutes to the NJTTC, has
been playing since he was 13. He credits the uniqueness of table tennis to the
fact that "it is a combat sport like fencing, boxing or kyudo (Japanese
archery), but the difference is that it's separated by a table. When you play,
you can reach a Zen-like moment of clarity. ... They're rare moments. That's the
essence."

To Chin, table tennis to akin to playing "chess and basketball simultaneously."

Dave Marcovitz, an Ambler, Pa., native who will be a senior at Princeton
University this fall, enjoys the fact that players can find success at
particular aspects of the sport, and in doing so feel successful even if they
don't always win.

"(It) is one of those sports you can compartmentalize. You can be a champ even
if you lose the game."

Volker Schroder began playing table tennis in his home country of Germany and
now plays at the Princeton club, where he is also the faculty adviser.

"New Jersey is a very good place for table tennis," he said. "It is very active
and getting more and more so."

Schroder has been playing since he was 10 and has advice for those interested in
beginning to play: "Find a club. Don't get frustrated in the beginning. Most
players overestimate abilities. Be patient, hang in there. Don't expect to beat
everyone after a month."

Another active table tennis club is located in Hoboken and was started by Wale
Idris, a resident of that town. He recommends that anyone who is interested
should "join a club. You really don't need any background to start. Most people
here will help a beginner to catch up."

Steve Wallitt of Lawrenceville is the community representative of the Princeton
Table Tennis Club, which coincides with the university team. He agrees that
table tennis is a sport for anyone with interest.

"It's really a sport where people play, talk and have fun," he said. "It's an
all-around experience."