The People's Sport

By Kirby Adams

Let's face it; if you don't run or walk or have a close friend or family member who does, April can be a pretty tedious month.  With the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby Festival "mini" and full Marathon, it sometimes seems as though the only thing to talk about is road racing. 

But there is life beyond running, and for some of you it's table tennis.  In China they call it "the people's sport" because of its broad appeal throughout social spheres and age brackets.  Closer to home in Louisville and Southern Indiana that appeal is also evident. You can find competitive players from age 5 all the way up to 93!

To get the "spin" for this article, I met up with John Allen, the top table tennis player in both Kentucky and Indiana. Allen quickly informed me that ping pong is a game and table tennis is a sport.  We may only have 200-300 players locally but worldwide table tennis is extremely popular and even an Olympic sport.  The little white balls can spin off a player's paddle at speeds up to 80 miles per hour.  Allen is ranked 16th nationally in the over-40 age group.  And thanks to his years of experience and success in the sport, he has been named the national coaching chairman for the United States Table Tennis Association. That means he administrates the certification of coaches. 

If you are old enough to have been alive during the Nixon administration you'll remember the Ping-Pong Diplomacy.  In 1972 a group of American table tennis players were invited by The People's Republic of China to come to their country and compete. The significance was that no other group of Americans had been invited to China since the communist takeover in 1949.  Thanks to the table tennis team, seven months later President Nixon took a trip to China.  That trip would become one of the most important events in U.S. postwar history.  "Never before in history has a sport been used so effectively as a tool of international diplomacy," said Chinese Premier Chou En-lai. 

Table tennis changed over from a basement past time to a serious sport in 1957. Allen says the addition of sponge rubber to the paddle greatly improved the sport. The sponge rubber made the game faster and allowed players to put greater spin on the ball.  Allen says serious players choose from specialized paddles that they customize themselves. 

JOHN ALLEN'S STORY

So how did a guy from Crescent Hill become a top dog in the sport of table tennis?  When he was 14 years old Allen and a buddy would hang out around the ping pong table at the Baptist Seminary.  He says a guy who went to the seminary taught the two friends how to play and introduced them to organized play. 

There are several clubs in Louisville and southern Indiana.  Allen is a member of the New Albany Parks and Recreation Club. 

"It could be one of the oldest active facilities in the United States, if not the world," said Allen. "Players have been competing at the facility in New Albany since the mid-1930s."

As for Allen, his years of practice paid off.  In 1988 he was good enough to try out for the North American Olympic team. The Olympic dream wasn't meant to be, but table tennis proved to be much more important in another way. While playing in doubles competition, Allen met his wife, Kim. Kim is also an accomplished table tennis competitor who once held the Indiana State Champion title.  Today, as Allen's practice partner, she helps him keep in tip-top shape.  When Kim is too busy to play, Allen has a robot that shoots out balls like a baseball machine in a batting cage.  One of the keys to Allen's success could be the fact that he's a "lefty," a factor that is particularly helpful in doubles.  "Using my left hand allows me to receive with the forehand, which is generally stronger."

Allen is a fit guy, who stays in shape through running, weight lifting and enjoying a swim at the pool when the weather is warm.  Other players, he says, may stay in shape just by playing.  But for a champ like Allen, the extra effort pays off.

If you would like more information on organized table tennis in our area, Allen welcomes your calls - 502-452-9091

Kirby Adams is the consumer reporter for Kentuckiana's News Channel WHAS-11 and a sports and fitness buff. You can e-mail her at kirby.adams@whas11.com. Kirby is also a member of Kentuckiana HealthFitness' Editorial Advisory Board.

If you know of a little "GEM" or a story you would like to share with our readers, drop me a note about it.

Kirby Adams
C/o WHAS-11 TV
P.O. Box 2588
Louisville, KY 40201