The TTTA-Academy problem
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Proof that I am not telling lies in my letter to the TTQ annual general meeting to be held in March 2012.
(Back to the letter - click here)



From a letter from TTQ concerning the premary registration at TTTA:

5 October 2011
On the matter of the TTTA bylaw restricting access to club facilities and competitions, the TTQ Board has determined that this bylaw is not in the best interests of the development of the sport of table tennis in Townsville and I have written to TTTA asking them to consider amending this bylaw.
Yours sincerely
Derek Scott
Executive Officer

E-mail from TTQ to a player that want to have a hit (he sent a copy to me):

From: Secretary Townsville <ttta_secretary@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 6:04 PM
Subject: RE: Townsville
To: naitanteng@gmail.com

Monday night the centre is open from 7pm till 9pm

This would be a good night to come with your brother for a hit
Also Saturday morning from 10am to 12 noon or Sunday morning from 11am

Hope to see you soon

Regards
Rhonda

Rhonda Miller
Secretary
Townsville Table Tennis Association
Ph 07 4771 5911
Fx 07 4771 5994
Mb 04 1527 0083
ttta_secretary@hotmail.com


E-mail from TTQ to their members concerning the Academy:

From: kevintsv@hotmail.com
To: ttta_secretary@hotmail.com
Subject: Academy Affiliation with TTQ
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:32:45 +1000

Rhonda, please Fwd to all members as information update.

Hi Everyone,

Just to let you know that any affilliated club with TTQ,
is required to register all it's members with TTQ. Not just Representative / Club Tournament players.
TTQ's Bylaws also require social membership players to affilliate with TTQ as well.
The Academy's $10 membership fee does not even cover the TTQ and TTA component.
So, I don't know how he will cover his members without player insurance and what will become of the money?
I do not know how TTQ will see this if the Academy member fee is not paid as required in the TTQ By laws?

for your information..
E&OE

Best Regards
Kevin Chun Tie
Club President

PS: I hope we do not have to update you more information...
..... we want to get back playing and having fun with table tennis !!
See you at the hall!
E-mail from Paul Jones to TTQ concerning doubtful exclusionary practices:

From: Paul Jones <paulusjonas@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 7:47 PM
Subject: Re: Over the Net - Issue 1/2011
To: Derek Scott <derek@tabletennisqld.org>

Hi Derek,
I had a look at Terry's academy website and it makes no comparison with the Townsville club as regards the Academy being a serious club and Townsville TTA being only a hobby club. It does mention that one of the purposes of the Academy being formed is so that people in Townsville can appreciate that Table Tennis is a serious sport and not just a hobby. As far as I can recall this has been Terry's stated aim even back in the early 90's while coaching in Brisbane. His website specifically makes no mention of any other club's in this statement only a claim of what he purports the academy to be aiming for. I think that he has been unjustly maligned for this and also once again completely misunderstood by certain people who really don't understand his goals and intentions or who are using it as an excuse to hit out at him and as an excuse for some pretty doubtful exclusionary practices.
I am extremely concerned as by the trends (e.g. of Mackay being fairly quiet and cancelling their tournament) and the North being pretty quite as well. It is looking at present like North queensland is sliding off the Table Tennis map. Townsville TTA should be supporting the new club not trying it's best to scupper it before it gets going otherwise the sport is likely to die off up here.

yours sincerely
Paul Jones.


E-mail from TTTA concerning the Stockland event:

Fra: Secretary Townsville [mailto:ttta_secretary@hotmail.com]
Sendt: Wednesday, 23 February 2011 12:23 PM
Til: terje@sydhav.no
Kopi: Derek Scott; morrievalerie@bigpond.com; ronnienjim@hotmail.com; kevintsv@hotmail.com; pierre@mysoul.com.au; stdnef@bigpond.com; briang77@bigpond.net.au; annsellwood3@bigpond.com; peta.mayston@bigpond.com; ross@wyse-up.com.au
Emne: RE: Team matches

Dear Terry

Thank you for the invitation but we will not be participating in this event..

