Table Tennis in Schools Program is a new program on North Shore that has been successfully received at West, North Vancouver and Burnaby primary, elementary and high schools since 2015 school year.
We have students of all ages, skill levels and abilities , Grades K to 7 and in high schools participating in the Table Tennis programs.
Glenwood elementary school Table Tennis classes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij4jh0doNDY
St. Thomas Aquinas High School Table Tennis classes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxtzQr4Zb_M&t=2s
Teachers having FUN during lunch breaks https://youtu.be/u08mmaQyerk
Our program is designed to include all children starting from Kindergarten to Grade 12 in High schools, regardless of their skill levels and abilities, making Table Tennis an all inclusive sport. Table Tennis as a sport engages students in an active environment through the use of music , Table Tennis specific equipment, bouncing balls and balloons for the younger pupils. Students are learning creative table tennis specific movements and new skills , with improving their hand-eye co-ordination and BRAIN activity. This ‘new’ approach has been successfully received by schools and before and after school programs already.
NSTTC “Table Tennis in Schools Program” is very well organized, ensuring maximum participation by all students within the Physical Education classes. Through this program, students not only enjoy Table Tennis at a young age from Grade K , but the activities help students strengthen their hearts and lungs and engage their brain in the level no other sport engages. Not only is it a physical sport, but it also referred to as the number one BRAIN sport.
“My favorite physical activity is table tennis, which also happens to be the world’s best brain sport. It is highly aerobic and gets both the upper and lower body moving in every which way — twisting, bending down low, reaching up high, and shuffling from side to side.
Also known as “ping-pong,” the game is great for hand-eye coordination and reflexes (cerebellum and parietal lobes). You have to focus (prefrontal cortex) so you can track the ball through space (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), figure out spins (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), and plan shots and strategies (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum). Then you have to follow through and execute those tactics successfully (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum). All the while, you have to stay calm so you don’t get too nervous on game point (basal ganglia). And you can’t dwell on that point you blew a few minutes ago (anterior cingulated gyrus) or blow your top when you make a mistake (temporal lobes). It is like aerobic chess.
One of the things I love best about table tennis is that it involves very few brain injuries. A fascinating brain imaging study from Japan found that Table Tennis helps balance your brain. The researchers examined a group of people before and after playing table tennis for a period of ten minutes. The “after” images revealed increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, the thoughtful part of your brain, and the cerebellum.
Another reason why I’m such a fan of table tennis is because it is a sport the whole family can play. I was lucky enough to have a ping-pong table in my backyard when I was growing up, and I played a lot as a child with my siblings and my parents. I always had such a great time playing that I never realized that I was “exercising” or improving my brain function. It was just fun.
The main difference from other sports is that reflexes don’t get as much of a workout as they do with table tennis……”
Another positive result of introducing Table Tennis in schools Program is establishing in schools “Before and After school programs/clubs” for students with continuing interest in the sport of Table Tennis.
Please contact us further if your school is interested in this Table Tennis School Program for the 2016-2017 school years.
For continuing interest in “In schools program” we created different packages with Tables, rackets, balls and educational material for sale
Yours in table Tennis
Luba Sadovska and Claudine Gunn
info@nsttc.ca or 604-209-7037
