KENT COUNTY TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION

Affiliated to ETTA

NewsLINK October 2011

News and Views

NewsLINK is for circulation to KCTTA Affiliated Leagues. We would like them to post on their websites and also it pass down to the Club Secretaries in their league. Hopefully Club Secretaries will then forward it to their members, as far as is practically possible. Your help in circulating NewsLINK will very much appreciated.

KCTTA Who and What

Mission Statement "Aims to assist and encourage formation of TT Leagues and Clubs in Kent and promote game in every possible way."

Points of Contact - Officers

Chair: Mark Romano (Tunbridge Wells) chairman@kctta.net

Vice Chair: Bob Baker (Folkestone)vice.chairman@kctta.net

General Secretary: Roger Harris (Maidstone) secretary@kctta.net

Treasurer: Les Etheridge (Tunbridge Wells) treasurer@kctta.net

County Veterans Teams: Ted Tydeman (Sittingbourne/Medway) veterans@kctta.net

National Councilllor: Ken Muhr. (Weald) national.councillor@kctta.net

Deputy National Councillor:

Neil Le Milliere (Medway) nlemilliere@kctta.net

Kent League and Umpires: David Cue 01233623983

Coaching: Mark Walsh coaching@kctta.net

Thanks are very much due to Angie Bristow for carrying out the Secretary role for 8 years but who stepped down at the 2011 AGM. We have not been able to find a new webmaster. To maximise the web's value to the KCTTA and Kents' players we are setting up an induction fo allow individual KCTTA Officers to direct post notices, information, contacts etc. We will let you know when this has been done and as a result we can make the Kent CTTA web more informative and up to date.

New Committee Members

We very much welcome on board this year Marianne Jorgensson (Tatsfield), Jill Shipton (Medway) and Wayne Matthews (Medway/Maidstone), adding fresh faces to and enlarging the committee.

Initiatives

Three editions of NewsLINK have been issued. This one is the fourth. We need to better communicate with our Leagues: to make us more transparent in what we do and how we spend the money we receive from you and try to be less distant and more relevant. We though need you to also communicate with us, we invite you to do so. We can report a grant from KCTTA funds of up to £800 is being made to support Junior Tournaments, aimed at Improvers rather than the Elite and being played on the Grand Prix format at various venues round the County throughout the season. A trigger for running it is the Olympics, to use it as means to attract more young players into the game and aid their competitive development. Being run by Claire Moore and John Kemp, it is arranged under the auspices of the Kent Schools TTA and being part funded by them also. A benefit should be more young players wanting to play competitive TT, hopefully some will be drawn into the local leagues. We want to see the tournaments are sustained year on year, not just be a one off.

Following a review we have also separated the Kent Junior Closed Championship from the Seniors Closed Championship in order to try and increase Junior participation.

PLEASE PLAY YOUR PART BY ADVERTISING THESE JUNIOR EVENTS.

Entry forms down loadable from KCTTA web site.

Organiser Claire Moore moorec@thehowardschool.co.uk/07725724393 except where stated otherwise.

"Series of KentJuniorDevelopment and Schools TT Tournaments 2011-12.

1. Kent Schools TTA Team Tournament.

Howard School TT Centre, Rainham.

Teams of 4.

Wed 2nd Nov 2-6pm under 11's.

Wed 9th Nov 2-6pm under 13's and under 16's.

Wed 16th Nov 4-6pm under 19's.

2. Kent Junior Development Tournament.

Kemnal Technology College, Sidcup.

Sat 17th December 9am-6pm.

Under 11's, under 13's, under 15's.

3. Kent Junior Development Tournament.

Howard School TT Centre, Rainham.

Saturday 4th February 9am-6pm.

Under 11's, under 13's, under 15's.

4. Kent Schools TTA Individual Tournament.

Howard School TT Centre, Rainham.

Thursday 9th February. 9am-5pm.

Under 11's, under 13's, under 16's, under 19's.

5. Kent Junior Closed Championships.

Howard School TT Centre, Rainham.

Saturday 5th May.9am-6pm.

Under 11's, under 13's, under 15's, under 18's.

Organiser Bob Baker rbprint@btconnect.com/07986819973.

6. Kent School Games Team Finals.

University of Kent Canterbury.

Wed 20th June.

Under 13's, under 15's.

Organiser Barry Skates bazskates@btinternet.com.

Local School Games contacts Neil Castle ncastle@north.kent.sch.uk or Natalie Harris natalie.harris@kent.gov.uk/01622605440."

The Committee Corner:

Their News and Views

Chair: Mark Romano

Mark is in discussion with Demelza House who want to use TT as a beneficial activity that they will in future deploy among their people. We have been asked to assist them for mutual benefit.

Vice Chair/Tournament Organiser: Bob Baker

Bob has set up the Kent Closed Junior tournament for 05th May The Kent Senior Closed has been agreed for 22nd April 2012 with venue to be confirmed.