Could you please refrain form any advertising or printed material suggesting interclub fixtures or events without prior discussion and approval from the TTTA Board.
Eg: TTQ Over the Net issue and TTAT website

Yours sincerely
Rhonda

Rhonda Miller
Secretary
Townsville Table Tennis Association
Ph 07 4771 5911
Fx 07 4771 5994
Mb 04 1527 0083
ttta_secretary@hotmail.com


Letter from TTTA concerning co-operation, the reply on my e-mail (underneath):

TOWNVILLE TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION
60 Charters Towers Road, Hermit Park. Q. 4812
PO Box 185, Castletown. Q. 4812
Ph: 07 4771 5911 Email:
ABN: 66 401 852 634

Dear Terry

We thank you for your recent emails on 8th March and 8th April 2011 in relation to friendly competition between the two associations.

Your correspondence was tabled at our Board meeting on 17th March 2011.

Regards
Rhonda Miller
Secretary
Townsville Table Tennis Association

(Not dated, stamped post office 11 April 2011)

Fra: Terje Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sendt: Tuesday, 8 March 2011 11:18 AM
Til: 'Secretary Townsville'
Emne: TTTA and Table Tennis Academy Townsville

Dear TTTA,
When I established Table Tennis Academy Townsville one of the objectives was to do something good for all table tennis players in our city - and I hoped for both cooperation and friendly competition between the two table tennis associations in our city. TTTA has expressed that you are not interested in this. Can you please tell me why?

Regards
Terry Dahl
President
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
ttatownsville@gmail.com
Phone (office/home): 61-7-47723486
Mobile: 61-0431099274
Temporary webpages: http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/academy.htm


Invitation to our tournament, an e-mail follow up:
(The invitation was also on the internet - click here.

Fra: Terje Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sendt: Saturday, 26 February 2011 8:15 AM
Til: 'TTQ Townsville '
Kopi: 'Kevin Chun Tie'
Emne: A slight change to the invitation Sunday March 6

We have now changed the Sunday 6 event slightly; To be an open day for everybody fond of table tennis. The top players can come to have much needed match-practise, beginners not yet member of any association can come and have a go! We would like to inform everybody of this opportunity, so attached is a new invitation I hope you can hand/send out and hang up in your venue.
(It should be no problem if the old invitation already has gone out to your established members, we want to give beginners a chance to try out a table tennis competition even if they are not member of any association - like our own at the school).

Regards
Terry Dahl
President
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
ttatownsville@gmail.com
Phone (office/home): 61-7-47723486
Mobile: 61-0431099274
Temporary webpages: http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/academy.htm


Invitation to games 18 June, to Gary to give to his players:



Suggestion to a tournament in December, TTTA's reply and my emails:

2 November 2011
Dear Terry
We thank you for your recent email on 28th October 2011 in relation to your proposed tournament and possible trip to Fiji.
Your correspondence was discussed at our Board meeting on 30th October 2011.
Our association has to consider our considerable commitment to the programs implemented and new ones planned for the next few months leading up to Christmas, the new year and beyond.
Unfortunately this is a very busy time leading up to Christmas for our members so we will be unable to participate.
Regards
Rhonda Miller
Secretary
Townsville Table Tennis Association


Fra: T Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sendt: Wednesday, 26 October 2011 10:14 AM
Til: 'BRISBANE'; 'BUNDABERG'; 'CAIRNS'; 'GATTON'; 'Gold Coast'; 'MACKAY'; 'ROCKHAMPTON'; 'TOOWOOMBA'; 'TOWNSVILLE'
Kopi: 'Daniel Pun'; 'Daniel O'Neill'; 'Paul Uttley'; 'Bundaberg Table Tennis'; 'paul@tabletennisworld.com.au'; 'Derek Scott'; 'Paul Jones'; 'ttatownsville@gmail.com'
Emne: Re: Invitation Tournament in December

Hi,
I have heard from very few of you - did you receive my email?
I guess you have noticed that I managed to use the calendar for 2012, the correct dates are of course 17 and 18 (and 19) of December. Please tell me if other weekends are better - like 3 - 4 December (or even the weekend before).

