Aberdeen Table Tennis Academy
Balgownie Pavilion is equipped to provide an excellent playing environment for both recreational and competitive table tennis. The main hall features 5 Butterfly Europa 25 tables, offering high-quality playing conditions suitable for practice, coaching and tournaments. Players also have access to a table tennis robot station, a multiball and service practice area with a collecting net.
Development pathway
The Garioch Table Tennis Academy aims to create a focused, successful and sustainable player development programme in partnership with Garioch Sports Centre, Inverurie Youth Sports Foundation (IYSF), Aberdeen & District Table Tennis Association (ADTTA), Table Tennis Scotland, and the local Active Schools network.
Success stories
Many academies and primary schools in Aberdeen City and Shire hold teacher-led sessions at lunchtimes. There may also be an after-school club, usually run by a qualified coach from ADTTA. In conjunction with Active Schools, ADTTA coaches also hold taster sessions, mainly in Primary Schools, to give P4 to P7 pupils a first introduction to table tennis during curriculum time.
Special Olympics
There is a huge potential to develop “Evergreen” groups in communities even with modest populations. There may be opportunities to obtain grants for equipment (tables, bats, etc) through local environmental projects such as windfarms. These community groups can form the nucleus of a table tennis club which becomes self-sustaining.
Table tennis camps
Table tennis is particularly well suited to inclusive sport. It can be adapted to accommodate a wide range of physical and learning abilities, allowing players with very different needs to participate together. For some, it may be a recreational activity and a chance to socialise, while for others it can become a pathway towards competitive sport.
Coaching qualifications
Table tennis combines physical movement with concentration, visual tracking, decision-making and rapid responses. Players need to watch the ball, judge its speed and direction, coordinate their movements and react to what their opponent does next. For people with neurological conditions, this combination can make table tennis an enjoyable way of being physically and mentally active.