Project Ping Pong

Northern Region Development Officer Report - June 2013

Three months into the role of Northern Region Development Officer it is time to submit my first report how Project Ping Pong (PPP) is getting off the ground.

PPP is helping us get into new schools and raise the profile of table tennis, it strengthens existing ties with schools by providing tables and equipment in exchange for buy-in to the PPP requirements set by the local district association.

My job is to establish a relationship with a school, deliver a good table tennis session, and identify a teacher that can drive table tennis going forward at the school.

There are many sports doing exactly what I do for table tennis, that's why it is important to make a lasting impression when delivering our programs and establish a permanent relationship by setting up a regular table tennis activity in the school or getting the school to send teams to compete in our inter-school competitions.

Exposure of table tennis to as many children as possible in schools will help to grow our sport and establish a base for future growth. I have experienced very encouraging results in schools where associations had an existing table tennis contact within that particular school. For example, the Auckland Table Tennis Association (A) and the North Harbour Table Tennis Association (NH) have full-time stadium managers and have been able to establish contact people within schools in their region and their relevant Regional Sports Organization (RSO). This has given me a starting point to be able to make contact and build a relationship to establish regular table tennis activities in those schools that are sustainable moving forward.

It is taking more time to set up PPP in Waitemata Table Tennis Association (WT), Table Tennis Northland (NL), and Counties-Manukau Table Tennis Association (CM) as those associations do not have the benefit of full-time stadium managers and rely on volunteers to deliver their programmes. However, the volunteers involved are keen to deliver PPP in schools and we are moving forward but at a slightly slower rate than in A and NH.

The following part of my report will summarise my work over the past three months, a more detailed task oriented version can be viewed in the attachment of the Northern Region Regional Plan.

1. Project establishment

set up office at Auckland stadium
set up computer and email
set up an online booking calendar
learn how to use the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to track my bookings, and contacts
regularly entering tasks and contacts into calendar
create an introduction document about PPP to send to targeted schools to provide initial information, generate interest, and establish buy-in (see attachment)
learn how to assemble Stag Elite table tennis tables for delivery to schools involved in PPP
contact associations and set up initial meetings to establish the direction and focus of PPP in each individual association

An important factor in the "set up" period was contacting associations and setting up initial meetings to establish the direction and focus of PPP in each individual association. It was at these meetings that each association advised the target year level(s) of PPP and the activities already in place, or being established, in associations in order to channel participants from PPP to their local club. In this way we hope to establish school-club links whereby students will be exposed to table tennis at their school and have a pathway by which they can choose to develop their table tennis skills further.

Following those meetings I contacted targeted schools or schools within the relevant year level(s) as identified by each district association.

2. Developing contacts

I have contacted a number of schools over the past month. Some associations had existing contact details for particular schools, in other cases I have had to source relevant contacts for given schools. I primarily used e-mail and telephone to introduce the concept of PPP to each school. This was not always successful however the majority of schools have been very positive about taking up the opportunity of being involved in PPP. Schools are particularly positive when I am able to personally introduce myself as the Northern Region Development Officer and inform them about the benefits of PPP.

Over the past three month I have contacted the following schools.

Glen Eden Intermediate School (WT)
Glen Eden Primary (WT)
Sunnyvale Primary School (WT)
Rangeview Intermediate School (WT)
Bruce McLaren Intermediate School (WT)
AGS Sunderland College Henderson (WT)
Holy Cross Primary School Henderson (WT)
Northcross Intermediate School (NH)
Belmont Intermediate School (NH)
Rangitoto College (NH)
Victoria Park Avenue Primary School (A)
Riverhills Primary School (A)
Riverina Primary School (A)
Anchorage Park Primary School (A)
Ficino School Mt Eden (A)
Dilworth School (A)
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School (A)

Being able to work in schools promoting table tennis and providing them with new equipment through PPP, is a very rewarding part of my role.

3. Table tennis coach development as part of Project Ping Pong (PPP)

I have undertaken to develop further on a personal level as well as assisting in the development of teachers and volunteers. On a personal level I have attended meetings and training sessions run by Harbour Sport and Sport Waitakere to educate me further about the sector.

With regards to the development of teachers and volunteers I have assisted in the delivery of a teacher personal development session at Belmont Intermediate and have given direction to the teacher in charge of table tennis at Victoria Avenue Primary School. Development of teachers and volunteers will be a focus for the three months as I work at further developing the links with schools already committed to PPP and enhance their ability to deliver meaningful table tennis sessions to their students.

4. Schools taking part in Project Ping Pong (PPP) to date

With the combined efforts of the Northern District Associations and my role as Development Officer we have successfully gained buy-in from the following schools to participate in PPP:

Belmont Intermediate School (NH)
Northcross Intermediate School (NH)
Sunnyvale Primary School (WT)
Glen Eden Intermediate School (WT)
Glen Eden Primary (WT)
Riverina School (A)
Anchorage Park School (A)
Riverhills School (A)
Victoria Avenue Primary School (A)
Mt Roskill Intermediate School (A)
Ponsonby Intermediate School (A)
Kowhai Intermediate School (A)
Farm Cove Intermediate School (A)
Huanui College (NL)
Whangarei Intermediate School (NL)
Kamo Intermediate School (NL)
Parua Bay School (NL)

Of note is that Glen Eden Primary School and Sunnyvale Primary School are both lower decile schools (4). As a result of PPP we will be granting two table tennis tables and associated bats and balls to each of those schools. This will enable Glen Eden Primary School and Sunnyvale Primary School to deliver table tennis to their students. A keen teacher has been identified to deliver table tennis at Glen Eden Primary School however the existing equipment is in a state of disrepair. PPP gives us the opportunity to support Glen Eden Primary School and enable table tennis to be delivered in the school without restriction. Sunnyvale Primary School has not previously offered table tennis as a sporting option. PPP gives us the opportunity to grant table tennis equipment to the school and enable table tennis to be delivered in the school without restriction.