I saw that Antony Ho, the president of Fiji Table Tennis Association (and a friend of mine) did inform you of the Fiji Open on 9-11 December, via my mail. Olav and I wonder if we should try to get there. If other players are interested then might be they/you can contact me, and I can help out - like taking juniors there. I have been living in Fiji several times and also was the National Coach of Fiji for a year (and I have been traveling with Norwegian national junior teams all over Europe).
Terry

Regards
Terry Dahl
President
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
ttatownsville@gmail.com
Phone (office/home): 61-7-47723486
Mobile: 61-0431099274
Temporary webpages: http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/academy.htm

-----Opprinnelig melding-----
Fra: T Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sendt: Saturday, 22 October 2011 1:46 PM
Til: 'BRISBANE'; 'BUNDABERG'; 'CAIRNS'; 'GATTON'; 'Gold Coast'; 'MACKAY'; 'ROCKHAMPTON'; 'TOOWOOMBA'; 'TOWNSVILLE'
Kopi: 'Daniel Pun'; 'Daniel O'Neill'; 'Anthony Ho'; 'Paul Uttley'; 'Bundaberg Table Tennis'; 'Auckland Table Tennis Association'; 'paul@tabletennisworld.com.au'; 'fokus@fokusbtk.no'; 'Derek Scott'; 'pangwayc@iinet.net.au'; 'Paul Jones'
Emne: Invitation Tournament in December

Hi,
There is a lack of table tennis activities this time of the year so we wonder if we should try to arrange an invitation tournament the weekend 15-16 December. We might even have team events (for the juniors?) on Monday the 17 December - since the school holidays are starting that weekend. We might be able to accommodate some juniors (in dorm style; like bringing their pillows and air mattresses) without any costs.
What do you guys think?

Regards
Terry Dahl
President
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
ttatownsville@gmail.com
Phone (office/home): 61-7-47723486
Mobile: 61-0431099274


School competition 19 November - reply from the Principal at Pimlico, I also got a negativ answer from Belgian Gardens School when I asked them in person:

-----Opprinnelig melding-----
Fra: MORRIS David [mailto:dmorr63@eq.edu.au]
Sendt: Thursday, 1 December 2011 6:00 AM
Til: 'T Dahl'
Emne: RE: Table tennis

Hi terry

Not that I can recall?

Regards

David

David Morris
Principal
Pimlico State High School
Phone: 4759 3444
Fax: 4759 3400
Email: the.principal@pimlicoshs.eq.edu.au
CRICOS Provider 00608A


From: T Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sent: Wednesday, 30 November 2011 5:45 PM
To: the.principal@pimlicoshs.eq.edu.au
Subject: Table tennis

Dear Sir,
Just a question: Did the school get an invitation from Townsville Table Tennis Association (not the Academy) to an inter-school tournament that was held on the 19th of November?

Regards
Terry Dahl
President
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
ttatownsville@gmail.com
Phone (office/home): 61-7-47723486
Mobile: 61-0431099274
Temporary webpages: http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/academy.htm


Letter from TTTA concerning our request to hire their hall for our Academy Open:

Mr Terry Dahl
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
30th January 2012

Dear Terry,

At its regular Committee Meeting held on Sunday 29th January at 1pm the members and in Committee of the whole considered at length, your submission to hire the centre for your event.

I advise that the Committee voted unanimously to not hire the centre.

Yours sincerely

Rhonda Miller

Rhonda Miller
Secretary


The proposed cadet league, the answer from TTTA and our suggestion:

Fra: Rhonda Miller [mailto:secretary@ttta.org.au]
Sendt: Wednesday, 29 February 2012 11:55 AM
Til: 'T Dahl'
Emne: RE: Table Tennis League for Cadets

Hi Terry

At the Board meeting held on Sunday 26th your proposed Cadet League was discussed.
Due to the heavy player program and club tournament schedule up until the end of June we would not be in a position to partake in your Cadet League.

