Grand opening event

June 23rd: First Event, Organization Introduction, and interviews

by James Yang

About the Event

Behind the Table hosted its first-ever event at Matchpoint Table Tennis Center this past Sunday, June 23rd. At this event, we sought to introduce the organization and its core members and establish ourselves within the community. Apart from offering open play, fun games, and the opportunity to play with high-level players, we also conducted an insightful interview with a couple of Matchpoint TTC veterans. Ark Ouyang, Marvin Yu, and Emma Yang shared their experiences, challenges, and inspirations throughout their years playing the sport. About 50 people joined the event, including young and elders from different ethnicities, and players of various levels. All were excited about the BTT establishment. We also recruited several new members to the organization, who will join us in future volunteer activities.

Q & A

Question: When and why did you start playing table tennis?

Ark: I started playing table tennis in middle school, which is relatively late for most players at my level. I started mainly because my dad wanted me to get into sports, but I had asthma at a young age, and couldn't play most mainstream sports like soccer and basketball. My dad also wanted to minimize the chance of injury from playing sports, and table tennis was a great introduction to the athletic side of my life.

Marvin: I started playing table tennis for fun. Back in middle school, we used to have a table in our cafeteria, and my friends and I would play for fun all the time. After a while of playing, I found that I enjoyed the game of table tennis, and searched for a coach to teach me more about this game I so enjoyed.

Emma: I started playing for fun, and was introduced to it by my dad. After a while, I realized my talent for the sport, and decided to focus on improving my skill-sets and dedicating my time to practice and competitions. Because of my efforts, I am currently a national team member for under 11.

Question: What is your biggest inspiration when playing or learning table tennis?

Ark: My dad was the biggest inspiration for me. He was always on the sidelines, cheering and supporting me through any competition's highs and lows without being too pushy with his advice. He allowed me to grow and was a constant presence that allowed me to perform at my best and even push myself.

Marvin: My biggest inspiration was my girlfriend. She is a very talented pianist and is always pushing herself to improve, reflect, and grow. She has been very supportive during my competitions, and even when I practice. I always look up to her never-ending drive to improve, and her mindset has enabled me to push myself even further as well.

Emma: Miwa Harimoto, a Japanese teenage Olympic table tennis player on the Japanese national team. I aspire to one day be on the national team representing the US, and I look up to Miwa because of her accomplishments at such a young age. She represents the possibilities that I can attain, and that is why I put so much focus and effort into training and playing table tennis.

Question: What was the hardest challenge you have faced while playing table tennis?

Ark: My hardest challenge was balancing my passion for table tennis and academics. I'm in college now, and being a dedicated student while also keeping up with expenses and table tennis practice is not always easy. It takes a lot of planning and time management to balance all the different aspects of my life, but I found that over time, it has become less stressful to think about.

Marvin: The hardest challenge I have had to experience was a time in middle school when I broke my wrist. Luckily it was my left wrist, and as a right-hand dominant player it didn't affect my playing much, but at the time I was invested in playing violin and was devastated that I had to give up the instrument.

Emma: Staying focused for long periods of time, and especially during practices. When I'm in a competition, I always feel compelled to win, and that's what grounds me and allows me to try my absolute hardest and perform at my best. But during other times, like during practice, I don't have that feeling that pushes me to put in all of my effort. I know that training is a large part in improving my skills, so I'm now trying to change my focus to put more energy into everyday practice.

BTT members volunteered to prepare and summarize this activity: James Yang (2 hr), Wynn Zhou (2 hr), Max Liu (2 hr), Andy Liu (2 hr); 

BTT members volunteered to organize and host the event: James Yang (4 hr), Emma Yang (4 hr), Wynn Zhou (4 hr), Rassi Zhou (4 hr), Max Liu (4 hr), Andy Liu (4 hr).