Selfless volunteers behind Port Sorell Table Tennis Club success

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the largest annual celebration of volunteers in Australia. This week Table Tennis Australia (TTA) aims to celebrate the hardworking and dedicated volunteers that contribute to the table tennis community week in and week out.

The 2021 theme for NVW is ‘wave for a volunteer’ and is designed to recognise, reconnect and  reimagine how we support our volunteers. Table tennis in Australia wouldn’t be able to grow without the support of its dedicated volunteers and some of those volunteers have been busy growing a brand new club in Tasmania. 

The Port Sorell Table Tennis Club (PSTTC) first formed in September 2020 and the club was incorporated as a not-for-profit association in October 2020. Since its incorporation the club has grown to host 45 members.

PSTTC’s volunteer roots run deep, as the club began after club president Graeme Foulis’s wife Christa started running a small informal table tennis group as a University of the Third Age (U3A) Course. The popularity of the group indicated the need for a table tennis club in the Port Sorell community. 

“Everything that happens at PSTTC is because of the selfless contribution of the volunteers,” Foulis said. 

The five committee members are all ‘do-ers’ who each bring a unique talent and skill to the table. PSTTC’s focus is serving the community through table tennis, by demonstrating through coaching sessions for juniors and masters the accessibility of the sport. 

“Table tennis is a sport that can be enjoyed in any weather, season, time of day and can be played by any age group and skill level,” Foulis said. 

At PSTTC a number of families are involved in the club rosters spanning several generations; it is something the club is very proud of. 

“PSTTC welcomes anyone and everyone to become a member, whether it be a full member playing in competitions or a recreational member who just wants to come for the occasional casual hit.” 

The club has grown so much since beginning in October that they have outgrown their current facility. 

“We look to the future with optimism and are hoping to be successful in securing some funding for equipment so we can continue to grow,” Foulis said. 

Mr Foulis has big plans for the future of PSTTC and encourages anyone with a passion for table tennis to get involved in the table tennis community in any way they can.

“We hope to establish a formal junior program involving local schools, so we can get more people in the community enjoying the benefits of table tennis,” Foulis said. 

“Umpiring and scoring is an integral part of the game and we have just signed up our first non-playing member who will be officiating in our rosters.”