• info@tabletennisnorth.ca

Monthly Archives:April 2025

Celebrating Pride Month with Table Tennis North

TT NORTH No Comments

Serving Equality. Smashing Barriers.

At Table Tennis North, we believe that everyone deserves a safe, welcoming space to play, grow, and belong, on and off the table. As we celebrate Pride Month, we stand in solidarity with 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes, coaches, families, and community members across the Northwest Territories and beyond.

Sport has the power to bring people together, to create connection and confidence, and to challenge outdated norms. That’s why we’re committed to making table tennis a place where diversity is celebrated, inclusion is intentional, and everyone can thrive, regardless of who they are or who they love.

This month, and every month, we are proud to support initiatives that promote equity, challenge discrimination, and uplift voices from across the spectrum of gender and identity.

Let’s keep building a sport community rooted in respect, love, and courage, one rally at a time.

PrideMonth #TableTennisNorth #ServeWithPride #SmashBarriers #2SLGBTQIA #InclusionInSport #PrideInTheNorth

Your Voice Matters: Help Shape the Future of Sport

TT NORTH No Comments

Table Tennis North is proud to support an exciting national initiative led by Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, the State of Play Youth Survey 2025.

This important survey is designed to capture the voices of youth across Canada and understand how young people experience sport and play today. From access and inclusion to motivation and support, your answers will help create real, positive change in how youth sport is delivered.

Deadline: June 30, 2025
Who Can Participate: All youth ages 8–18
What It Covers:
• What sports you’re playing (or want to try)
• Why you’re playing — or not
• How coaches, parents, and other adults impact your experience
• What would make sport better for you

Your feedback is anonymous, voluntary, and powerful. Take the survey now: https://rezed.io/1PLYN1, or scan the QR code on our poster!

Let’s make sure that youth voices are at the heart of how we grow sport across the North and beyond.

Table Tennis Looks Ahead to 2027 Canada Winter Games in Québec!

TT NORTH No Comments

The Canada Games Council has officially announced that the 2027 Canada Winter Games will take place in Québec City from February 27 to March 14, 2027, bringing the Games back to where it all began 60 years ago in 1967.

This marks the fourth time Québec has hosted the Canada Games, following Sherbrooke 2013 (Summer), Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean 1983 (Winter), and the original Games in 1967.

A Big Moment for Table Tennis

Table Tennis North is already looking ahead with excitement and purpose. This event not only offers athletes the chance to compete at a national multi-sport event, it provides a platform to showcase skill, commitment, and the power of community sport in the North.

Event Schedule Highlights

According to the official schedule released by the 2027 Host Society, Table Tennis competition will run from March 2–6, 2027, in the second week of the Games.

  • Competition Dates: March 2–6, 2027
  • Venue: Yet to be confirmed by the Host Society

Key Details from the Technical Package

Here are some highlights from the published technical package for Table Tennis:

  • Events include:
    • Team Events (Boys & Girls)
    • Singles (Boys & Girls)
    • Doubles (Mixed)
  • Teams consist of 3 athletes per gender
  • Each province/territory can send up to 6 athletes + 2 coaches
  • Athletes must be born in 2009 or later (U19 category)

You can download the full technical package HERE.
And the Games Schedule HERE..

What’s Next?

As we continue developing our athletes and communities, Table Tennis North is committed to preparing for these Games with purpose. From grassroots programs to the Territorial Championships and high-performance camps, every moment on the table brings us closer to Québec 2027.

Follow the Host Society at jeuxducanada2027.ca and on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for updates. Let’s go, Team NT!

Fort Providence Table Tennis Club Hosts Yellowknife Open

TT NORTH No Comments

The Fort Providence Table Tennis Club is proud to bring the excitement of competitive Table Tennis back to Yellowknife with the upcoming Yellowknife Open. This event is part of a growing effort to support and strengthen the local Table Tennis community while offering more regular competition opportunities for players of all ages and levels.

Held in Yellowknife, the event will gather players from across the territory for a day of fast-paced rallies, friendly competition, and community connection. The Fort Providence Table Tennis Club, known for its leadership in the North’s Table Tennis development, is committed to making Table Tennis more accessible and active across the NWT, and this tournament is one more step toward that vision.

