Taiwan Primary School - TT Team

[Tony's Table Tennis]

In Taiwan, TT starts in primary school or even before that (private classes then).
It is common to have over 10 tables in a school (and most of the schools has table tennis)
Once you can become a top player in the your school, you are part of the school team that goes to tournaments, and from there, you get into the best rankings in the country.

Once you have results and ranking you can go into a sports school (junior high) and after that senior high, and continue into a sports university.

It is very different to "clubs" structure in Europe or North America
The above is a recruitment video for parents and future students

 

[TTHopeful]

Thanks for sharing, what is the level of table tennis in Taiwan? Do they do this set up in other sports to?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Thanks for sharing, what is the level of table tennis in Taiwan? Do they do this set up in other sports to?

Well, Taiwan's level is around top 5 in the world, behind China, Germany, and just below Japan/Korea.
This is a normal TT setup in public schools - the entire long basement is for TT
The other sports are mostly out door (basketball, baseball, the 2 biggest)
In high schools or university, than you get indoor courts too for basketball, badminton etc.
But due to space, TT is very popular for schools to have.

From the marketing side - this is normal Taiwanese people are very creative and good in using digital things to attract more customers/students.

Womens TT, is stronger in the north, while the Mens are mostly from the South. This same effect goes from seniors to juniors - funny enough.

 

[TTHopeful]

Well, Taiwan's level is around top 5 in the world, behind China, Germany, and just below Japan/Korea.
This is a normal TT setup in public schools - the entire long basement is for TT
The other sports are mostly out door (basketball, baseball, the 2 biggest)
In high schools or university, than you get indoor courts too for basketball, badminton etc.
But due to space, TT is very popular for schools to have.

From the marketing side - this is normal Taiwanese people are very creative and good in using digital things to attract more customers/students.

Womens TT, is stronger in the north, while the Mens are mostly from the South. This same effect goes from seniors to juniors - funny enough.

Thanks Tony, I learn a lot from you on here. Having table tennis in schools is so important to increasing participation. Its needed more here in the UK. However saying that, sometimes its having something else for the school children to then go to. Table Tennis Clubs etc that are nearby.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Thanks Tony, I learn a lot from you on here. Having table tennis in schools is so important to increasing participation. Its needed more here in the UK. However saying that, sometimes its having something else for the school children to then go to. Table Tennis Clubs etc that are nearby.

You are welcome buddy.

All this research started when I came back into the sport in the SA scene around 2011 and seeing things worse than the year 2000.
In the business/financial world - if you are not making/improving/grow above inflation, you are making a loss.
So TT in South Africa is surely making a loss.

I then went to reserch to see what some countries are doing, and types of models that is working for them.
Same token, I also compared with other sports.
Seems like best model for "English" background countries for the long wrong is indeed a strong school sport system - as this is where all our cricket, rugby success is coming in.

And the clubs/academy to be the next phrase of growth from the sports point of view (extra hours/lessons).

China for example is also based on schools. Clubs is for social players mostly (not talking about the limited professional clubs)

But in countries like USA, the school model is non existance, but they have money to make a club model work, and each club can have a healthy yearly budget on TT - due to higher membership fees. So if England don't have school model, then club money need to have A) high membership fee, B)lots of members.

I just don't know how SA can improve.
Here, TT is a cheap sport - you pay less than USD100 a year to be a club member.
Some clubs is only 1/3 to 1/5 of that.
But then, this bar was set so low from the forefathers, so change won't come easily.