Leicester City School Sport Partnership

We have run little or no inter school table tennis for a number of years in the City. This year we managed to run competitons for Under 13 Boys and Under 16 Boys that culminated in a Lancaster winner and Crown HIlls winner going through to the County Finals. We also had an Under 16 Girls team from Madani go through to represent Crown Hills. Through the work we have done with Mike Smith from England Table Tennis, we have had 4 schools now wanting to take up coaching opportunities. We are also linking in the work we are doing and the future competitoins we are looking to run with Knighton Park Table Tennis Club to create a sustainable exit route and club link.

The event was held at the the new Gateway College campus in Hamilton. They have 8 brand new tables and also have several Sports Leaders with an interest in Table Tennis. Mike is now working with Gateway to help their Sports Leaders students with coaching and officiating skills/awards. He is also to find some appropriate competitions for them to play in.

The feedback we got back from the Teachers was excellent. They felt that as Table Tennis was not catered for in the City with regards to Inter School Competition, this event gave the players an ideal opportunity to play competitively and for the majority of the players this was their first competitive Table Tennis event.

Our aim for the next year is to build on the amount of teams we had to enter the Boys Under 13 and Under 16 competitions and get more teams to enter the girls competition. Mike and his team will be targeting Sir John North School (All girls school) early in the new year, as Knighton Park are focusing on getting more girls joining the club. The school have also just obtained some funding to buy some tables of thier own to play and practice on.

Participants

U13 Competition 16th November at Gateway Community College

U16 Competition 17th November at Gateway Community College

Crown Hills - 5 Schools, 28 young people

Lancaster - 3 Schools, 20 young people