A detailed list of equipment being granted to each school is attached in the Equipment Update.

5. Work in schools and at associations

My coaching work is divided between delivery at schools and delivery at association facilities. Some schools prefer for table tennis activities to be delivered at their premises. This is particularly successful at schools where there is existing table tennis equipment in place. That is why PPP is so important.

Other schools prefer for table tennis activities to be delivered at the local association facility. This is workable if bookings are able to made during times at which there is light usage of existing association facilities. This is also an important opportunity as schools demonstrate the ability of their students to travel to existing association facilities therefore it is more likely that those students will take part in junior coaching and development groups at those associations in the future.

Below is a list of activities that I have delivered:

delivering Kiwisport program at Belmont Intermediate School (NH) – 270 students
delivering Kiwisport program at Northcross Intermediate School (NH) – 1,130 students
coaching at Rangitoto College (NH) – 30 students
table tennis roadshow at Sommerville Intermediate School (A) – 1,000 students
coaching at Ponsonby Intermediate (A) – 40 students
coaching at Mt. Roskill Grammar School (A) – 35 students
demonstration at Edgewater College (A) – 35 students
coaching at Victoria Avenue Primary School (A) – 60 students
running trials for Auckland Normal Intermediate School at Auckland table tennis stadium (A) – 34 students
coaching at St. Thomas Primary School (A) – 50 students
coaching for Remuera Intermediate School at Auckland table tennis stadium (A) – 19 students
school holiday coaching at Manurewa Stadium (CM) – 10 students
Para (disabled) coaching at Manurewa Stadium (CM) – 5 students
junior coaching at Northland table tennis stadium (NL) – 15 students
coaching at Parua Bay School (NL) – 36 students
coaching at Huanui College (NL) – 20 students
coaching at Whangarei Intermediate School (NL) – 180 students
junior coaching at Waitemata table tennis stadium (WT) – 17 students

In total I have delivered table tennis coaching and development sessions to 2,986 students as part of PPP over the last three months. For more details about my coaching please refer to the attached Northern Region Regional Plan.

6. Success stories

Commencing the Kiwisport program at Belmont Intermediate School the number of teams entering the North Harbour inter-school competition doubled. The lunchtime competition attracted about 100 children. This demonstrates a successful school-club link.

By going into schools and running a table tennis program or activity I have received very positive feedback and support from the children and their teachers. For the Kiwisport program at Northcross Intermediate School 48 sessions of table tennis were delivered to approximately 1,130 children. A teacher was so impressed by the quality of the session and the positive reaction of her class that she offered to continue a table tennis activity at the school. She pointed out that it is the perfect sport for those students to shine in that are not interested in contact sports.

In areas like West Auckland with few established ties between the local association and schools PPP offered the perfect vehicle to form relationships. Glen Eden Intermediate, the biggest intermediate school in the Waitemata Table Tennis Association’s region, will receive 3 tables out of PPP. A keen teacher has been identified to run a regular table tennis activity at the school.

A relationship with Sport Waitakere and Waitemata Table Tennis Association has been established and will result in future table tennis Kiwisport programs being delivered at targeted schools in West Auckland.

I assisted in delivery of a table tennis roadshow at Sommerville Intermediate School that resulted in every student at the school receiving two taster sessions of table tennis – a total of 1,000 students. Following on from this roadshow an after school table tennis club has been established that utilizes the Sommerville Intermediate School Hall and is now attracting regular participation from around 40 children.

Victoria Avenue Primary School organizes regular table tennis sessions during school hours that is supported by a keen organising teacher. In conjunction with the organising teacher I am arranging for students to use the Auckland table tennis stadium on a regular basis on Tuesday afternoon during school time for practice and to play competitive matches against other primary schools. This will eventually lead to the establishment of a primary school zone competition day for the Central region. This is a perfect example of how PPP can be successful:

a) assist in forming a relationship with a school

b) identify a keen organising teacher to drive table tennis in that particular school

c) establish a regular table tennis activity at that particular school with the support of equipment supplied as a result of PPP

d) provide an opportunity for students to visit the local association facility and take part in organized table tennis activities.

7. Conclusion

I believe that the first three months of PPP have planted positive seeds for future growth, the next period will be about maintaining the relationships established and filtering more players from the schools into their local associations.

I have no doubt that PPP will set up the Northern Region table tennis associations to gain a presence in targeted schools and raise the profile of table tennis significantly amongst children and teachers in those schools. We will continue to work at channeling students from those schools into their local associations thereby developing a school-club link.

Ebi Kleiser