Ping Pong…my bad…table tennis is a game that is beloved by billions. It re-creates the adrenaline and excitement of tennis but on a table that can fit in someone’s garage. ETHS coaches Marx Success and Franz Calixte run a table tennis team and club. It allows students who have grown up playing the lawless, unregulated game of ping pong to dip their toes into the stricter game of table tennis.
Back in 2010, former table tennis head coach Shirley Nannini decided to retire. Nannini was a former professional table tennis player and was highly respected within the school. When she decided to hang up the paddle, it left the table tennis team without a coach. Success and Calixte saw this and after long talks decided to take the position and co-run the team.
“We both talked about it and said, ‘Yeah we will give it a go, because I don’t think anyone is going to take this position.’ So we actually jumped at it, because we both loved playing and we loved coaching. And this is something to do in the winter for us,” stated Calixte.
Once they took over, their number one priority was to make sure everybody knew that it was called table tennis and not ping pong… just kidding… their real priority was to spread the word of the team around the school. They also decided to not only make it a team but also a club. This is something that is very special to ETHS athletics, as it’s one of the only recreational sports offered. It allows students to play a sport without having to worry about the competitiveness of it.
“It is great that we have an option for people who are less serious about playing and just wanna hit around for fun. That being said, I find that there is a common misconception that we are just a club,” voiced senior captain Owen Seaver.
Now almost 15 years later the program is not only thriving, but also competitive. In table tennis the top 6 teams in the state get the chance to compete for the state championship. The last two years the Kits have just barely missed out on the top six.
“For the future we want to get into that top six and play for another state championship,” voiced Calixte.
When it comes to co-running the team, Calixte and Success are a perfect fit. They both build off each other and use their many years of experience to help propel the team to success.
“He’ll do some of the administrative stuff in terms of running the group classroom, and I’ll do some of the administrative stuff, like scheduling games or practices. It’s just a good partnership,” said Calixte.
While ping pong may be a silly individual sport, table tennis takes teamwork and commitment to win. Teammates can’t help their team by passing the ball, getting assists or creating plays, but instead need to challenge their teammates and push them to their limits.
“I aid my teammates through practices while also giving them advice. Also, when one match is finished, the assumption is that that person goes and cheers for their teammates who haven’t finished their matches,” said Seaver.
Table tennis isn’t just about winning either.
“I try to be a role model for the younger students so that they will go into high school and life more mature than when they first started the sport,” said Seaver.
As the table tennis team enters the 2024-2025 season they set their eyes on a state championship. To achieve this, every teammate needs to push themselves to the limit and, most importantly, realize they’re not playing the baby sport of ping pong, they’re playing the intense game of table tennis.
“Ping pong is what you do in your garage. Table tennis has the rules and a league. It is what you’re going to see in the Olympics,” stated Calixte.
