The Table Tennis Club

I have now established a table tennis club at the local school and had 12 regular attenders since it started.  When it first started it was like a war zone with balls rebounding of the ceiling, windows, walls and me occasionally.  But their lack of skill at this early stage was countered by their wonderful enthusiasm to learn the game. But they listened and kept at it and quickly improved  Of course my fluent Swahili helped? Or it might have been my skill of demonstration?  Or perhaps they improved despite me?  It is amazing how we explain things when language is a barrier. I danced around to encourage movement and if you 'd have seen my demonstrations without the ball been used, I think, you might have said, it was artistic.  They did laugh a lot.  But it did work. The key, I think, was because there was a language barrier I spent longer at the early stages.  If you could see these pupils playing the game now you would be amazed. You can see from the photos that the tables are joined together and there is a crack down the middle which all adds to the fun and the card board nets work fine.  Thank you to Evans of Longton who supplied the bats and balls.   We play every night after school except Friday and have also started a Saturday morning club.  Who knows they may be the Tanzanian Champions of the future.  I move onto to my next school shortly where they have even better tables.  I think the kids think I'm a professional table tennis player and who am I to tell them otherwise!!