Regards
Rhonda Miller
Secretary

From: T Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sent: Monday, 27 February 2012 1:56 PM
To: 'Secretary Townsville'
Subject: Re: Table Tennis League for Cadets

Dear TTTA,
Did you receive our email?

Regards
Terry Dahl
President
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
ttatownsville@gmail.com
Phone (office/home): 61-7-47723486
Mobile: 61-0431099274
Temporary webpages: http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/academy.htm

-----Opprinnelig melding-----
Fra: T Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sendt: Monday, 13 February 2012 9:27 AM
Til: 'Secretary Townsville'
Kopi: 'Derek Scott'
Emne: Table Tennis League for Cadets

Dear TTTA,
We would like to invite Townsville Table Tennis Association to what we have called "Townsville Cadet League" as a preliminary name.
One of the reasons that the Academy was established was to get more young players involved in our game. Interclub-leagues are very popular in most sports and table tennis team leagues should be no exception (I started an interclub league for cadets and mini-cadets in Norway many years ago, and it is still running very successfully!).
The idea is to have two-player teams for cadets, U15, and play a league throughout the year. It could be a separate league for boy and girls but if there are not enough girls then the teams can be a mix of boys and girls, we do not have to specify the gender for the players. Many sports are having leagues played every week, like soccer, but might be we can try with once a month or every fortnights for a start. Leagues are usually played as home and away matches, and I believe that we should try the same - venues, days and dates have to be determined of course.
I hope that I can get a positive reply, and that we can co-operate so that we can get can get a league for the younger players up and running.

Regards
Terry Dahl
President
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
ttatownsville@gmail.com
Phone (office/home): 61-7-47723486
Mobile: 61-0431099274
Temporary webpages: http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/academy.htm


E-mail from Olav to TTQ , 28/07-2011, with a letter confirming the incident at TTTA:

From: insanityprawn_1998@hotmail.com
To: admin@tabletennisqld.org
Subject: Sunday 11th of march - Verbal abuse
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:44:34 +1100
Hello,

this is my personal report of what happened at the Table Tennis Townsville Association on Sunday the 11th of march 2012.
I have attached my personal opinion to what happened and the explanation in the word document attached

Sincerely,

Olav Dahl

Sunday 11 March Table Tennis Report

On Sunday the 11th of march, my father and I went to Townsville Table Tennis Association so I could have a hit with someone. The moment we stepped into the hall, Rhonda Miller and Gary Walmsley came rushing towards my dad and making rude comments towards him that were not true in my opinion. They were both throwing comments at me and my dad like "Your dad is a liar", "Your dad is an evil man" and "Your dad is an asshole". In my opinion, this stuff is unacceptable, it is very rude and is worthy of bringing them to court. First of all, my dad has not lied to them at all. Second of all, why would they be calling my dad an evil man when he has not done anything to earn such a title for himself? And lastly, calling my dad an "asshole", is that really mature for a person to be calling others? I think not. Townsville Table Tennis Association should stop all this nonsense and start working together with the Academy. They fear that we will take all their members away, but the truth is that the establishment of the academy was purely and addition to the Townsville Table Tennis Association. The purpose of the academy was to promote the sport of table tennis in Townsville and make more competition in the North Queensland table tennis community.

Written by
Olav Dahl


E-mail from me to TTTA, 30/01-11, informing of the establishment of the Academy and wishing for a fruitful co-operation:
Fra: Terje Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sendt: Saturday, 30 January 2011
Til: 'Secretary Townsville'
Emne:Table Tennis Academy Townsville is here!

