We Are Butterfly Club Feature: Lily Yip Table Tennis Center
“First Family” of Table Tennis Welcomes Players into their Table Tennis “Home”
by Barbara Wei
Aptly named the “First Family” of Table Tennis, Lily Yip, Barry Dattel, Adam Hugh and Judy Hugh have been prominent members of the elite USA table tennis community for more than two decades. The family has accrued a mountain of accolades, unrivaled by any other single family in the US. Lily Yip, current US National Junior Girl’s coach, represented the US at both the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games; whereas Adam and Judy have both been on the US National Men’s and Women’s team multiple times. Barry has also accrued many senior titles, including in the Over 30, Over 40 and Over 50 events at the US Nationals.
However, the family wanted to do more to develop table tennis in the US, and in December of 2010, opened the doors to the Lily Yip Table Tennis Center (LYTTC), a professional training facility designed to rival those found in Europe and Asia. LYTTC is a 15,000 square foot facility with 24 tables on two floors and sits directly across the street from the NJ Transit train station stop in Dunnellen, NJ (about an hour outside of NYC). The club offers a multitude of programs led by their high level and dedicated coaching staff including but not limited to private lessons, group lessons, semi-private/small group lessons, beginner classes, league nights, adult/senior classes, member training, summer camps, after school programs and USATT sanctioned tournaments. The club also prides itself in hosting elite programs and events such as the NCTTA Collegiate Regional tournaments, 2013 World Hopes Training Camp and US National Team training camps (Cadet, Junior and Men’s/Women’s). LYTTC’s dedication to promoting and growing table tennis professionally has undoubtedly contributed to the rise of some of today’s brightest American stars such as 2015 Junior Team Member Tina Lin and 2015 World Championships Team Member Amy Wang. With over 200 members, and a high number of junior and female players, LYTTC continues to push the limits of US table tennis development.
Although the multitude of programs and offerings may be enough to demonstrate the club’s enthusiasm and passion towards the sport, the warmth and closeness of the “First Family” to the club’s members truly set LYTTC apart. Judy Hugh puts it most appropriately, “[the club atmosphere] is different with us. We’re close with all of our students. They’re our second family…all the kids just love to bother me with their personal programs.” Beyond offering a listening ear, Adam, Judy, Lily and Barry often offer players who travel from afar a bed to sleep on in their own homes so that they are able to train at the club for longer durations of time. LYTTC even has a kitchen in the back where meals can be prepared during long days of training, so that players can not only train but also eat and enjoy each other’s company.
To learn more about the “First Family” and LYTTC, visit http://www.lilyttc.com or follow them on Facebook.