“I’m excited to host a tournament in Yellowknife to help grow the table tennis community and bring more people together. I’m really looking forward to some friendly competition and the chance to make new connections through the sport I love.” — Neilson Vandell, Fort Providence Table Tennis Club

More information on the Yellowknife Open: https://tabletennisnorth.ca/yellowknife-open-june-7-8/

A huge thanks to Small Economy Works in providing a Micro Grant to Neilson for making this, and a few other events happening.

This initiative reflects the Club’s belief that building a strong Table Tennis culture doesn’t just happen at home, it grows through shared events, shared stories, and shared tables. Stay tuned for results and photos from the Yellowknife Open!

Coaching as a Living System – Reflections on the Advanced Coaching Diploma

TT NORTH No Comments

By Thorsten Gohl

Earlier this year, I completed the Advanced Coaching Diploma (ACD), Canada’s highest level of coach education. What I thought would be a structured academic experience turned out to be something far more impactful: a human journey of reflection, purpose, and growth.

Delivered through the Coaching Association of Canada and partners like the Canadian Sport Institute, the ACD focuses on developing high-performance coaches not just in technical skill, but in leadership, planning, and personal integrity. The program is built around five core competencies:

•Coaching Leadership
•Coaching Effectiveness
•Performance Planning
•Performance Analysis
•Program Management

At first, these seemed like deliverables. Tasks. But over time, I saw them as interconnected threads, ways to anchor coaching in something more meaningful.

Coaching in the North, Coaching in Community

I didn’t enter the ACD with a crisp coaching philosophy or fancy binders. I came in with experience, walking beside youth, supporting communities, and creating space for learning. The ACD helped me put language to what I was already doing, and offered structure to keep doing it better.

Tools like the GAPS analysis, Yearly Training Plan (YTP), and Individual Performance Plan (IPP) weren’t just assignments to be submitted. I treated them as living documents, shared, updated, and centered around athlete needs. These tools became springboards for conversations, both with athletes and fellow coaches.

A Ripple of Support

This journey wasn’t mine alone. I was supported by Sport North, through the “They Can Coach” grant, which made this learning possible. And I was surrounded by mentors and peers who challenged and encouraged me along the way. One reflection that stuck with me: “Your legacy goes far beyond coaching, it’s about how you empower others and create sustainable change.” — Adam, ACD Mentor That’s what it’s really about. Not output. Not results. But the ripple effect, the space we create for others to grow.

The Final Presentation: A Mirror

It wasn’t until the final presentation that the journey truly landed for me. That space became a mirror. A chance to reflect not just on what I’d learned, but on who I had become. And in that space, the feedback I received wasn’t about performance, it was about presence. It was a reminder that the work we do quietly, consistently, and with care, matters.

Looking Ahead

The ACD gave me tools, language, and structure. But more importantly, it gave me confirmation, that coaching is a living system. One that evolves through relationships, conversations, and a shared vision for what’s possible.

If you’re a coach interested in growing your practice, or just want to talk about what this journey could look like, I’d be happy to share more.

This isn’t the end of a plan. It’s the beginning of a ripple.

Territorial Table Tennis Championships – June 21, 2025

TT NORTH No Comments

It all comes down to this. The Territorial Table Tennis Championships are set to take place on Saturday, June 21st, 2025 at the Territorial Training Centre in Fort Providence, and it’s time to crown the best in the North!

Athletes from across the Northwest Territories will gather to compete for the ultimate title in a day filled with passion, precision, and pride. Whether you’re a youth player chasing your first medal or a returning competitor ready for a rematch, this is your moment.

Venue: Territorial Training Centre, Fort Providence

Championship Schedule – June 21

10:00 AM – Youth Singles (U19)
1:00 PM – Open Singles – Pool A
3:00 PM – Open Singles – Pool B + Finals

This championship event marks the final stop in our tournament series and celebrates the talent and growth of our NWT table tennis community.

Want to Play?

You will need to be a Member of Table Tennis North: https://tabletennisnorth.ca/membership
Here is the link to sign up for the event: https://forms.gle/yPJihTDwHWxbmeHx5

Let’s bring the energy, the effort, and the spirit of competition to Fort Providence and finish the season in style and crown the 2025 Territorial Champion!!!