Dear association,
It is my pleasure to inform that Table Tennis Academy Townsville now is up and running. We are hoping for a positive and fruitful co-operation with your association, and appreciate any feedback from you!
It was 4 December that I could inform TTQ that the establishment of Table Tennis Academy Townsville was under way as an independent non-profit sporting association: That an interim committee had been formed and we were planning to start up the activities in the New Year. Due to the holidays and the flooding in Brisbane it took a little longer than we hoped to get everything sorted out when it comes to incorporation and the affiliating with TTQ/ATT. It is now in order. It has also been taking a bit longer time than estimated to get everything sorted out with the school where we will start our activities, mainly because of the before mentioned reasons, in fact it was only yesterday that it finally was confirmed by the school that we could have our beginners course there - and we are starting on Tuesday!
To recruit kids is our main priority at this stage, one of our main objectives is to involve children in table tennis as a sport, with emphasis on fitness and competitive skills. But we will we will also try to arrange activities like tournaments and coaching for the established players. The Academy is meant to be an addition to Townsville Table Tennis Association, - to give the more serious table tennis players of the city (and Queensland) an even better offer. We sincerely believe that cooperation and friendly competition between the two clubs can make the sport of table tennis prosper in Townsville. It is our wish that the members of the Academy also can be members of Townsville Table Tennis Association; that they can take part in our activities and we in theirs - for mutual benefit.
We are hoping that we soon can invite you to an inaugural tournament and we are also having some plans for staring a league for teams. We will of course have to start in a fairly small scale when it comes to a league; the distances in Queensland are as we know a major hindrance for a poor sport like ours. But we are hoping that we can get everybody into a positive spirit by starting something so please come back to us with your thoughts and ideas!
The distances to the rest of table tennis Australia is one of the reasons that we started the Academy; It is too expensive to travel to Victoria or NSW to take part in good competitions on a regular basis - we need more competitions in Queensland, we need more competitions in Townsville!
You can find more information about the Academy on our temporary web-pages: http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/academy.htm
We also are on Facebook.
With a wish for a prosperous table tennis year 2011!

Regards
Terry Dahl
President
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
ttatownsville@gmail.com
Phone (office/home): 61-7-47723486
Mobile: 61-0431099274
Temporary webpages: http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/academy.htm


Letter to me from the TTTA Committee, 22/12-10, telling that I no longer can do any form of coaching in their venue:
22 December 2010
Dear Terry,
In regard to your recent email about the development of a "Table Tennis Academy Townsville" locally, the committee views it as a conflict of interest with your current TTTA club coaching activities.
At this time, TTTA cannot authorise any Group or Individual coaching or training sessions by you in TTTA Facilities due to this conflict of interest. Therefore, we ask you to cease conducting any coaching or training activities in TTTA Facilities as of 1 January 2011. We thank you for your efforts with the coaching you have done for members.
You are welcome as a player and member, but no coaching or training type session will be tolerated.
At its meeting of 19 December, 2010 the Board designated the following TTTA Nominated Club Coaches.
Gary Walmsley (Club Coach)
Kevin Chun Tie (Level 2 Coach)
"Only the above TTTA Nominated Coaches and their Assistants have authorisation to conduct Club, Group, Private or Individual Coaching or Training Sessions in TTTA Facilities.
**All TTTA Equipment is designated for use by Nominated TTTA Coaches and Assistants only.
**The Monday Night Club Coaching Session will be conducted by a TTTA Nominated Coach.
Best Regards
TTTA Committee

E-mail from me to TTTA committee members, 29/07-2010, telling that I had not established a new club:
Fra: Terje Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sendt: Thursday, 29 July 2010 12:47 PM
Til: 'Secretary Townsville'; grigglesley@gmail.com; paulusjonas@gmail.com; morrievalerie@bigpond.com; ronnienjim@hotmail.com; kevintsv@hotmail.com; kforster@kirwanfp.com; stdnef@tpg.com.au; briang77@bigpond.net.au; peta.mayston@bigpond.com
Emne: To the committee members TTTA.

