Bromley calls for young girls to get involved in Spinneroos

Michelle Bromley remembers the first time she picked up a bat and ball. She was six years old.

She’d seen her grandparents play, her mum and dad compete at their local table tennis club, and her two older brothers picking up a bat as young juniors. Table tennis seemed the obvious choice when it came to choosing a sport of her own.

Even at such a young age, she remembers being hypnotized by the ball, hitting it against her kitchen wall for hours on end.

By 10, Bromley was representing NSW Juniors and at 14, she was travelling the world with some of her closest friends representing Australia at junior events. Now as a senior player, she’ll be competing at the Tokyo Olympics next year.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle of the sport. It’s been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old,” Bromley said.

“While I didn’t start the sport imagining what opportunities it could provide me, it has definitely enriched my life and given me a wealth of experiences that I would not have otherwise had.”

As a way to reach out to young girls across Australia, Table Tennis Australia has launched a Girls Only Spinneroos program, allowing girls between the ages of 4 and 12 the opportunity to learn table tennis and thrive in a safe and comfortable environment.

“Table tennis is a really fun and addictive sport. What I love about it is the high level of skill, speed and fast decision-making involved. It’s great for developing hand-eye coordination and is really beneficial for the mind. Not to mention a great way to stay active,” Bromley said.

While Bromley was lucky enough to be surrounded by the sport since she was born, the opportunity to join a group of likeminded individuals all her age would have been something she would have jumped at as a kid.

“Spinneroos for Girls is such a great initiative. I would have loved to have been part of this program growing up – a safe, fun environment where I could learn the skills of table tennis alongside a group of friends – this would be magic!,” she said.

“More so than this, I love seeing girls take up the sport. Table tennis is a sport that has such a strong sense of community. Once people join the table tennis community, they will often stay. It’s so nice to be around people that have the same love and enjoyment for the sport as you.”

Reminiscing about her early days in the sport, Michelle remembers the joy she’d experience catching up with new friends from around the country and being able to introduce her passion to her friends closer to home.

“Fonder memories of my early days in the sport were always getting to see the friends I had made at competitions. I especially enjoyed catching up with all of my interstate friends at Nationals each year, with the end of competition function always being a highlight,” she said.

“Over the years, I’ve embraced being different to my school friends who all took up the more “common” sports to play. Now I love exposing new people to the competitive side of table tennis.

“Because it is not considered a mainstream sport in Australia, it is often associated with a sport that is played in the garage at home with the family at Christmas time, but when people are exposed to the professional side of the sport, it is mind-blowing and there is a real beauty in it. “

For any young girls wanting to follow her footsteps, Bromley has one piece of advice:

“Dream big.”

“With dedication and persistence, you can achieve great things. Don’t shy away from your dreams if they don’t happen overnight. There is no shortcut to any place worth going.”

For more information on the Girls’ Spinneroos program, visit https://www.spinneroos.com.au/girls-spinneroos/

Posted: 24/9/2020

Photo with thanks to Michelle Bromley