Junior & Youth Corner

Since WSTTA's incorporation back in 1994, it has produced and assisted in nurturing a number of outstanding junior talents in table tennis in New South Wales, some of them are featured in this section of the Academy's web site. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with all these talented members in various capacities as coaches, team managers, team captains, supervisors and career advisers. I have seen them grow up, mature and come of age from novice beginners in primary schools to State and university representatives and beyond. I have seen them achieving their potential as table tennis players as well as achieving success in their academic studies. Of course, there were those who gave up and dropped out of the sport and those who are still striving every day to achieve their goals.

Junior development in any sport is a most monumental and challenging task. It involves a lot of hard work, patience, dedication, understanding and support from the administrators, officials, coaches and parents who all played an important role in a child's development in the sport. It goes beyond just providing a few hours of coaching for the child. It involves all the participating parties to work harmoniously in an organised and structured environment

WSTTA has supported and will continue to support the course of junior development in table tennis in the following ways:

• Providing training venue and facilities
• Providing professional coaching to players
• Organising tournaments
• Conducting exhibitions and promotions
• Providing assistance and encouragements through fund raising activities, grants and awards.

Whilst having achieved some success in the past, our task is not completed. In future the Academy shall need to strive to:

• Provide a bigger playing venue, preferably one owned by the Academy
• Provide more opening days and longer opening hours
• Organise bigger and better tournaments
• Find more corporate sponsors
• Improve liaisons with other associations and clubs
• Provide more incentives to the junior players
• Assist parents in helping their children to reach their potential
• Increase the number of junior members from all sectors in the communities

and more importantly providing a more systematic coaching structure and a more diverse approach in recruiting new members.

I have no doubt that the management committee of WSTTA will continue its hard work and dedication with the junior development in this new and exciting millennium as they have done so successfully in the past years. I am certain that the Academy's junior members will form the backbone of the Academy in the future and many more future champions will emerge from the Academy.

Warm wishes and best of luck to all the junior members of the Academy in achieving their goals.

TONY LEE
Junior/Youth Development Consultant
16.1.2000