Site Products
McGinty's Collegiate Table Tennis

Johnathan McGinty’s Collegiate Table Tennis Article (Part 2 – The Pursuit of Belonging)

(Intro by Steve Hopkins)

Augusta-based sports writer Johnathan McGinty has released Part 2 of his series about the early history of college table tennis in the US.  The article is titled “The Pursuit of Belonging: The amazing and untold story of the Anderson College and Augusta College table tennis dynasties”.   This article includes quotes from Pete May, Derek May, Steve Hopkins, Greg Riley, Brian Pace,  Willy Leparulo, Ty Hoff,  Richard McAfee, and Nigel Christopher.

The articles follows the beginning and end of the Anderson College and Augusta College table tennis programs.  Dynasties and rivals that ran their course in the late 19802 and early 1990s.

With the full support of their college leadership behind them, both programs set out to change the paradigm for the sport.

Anderson College most closely resembled what you might expect a traditional approach to crafting and managing a collegiate program would look like. It established a set amount of scholarships it could allocate to its table tennis student-athletes, and then offered in-state tuition rates to other interested players.

Additionally, to attract the best coaching prospects to nurture and train the growing number of players, Anderson College offered various educational avenues for coaches. This was an increasingly effective recruitment tool as many international table tennis players had been playing or coaching professionally overseas since they were young.

Ninety miles away, Augusta College wasn’t able to offer as robust of a scholarship package and instead relied on a clever mixture of benefits and the ingenuity of Pete May to provide ancillary incentives for prospective players.

“This was the essence of winging it,” Derek May joked.

The full article can be found here.

https://beyond-the-trestle.com/2020/09/07/the-pursuit-of-belonging-part-two/?fbclid=IwAR1DK-HvhavSDxHaJZ3NQEuuLKjKLQ3-rVFLEk6OyYjnoFNYMrs_sPVU5yU

Interested in USA College Table Tennis?  Check out this PongNow Interview featuring Willy Leparulo, one of the visionaries of the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association.

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.

Latest News

What is the ‘WAIT” function for?

April 30, 2025
1x Backhand Topspin from Backhand (close to normal body distance to the table – robot plays regular spin… Read More

Butterfly Training Tips with Rachid El Bou Bou – Backhand Loop & Forehand Pivot

April 30, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Rachid El Bou Bou is executing the Backhand Loop, followed… Read More

Zhu Yuling Signs Contract With Butterfly

April 29, 2025
(by Butterfly Global) Butterfly has signed an advisory contract with Zhu Yuling (Macau, China). Having excelled since her… Read More

Butterfly Training Tips with Lingshuai Meng – Backhand Punch Block

April 29, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Lingshaui Meng is executing the Backhand Punch Block https://youtu.be/WlXmg5wurQs Stay “In… Read More

Pair of Golds for Van Emburgh at ITTF World Challenger São Paulo

April 29, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) American Para Table Tennis star Jenson Van Emburgh delivered a sensational performance at the ITTF… Read More

Number One In the World! From Puerto Rico, The Best Mixed Doubles Team In U-13 Table Tennis

April 28, 2025
(by: Edgardo Vázquez /Puerto Rico National Coach ) Among the rising stars are Brianna Rodríguez and Owen Shemesh,… Read More

Backhand Receive Against a Short Serve to the Forehand

April 28, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) In my day, there were players who received short serves much better with their backhand… Read More

Should I “SNAP” My Forearm?

April 28, 2025
1 Forehand topspin from Forehand (close to normal body distance to the table – robot plays regular spin… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.