Yellowknife Open – June 7 & 8!

TT NORTH No Comments

Get ready, Yellowknife, the Yellowknife Open Table Tennis Tournament is coming your way with two days of high-energy play, learning, and connection!

Hosted by the Fort Providence Table Tennis Club, this event combines a training camp with tournament action, making it perfect for both new players and seasoned competitors. Whether you’re sharpening your skills or aiming for the podium, this is your chance to join the table tennis excitement in the capital.

Venue: William MacDonald School, Yellowknife

Saturday, June 7, 2025

2:00–4:00 PM – Training Camp
4:00 PM – Tournament Registration Opens
5:00 PM – Open Doubles Begin
7:00 PM – Open Singles Begin

Sunday, June 8, 2025

9:00–11:00 AM – Training Camp
11:00 AM–2:00 PM – Tournament Continues

Want to Play?

If you’d like to sign up, click here: https://forms.gle/71LkaEVHQeggtL9m7

Join us for a weekend of learning, laughter, and lightning-fast rallies. Whether you’re competing or cheering from the sidelines, the Yellowknife Open is an event not to miss!

Dehcho Open Returns to Fort Providence!

TT NORTH No Comments

Mark your calendars, the Dehcho Open is back and ready to serve up another exciting day of Table Tennis in the heart of the Dehcho region!

On Saturday, May 24th, 2025, players from across the region will gather at Deh Gah School in Fort Providence to compete for the title in one of the most prestigious regional tournaments of the year. Whether you’re a returning champion or trying your first tournament, the Dehcho Open promises a day full of fast rallies, friendly faces, and great community spirit.

Event Schedule – Saturday, May 24

Venue: Deh Gah School, Fort Providence
10:00 AM – Youth Singles (U19)
1:00 PM – Open Doubles
3:00 PM – Open Singles

This tournament is proudly hosted by the Fort Providence Table Tennis Club, and we’re looking forward to welcoming players of all ages and levels.

To register, please send an email to Neilson at (deadline May 22nd):
📧 neilsonv25@gmail.com

Come for the fun, stay for the fierce rallies, and maybe leave as a 2025 Dehcho Open Champion!

Honouring National MMIWG2S Awareness Day

TT NORTH No Comments

May 5 – Red Dress Day

On May 5, Table Tennis North joins communities across Canada in recognizing National MMIWG2S Awareness Day — also known as Red Dress Day.

This important day honours the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, and gender-diverse people. It is a day to reflect, to learn, and to build greater awareness of the systemic violence that continues to impact Indigenous communities across the country.

We are reminded of Call to Action 41 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which called for a national inquiry into the cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls — a call that continues to resonate.

Today, we wear red.
We pause.
We listen.
We commit to action, healing, and respect.

Table Tennis North stands in solidarity with Indigenous communities and honours the voices, the families, and the memories of those we have lost.

Let us each be part of creating a safer, more just future.

#MMIWG2S #RedDressDay #TableTennisNorth #TruthAndReconciliation

Shari Olsen Becomes First Territorial Referee in the Northwest Territories

TT NORTH No Comments

Table Tennis in the North continues to reach new heights!

We are thrilled to announce that Shari Olsen, from Fort Smith, has achieved another major milestone, becoming the first Territorial Referee in the Northwest Territories. Already serving as a Territorial Umpire, Shari’s new certification adds another layer of leadership and expertise to the growth of Table Tennis in the North.

In Table Tennis, the referee plays a vital role. As the authority on rule interpretation and tournament management, referees ensure that competitions are run fairly and in accordance with regulations. They oversee umpires, manage draws, supervise eligibility, and make important decisions throughout tournaments. Having someone from the North step into this role shows the incredible momentum and development happening in our Territory.

Reflecting on the accomplishment, Shari shared,

“It is so exciting! lol. It’s another exciting opportunity for Table Tennis to expand in the North, with Northerners forging the path forward.”

We couldn’t agree more. Shari’s achievement not only opens new doors for herself but also paves the way for more Northern representation at major events, including the upcoming 2026 Arctic Winter Games.

Congratulations, Shari! We are proud of you and can’t wait to watch your journey as a Territorial Referee across Canada.

Are you interested in Table Tennis in the Northwest Territories?