Dear Committee Members,

I had for a long time been hoping that you should wake up and see what injustice you have been doing to me but the miserable farce at the last board meeting have made me give up any hope. It seems that some of the committee members of one reason or another want to blame me for about everything, without spelling out what, how and why. I am always trying to keep a serious and responsible attitude in the role of a coach and leader, something I am proud of. I am also a very honest person, and all my friends know that they can trust me. I am not a diplomat, though, I like to speak my mind and hope that people are intelligent enough to understand that words just are words - and that it is action that counts. A fiery debate will more often lead to positive action than silence, but the people involved should also be able to listen. I feel that I have been talking for deaf ears since I got involved in table tennis in Townsville. Yes, some people seem more interested in sticking their fingers in their ears than to listen and see if I have something positive to add - and this is a mystery to me!

The fruitless debate at the last board meeting was so weird that I hardly could believe my ears. First somebody is mentioning that we should be helping people wanting to establish clubs at uni or other places - and then a few minutes later they try to blast me off me feet because somebody has told them that I am establishing a new club. Does this make any sense?
I said, and I say it again: I have not established a new club, I have no members in a new (non existent) club!
If somebody is establishing a new club in Townsville it will not be a conflict of interest with TTTA, if the person is a committee member or not. As it has been said in committee meetings: We should be happy if we get more clubs in Townsville!
There should also be no problem if a person a committee member of the more than one club/association. I have myself been helping to establish establishing new clubs in Norway, while I was committee member (even president!) of Norway largest club. Nobody felt that this was a problem - everybody was on the contrary very happy that I wanted to help out with this (and I was also board member of two table tennis associations for a short period, nobody thought that was strange)! This kind of work was later a part of my (voluntarily) job as chairperson of the Norwegian TTA's Development Committee, but it started when parents and players wanted to establish more clubs in Oslo.
If some of the board members of Townsville TTA should have heard rumours, true or not, that I was starting a association/club then the reaction should rather be like this: - That is great, Terry, but why?
Nobody seemed happy, and nobody asked such a question at the board meeting. Strange.
I could have given you some interesting answers why I should want to establish a new association - like that I do not want to disappoint young beginners. To get in about 15 new kids and see them disappear because they are not looked well after is not something I would like to experience again (so far nobody but me have been looking into why we lost beginners - even if it was decided at a board meeting that we should look into it)! Another answer could be that to establish another association could be a back-up plan if TTTA collapses because of reasons like bad economy (and/or that a lack of a proper development plan with mission statement and goals is hard to live with for a person who know how important this is and knows the positive potential if plans are made, and the potential catastrophic results if they not are made). Another very natural answer for me would be that I have a son playing table tennis. He will not last long in the sport in an association where the majority of the board members (and might be parents) do not recognize how important the social aspect is - that young players must practise together and form friendly bonds. Also: Olav has set quite high goals (on his own) and there is no way ha can reach his goals in an association where coaches are doing old fashioned training and teaching the players old fashioned techniques. He was the only TTTA-player improving his results (matches, not medals!) in the Queensland Juniors this year - and about the only one with a playing style you see internationally but the coaches/board-members are not interested in hearing about this or co-operate. Another reason is, as earlier mentioned, that Townsville needs more than one association/club. It is too expensive for most parents to pay for their children to travel to the (few) tournament in Queensland. There must a far better offer on the competition-side if the sport shall prosper!
So the above are some of the reasons you would get to a "why?".

There is no secret that I have been fiddling around with the thoughts of establishing another association/club - but it is far from thoughts to action (at least if you are a responsible person)! I know what it takes to establish a new club, and even if I am very unhappy with the situation at TTTA it is a big question if I have the time: I have other things to do (I have delayed an important book-project about the climate change for about a year now because I felt I had to help TTTA). At this moment I have not made any decision.
I have been looking for a suitable venue (but not really seriously - just looking). You cannot start an association without a place to play. Another thing you need to start an association/club is at least two coaches. I have not done anything here. Members to a potential club? I have not approached any of the TTTA-members - and if I start looking it will of course be of Olav's age and younger! Again: There are no plans in place.

I might be taking the sport of table tennis too serious but I see no use in wasting my time just fooling around without a plan or direction. That will give no motivation at all. I have done and achieved a lot in table tennis both as a coach and administrator. This time my motivation is to help Olav as good as I can (even if I rather saw him sticking to his soccer).

