As part of its "Play your game" campaign, Stadtwerke Gießen is supporting TTC Wißmar with training equipment.
Few sports cover such a wide range of activities as table tennis. Many people have tried it themselves in one form or another - for example, playing a round robin in the school playground around the grey concrete slab with the perforated steel plate in the middle -, on a school trip or in a friend's basement hobby room. Table tennis is a popular leisure activity for young and old alike. And one of the fastest ball sports in the world. The Tischtennis Club Wißmar 1975 e. V. (TTC Wißmar) proves just how fast - especially the players who play in the first teams.
However, it takes many a training session to reach the required level. And this is exactly where Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) comes into play. TTC Wißmar applied to the "Spiel' Dein Spiel" ("Play your game") programme and was awarded the contract. "The club has not only been committed to top-class sport for years, but also to excellent youth work," says Stephanie Orlik, responsible for sponsorship at SWG and therefore also for the campaign, explaining the decision. In fact, 30 children and young people between the ages of 5 and 18 regularly come to the Wißmar sports hall to train in three different performance groups. "We play at national level in the Oberliga with the 1st women's team, in the Bezirksoberliga with the 1st men's team and have another women's team and four other men's teams," explains Steffen Kreiling, 1st Chairman of TTC Wißmar. "A club as small and focused on table tennis as we are can only maintain this level of performance and, above all, the number of active players in the seven adult teams if committed coaches continue to inspire children and young people to play, keep them interested and ultimately introduce them to the teams." This is exactly what works at TTC Wißmar. The fact that the 1st youth team is also competing for points, sets and victories in the district league emphasises the exceptional work being done with young players.
Various activities
Organising good training sessions is not enough to attract children to the game with the little white ball. "We have to draw attention to ourselves," explains Céline Kreiling. She plays in the first women's team, runs the beginners' training programme and is responsible for the three junior teams. She also organises taster days in kindergartens, which are seamlessly followed by taster courses at the club, and holiday games. The TTC organises tournaments at district level so that even the youngest players can play in their first competitions. And particularly popular are the trips lasting several days, which of course involve table tennis, but there are always other things on the programme too.
Not just hitting balls
A similarly broad spectrum can also be found in a typical training session. This is because table tennis requires a variety of skills. In addition to a quick reaction, good hand-eye coordination is required. But also strong legs and stamina. Integrating all of this into training will soon be a little easier for the coaching team. This is because SWG has fulfilled TTC Wißmar's wish for various training aids: Skipping ropes, stepping boards, training cubes for different age groups, hurdles, mini pylons, rings with feet, fascia rollers and yoga blocks. "Nothing out of the ordinary at first glance, but these aids are a real benefit for us," says Céline Kreiling happily. The numerous training aids provide plenty of variety and ensure that the children and young people not only improve their sport-specific skills, but also increase their general fitness. "An absolute must in the youth sector," says the experienced trainer.
This holistic approach also convinced the jury at SWG. "We believe that teaching children and young people that sport should always be about improving their overall physical and mental performance is the ideal approach," explains Stephanie Orlik. The various items of equipment support this in a variety of ways. Skipping ropes, stepping boards, hurdles and pylons serve to improve running coordination in general and thus the footwork that is so important for table tennis. The training cubes make it more fun - they tell the children what to do. Letting the children roll the dice themselves involves them in the training programme. Nevertheless, it ensures that all parts of the body are stressed evenly and effectively. The rings - placed on the plate - represent targets that need to be hit. And the yoga blocks and fascia rolls help to improve mobility. "We are very grateful to SWG for their donation. The small pieces of equipment make our work much easier and multiply our options when organising training sessions," summarises Céline Kreiling.