Author Archives: TT NORTH

from Paul Devitt

A great way of learning some more about technique in Table Tennis is with watching videos. For beginners, I have recommended the following six Yang Yang Table Tennis videos found on YouTube. 

1.       Holding Racket and Basic Body Position 

2.       How to Play Forehand Drive 

3.       How to Play Backhand Drive

4.       How to Forehand Push

5.       How to Backhand Push

6.       How to Practice Table Tennis Alone

We had a fantastic time this last Friday at Weledeh School with the open house. We had 18 people show up to try out Table Tennis and getting engaged with the sport in the future. The idea is now to start a club in the capital city.

“This is amazing, seeing so many come out and playing Table Tennis. The future for a Table Tennis Club in Yellowknife is bright!!!” – Thorsten Gohl, Volunteer Executive Director Table Tennis North

“Great to see such a turnout with a variety of skills. It will be nice to see the club running on a weekly basis.” – Steve Rowe, Aerobic Table Tennis

“We are having a blast here in Fort Providence with Ping Pong Literacy. The kids are in love with the brain breaks, doing activities and keeping active” says Thorsten Gohl, Physical Literacy Coordinator Dehcho Divisional Education Council.

Table Tennis North works with Steve Rowe from Ping Pong Literacy in bringing the program into the communities. First stop was Fort Providence. Engaging the Grades 1-3 in their class room time on a daily basis. Showing some fun videos with PONG the rabbit and doing brain breaks like the up side down exercise.

We are excited to have Steve back in the Territories with his new program PING PONG Literacy. It will be great to engage our youth from 3-7 years of age in being Active for Life.

Working together with the Physical Literacy Coordinator Dehcho Divisional Education Council in bringing the programs into the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories.

“It will be great bringing Steve into the communities of our Region and introducing our kids to Ping Pong Literacy. Learning numerics and literacy in a fun way while having entertaining brain breaks to support being active for life. It cannot be better than that” says Physical Literacy Coordinator Thorsten Gohl

Steve Rowe adds to this “It’s always exciting to be back in the NWT. The children will learn academics, keep fit and table tennis. I am very much looking forward to delivering this amazing new programme to the children in the Deh Cho area. I can’t wait to see the reaction from the teachers and children.”

Table Tennis North will be doing an Open House October 18, 2019 from 8-10pm at Weledeh School. We love to see you there.

For more information contact [email protected]

We are excited to announce that the partnership with Aurora Ford & Table Tennis North will be continued.

“The partnership is helping us to support the smaller communities in the Mackenzie Region. Accessibility is key when it comes to support a sport like Table Tennis. It opens up so many possibilities for us and we are so very grateful” says Executive Director Thorsten Gohl. He continuous “Only good things will happen for Table Tennis in the North. Thank you Aurora Ford for joining us on the ride!”

You will see the Ford F150 driving along the highway a lot in the new future with clubs already established in Hay River, Fort Providence, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson and Yellowknife. Getting into an Arctic Winter Games year is always exciting and helps sports like Table Tennis to grow.

“Aurora Ford is always looking to support all of the communities in the North.  This partnership with Table Tennis North has provided us an excellent opportunity to get visibility in the smaller communities and help such a worthy organization be able to achieve its vision.” – Lee Cawson, VP Operations, Aurora Group

In its quest to popularize the sport of Table Tennis in all parts of
Canada, Table Tennis Canada (TTCAN) tries to affiliate provincial and
territorial table tennis associations all over Canada. Sometimes this is
not easy as you need local experts in the sport as well as equipment and
facilities in which to play the sport.

The new President of Table Tennis Canada as asked how he felt about
Table Tennis in the North:

I remember when I was a young man, almost 45 years ago, I played in the
National Championships in Whitehorse, Yukon. This was the first time that
any major table tennis event was held in the North. I did not play very
well because I did not sleep all night due to the permanent daylight. But
on the positive side this event lead to the Yukon Table Tennis Association
joining TTCAN as a member territorial association. I also attended the
first Arctic Winter Games as an official, and Table Tennis was one of the
sports in the program.

We had to wait a long time before Nunavut joined TTCAN, and also the North. The Northwest Territories becoming an active member of TTCAN. We are very lucky that one of TTCAN’s officials moved from Ottawa to the North and started an active and successful TT program in the NWT.  Table Tennis North, as the NWT Table Tennis Association is known, became a Territorial Sport Organization in September 2015 recognized by the NWT government sport authorities. Then Table Tennis North became a Member of Table Tennis Canada in July 2016. Ever since that time activities and programs in the NWT have increased and the sport is becoming more and more popular. Also, cooperation between the Yukon TTA and TT North has flourished to the benefit of players from both Territories.

On June 9th 2019 history was made. It marked the first time that a
representative from one of the territories was elected to the top
governance level of our national association. Thorsten Gohl, Executive Director (Volunteer) of Table Tennis North, was elected unopposed to the Board of Directors of TTCAN as Director responsible for Marketing and Communications. Thorsten wasted no time and started a communications plan to enhance communications and engage all table tennis fans, players and officials by activating all of TTCAN¹s social media platforms and its website.

One of the joint objectives of Table Tennis North and TTCAN, is to start a
development action targeting young kids using the NWT as a pilot project
that could then be replicated across the country.

We are very lucky to have Thorsten Gohl as a dynamo for the development of Table Tennis in the North and as a member of TTCAN’s Board of Directors.

By Adham Sharara, President Table Tennis Canada

Our Board member in charge of Marketing and Communications, Thorsten Gohl, visited my office in Ottawa to help TTCAN with its communications system.

While in Ottawa, Thorsten took over my office and worked intensely to prepare and propose plans to enhance our communications system and strategies, reactivate our website, and revive our social media platforms.

This is a huge task, but Thorsten is already active and has a 3-point ambitious plan that will see a total redesign of our website and enhanced branding of TTCAN to improve its image and engage our fans, players and table tennis lovers across the country.

During his stay in Ottawa, Thorsten not only played TT every night, he also produced videos of several interviews that will be posted on TTCAN’s platforms very soon. Look out for an interview with Curtis Caron, Stephane Charbonneau and Michel Legault. And if you want to know what is inside Thorsten’s head, other than a mini ping pong table, then look out for his interview as well.

Thorsten drives thousands of miles across Canada in his Table Tennis North Ford pick-up truck, equipped with a mini ping pong table, rackets and balls. Wherever he stops he plays with locals outdoor on the mini table. I was privileged to be asked to play yesterday in the Ottawa heat and hair-raising wind. I look forward to viewing the video.

I have dubbed this part of Thorsten’s promotion of our sport “Have Table Will Travel”. Those who are my age or older will remember the very popular western TV series “Have Gun Will Travel”. Thorsten is a peaceful man, so the mini table replaces the gun. “Stop the Bang Bang, start the Ping Pong” . I hope that we will have a section on our website showing photos of all those that have played on the mini table from all corners of our vast country and during all seasons.

Well, after one week it was time for me to kick Thorsten out of my office. I could only do it by punching him repeatedly. With each punch, his smile got wider. A real dedicated volunteer of our sport.

Thank you Thorsten and keep on trucking, literally.

What a nice article in the Dehcho school newspaper, about 2019 Canada Winter Games – Red Deer Team NT Table Tennis athlete Shannan from Deh Gáh School in Fort Providence.

Congratulations to Zachary Mathison for becoming Table Tennis North’s 2018 Player of the Year.

The young, 9 years old, Zachary had a fantastic year in 2018. Qualifying for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games and winning all Territorial titles that he participated in. This included the Grade 8 singles event and the High School doubles tournament.