General Secretary: Roger Harris

Roger will continue with this newsletter as part of Secs role.

Treasurer: Les Etheridge

Affiliation fees have come in by due date from most leagues. Three are being chased to pay.

Kent League Organiser: David Cue

All teams fees received. Dissapointing loss of three teams from Vets div 1 and overall two teams down on last year.

County Teams Organiser: Ted Tydeman

Ranking lists being finalised and all county teams fixtures arranged.

ETTA National Councillor: Ken Muhr

Ken advised the ETTA AGM resolved that its Chairman and Officers shall not be able to hold office if they have a vested commercial or other interest in TT that would give rise to a conflict of interests.

ETTA Depts at Hastings are combining to make for more efficient administration and reduce costs.

Development Officer: Roger Harris

Roger felt that for the KCTTA to make progress we need to make contact with the League Development Officers. Working in unison will achieve more than each doing own thing.

With the aim of increasing participation two ideas for Kent League were considered. Making the Kent Junior League a 2 person team format was something we should aim for. A Working Group will be set up.

Also combining the Senior and Veterans divisions into ones with no age restrictions may be further considered.

Umpires: David Cue

David was pleased Kent Umpires had been invited and attended to help neighbours Sussex at their Open Tournament.

Invicta's Voice - Comment from the Leagues

Please use this section to pass your comments, ideas, views on all matters TT on to other Leagues and the KCTTA.

Let me have your text by email to secretary@kctta.net and they will be included here in the next edition.

One thing has been asked of us is to make sure the web site is upto date with names, removing those who were not now with us or not involved in TT. This we will do soonest.

Next Years Fees

We hear through National Council that next year the ETTA may be forced to increase its fees, quite significantly, to replace lost funding of 18% (equivalent to approx £360,000).

The likelihood of getting alternative sourcing is low. Whilst it is not yet definite, the proposed size of such an increase will have to approx double the existing fee to fully cover the lost funding.The effect of that could be fringe players will not renew their membership plus the ETTA must become more accountable. To minimise any possible increase the ETTA will be expected to reduce their admin costs, cutting out waste and anything that has no purpose for its members. At our AGM it was suggested that the KCTTA will have to propose a small increase in fees in the next season or two. This would be to balance income to outgoings, especially if we annually support Development schemes and initiatives.

Change

How do we increase membership?

Fact: Kent has 13 leagues, second only to Yorks (14) and Manchester (16).

Kent had 14 leagues a decade ago, other Counties have suffered even greater losses.

Every 2 players leaving the game is replaced by one coming in, new or returning individuals.

Bridging the Gap: Kent has excellent hotspots of youth coaching, which helps to bridge the gap created by losses. On top of these coaching hotspots Sevenoak's Janet and David Field recently introduced a Feeder League in their area, which has brought in new younger school players. Some are now featuring in the local league. On their own they all help but there is though an even bigger untapped potential. Such places as Fitness Centres, Leisure Centres, Health and Activity Clubs and more besides.

They all have members in the range late teens to retirement. Just getting 1% of them must bring in over 100 new members across Kent.

Maidstone unearthed a new Club, the first in a decade or so, from just such a situation at the Village complex, Aylesford. One of its lady players Julie Parker has provided two hour TT sessions, once a week for 12 months and now has around 25 new players (all who were going to the gym and other activities but when offered TT were only to pleased to give TT a go).

There may be such schemes going on round the County, let us know. One is now being progressed in Maidstone by joining with the newly opened Y Centre to tap into their client base, which ranges from pre-school to the retired. By providing TT Taster sessions it is hoped to attract players into TT. From there they can develop through from recreational to improvers to league play. The taster sessions will be supplemented by mini -competitions of differing formats to keep interest and develop skills. It will need coaches and feeders and helpers. Just doing one session a month would provide adequate coverage to support the venture.

Trials have first been held at Beechwood Community Centre, the new home of Barming TTC, held by Wayne Matthews to see which formats are preferred. The pre-season sessions were well subscribed.

It may or may not prove a successful venture but if it is the rewards can be high. For example the Y Centre has hundreds of members going through their doors on various activities but none of them TT. Implementing schemes such as this county wide would make that difference in bridging the player loss gap.

Kent needs to work with all our leagues to a common end, linking together can make a difference, providing a more sustainable future for TT. Individual schemes are excellent but greater progress can be made together. The KCTTA is now going to be looking at how we can work towards that goal, to try and translate words and ideals into action.

Change, are you up for it? Not upheaval but a series small thought out initiatives. Without change/developments our leagues, overall, will continue to decline.

Views

Please remember, let your committee (names and contact nos on our web www.kctta.net) know your views on things. All constructive points are welcome and can and do make a difference. Make a difference, speak up, text or email us those thoughts before our next Committee meeting on 07th December.

Enjoy the season that is now getting well under way.

Roger Harris.