WAB Club Feature: Maryland Table Tennis Center
(By Steve Hopkins)
The Maryland Table Tennis Center is one of the best known full-time training centers in the United States. Their 10,000 square foot facility is designed with table tennis in mind and features ideal flooring and lighting, high ceilings, and rubber flooring.
MDTTC is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland near Washington National Pike (I-270) and Frederick Road (Highway 355). The center is to the Northwest of DC and to the West of Baltimore accessible to one of the largest metropolitan centers on the East Coast.
Regular club hours are from 3-9 Monday through Thursday, 3-10 on Friday, and 9-6 on the weekends. Open play hours are listed separately as the activities at the club keep the tables full on many days. MDTTC features coaching and group classes, camps, leagues, monthly tournaments, and open play. This year, the Winter Break Camp will be held December 26-31 with both full and half day options. They are also now accepting registration for Winter Session classes for adults and kids.
Full information can be found at the MDTTC website.
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MDTTC OVERVIEW (by Larry Hodges at MDTTC)
Historically, we were the club that blazed the trail that showed that a full-time club devoted to table tennis training could work. More recently, MDTTC has had great success with local juniors, who train as part of HW Global Foundation’s Talent Development Program. Our coaches work together as a team and players train together as a team. The biggest success is in Under 10 Boys, where they now have the #1, #3, and #4 players in the country.
· The club is open seven days/week, with 16 professional tables, great lighting and sports flooring.
· The club has one of the best coaching teams in the US — including Cheng Yinghua, Jack Huang, Larry Hodges, Wang Qingliang, Jeffrey Zeng Xun, Alex Ruichao Chen, Bowen Chen, and John Hsu.
· The club runs a number of leagues, including the Tuesday and Friday night leagues (open for all), an “Elite” league on Saturdays, and a Junior league on Saturday nights (which is league play combined with coaching).
· The club runs camps all summer long, Mon-Fri, from June 18 to August 31. The club also runs a Spring Break Camp and a number of one-day camps when schools are closed.
· The club is home to three USATT Hall of Famers: Larry Hodges, Cheng Yinghua, and Jack Huang.
· The club is home to three USATT Coaches of the Year: Cheng Yinghua (1996 Coach of the Year), Jack Huang (1998 Coach of the Year and 2014 Developmental Coach of the Year), and Larry Hodges (2002 Developmental Coach of the Year and 2013 Science Award)
SOME OF MDTTC’s ELITE PLAYERS
· Tiffany Ke: Last year Tiffany pulled a trifecta, making the USA Mini-Cadet, Cadet, and Junior Girls’ teams, all at the age of 12! She is the reigning Maryland State Women’s Champion, and rated #2 in the country in Under 15 Girls at 2335 at age 12. She recently was as high as 2408. She won Cadet Girls’ Singles at the recent National Youth Ranking Tournament in Florida.
· Nathan Hsu: Nathan represented Team USA last year at the World University Championships in Taipei. Some of his best titles include winning gold medals in Under 22 Boys’ Singles & Teams and Under 16 Boys’ Singles & Teams at the Junior Olympics, and former National Club Team Champion.
· Nicole Deng: Nicole finished third in Hopes Girls at recent National Youth Ranking Tournament in Florida. She is currently #4 in the U.S. in Mini-Cadet Girls with a 1911 rating.
· Stanley Hsu, Mu Du, Andy Wu: These three nine-year-olds are ranked #1, #3, and #4 in the country in Under 10 Boys.
· Others include:
o Cheng Yinghua: Olympian; U.S. Open Men’s Singles Champion; multiple-time U.S. National Champion.
o Jack Huang: Who achieved a #1 ranking in the U.S. in 1990s.
o Jeffrey Xeng Zun: A former Cary Cup Champion.
o Wang Qingliang: 2012 U.S. Open Men’s Singles Semifinalist; U.S. Open Age 21 & Under Boys’ Finalist.
o Bowen Chen: Cary Cup 3rd place; U.S. Open Cadet Singles Finalist.
o Martin Jezo: Former National Team Member of Slovakia.
o Harold Baring: Former National Team Member of Philippines.
o Nathan Hsu: Member of Team USA, 2017 Universiade.