For the new member of the committee I might explain the following:
I have long experience in coaching and committee work, on association level, district level and national level (http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/terry_dahl.htm). I did not want to get back into table tennis coaching when I moved to Townsville, even if Paul Jones asked me time and time again. It was first when he gave Olav, who was playing competitive tennis, a flyer about free Christmas holiday table tennis things changed (it was raining too much for Olav to play tennis). After the holiday Olav wanted to keep on playing table tennis and I was pulled in. Paul then wanted me to help him out with the junior squad; to help him to get the intensity up at the training sessions. So we agreed upon how it was going to be done, with him helping out at the tables and me running around encouraging them vocally to step up the intensity. A few of the players did not seem to like this method but Paul was happy (personally I wanted Paul to keep on with his way of coaching and me just assisting, because it is not always successful to bring in a new coach in established routines). Later on we came up with the idea of establishing an Academy, which I quite successfully had done when doing a pilot project for Logan TTA in 1992 (Paul was a member of the Academy, his letter about me here: http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/paul_letter_suppor_terry.htm), because we felt that we had to help the keen juniors in an even better way. The majority of the members of the board were, to my surprise, very negative. Later on we suggested and established a Coaching Committee, with Paul as chairperson and all the coaches working in and for TTTA as members (at that stage it was only Kevin in addition to us but we but we were hoping to educate more). Unfortunately Paul lost his position as development officer at TTTA, and had to concentrate more on supporting his family in another way. He also wanted to concentrate on his own game (he was quite successful when I coached him in Logan, together with Peter Lander and a number of other players) and that meant that I suddenly was the only coach to look after all the members, and more or less at the same time; Beginners, intermediate, elite and veterans. I informed Paul several times, as he still was the chairperson of the Coaching Committee, that we just had to get more coaches to help out but not much happened. Also the junior fixtures had to suffer. The number of players had been decreasing steadily the last year and it kept on decreasing but Paul did no longer have time to look into this - even if he also was the chairperson of the Fixture Committee. The only thing he did was to give his input on the format of the fixtures. Katrina and I tried to keep both the junior fixtures and the beginners coaching going, and I believe that it was a big mistake of the board members to stop the fixtures; At that point in time we had a new set of beginners almost ready to start. And for the established juniors it is so important to play against each other; Most of the senor fixture players are social players with an old fashioned style - they need to play against players that have a more modern style!
Then my parents both died of old age and I have to go to Norway for a while. Again: I informed Paul and believed that he should be able to look into the coaching while I was gone - if he did not have the time to do the coaching himself or find other coaches then it of course was his role to inform the TTTA-committee (I learned later that Paul also had family-problems, so he must have been in a too difficult/busy situation). This did not happen - I was much later informed by a father of two beginners that they had found the door closed without any notice. They also later saw the "for-rent" sign and believed that the association had closed down.
I was also elected to the TTTA-committee; I felt that I with my experience had something to contribute besides coaching. I urged the committee to look into making a proper development plan (I was told there were no plans at all but much later learned about the incomplete Action Plan), because without mission statement, goals and a plan on how to reach the goals it is for an association like stumbling around in the dark - getting nowhere. I had seen sad and serious personal catastrophes (like several divorces and the president of a soccer association where I was board member and coach taking his own life) in sports administration because the lack of planning always leads to overwork for just a few (or often just one person doing about everything) and too often mostly negative feedback. So together with Paul I suggested that the TTTA should establish a Development Committee (http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/development_committee.htm ). That happened, but then the management committee decided that all sub-committees should be dissolved. Not a smart move in my eyes - it was to take a giant step backwards!
I was sad (but not surprised) to see Brian resign as the president, because it was him that urged me to keep on when I felt that the association or one reason or another (I still do not know why) was not interested in my help and I wanted to quit. And it was even more sad to see that nobody seemed to care, and that nobody wanted to look into why the president had resigned. "It is now very evident to me what the systemic problem is in the TTTA. Everybody just does whatever suits them", were Brian's words in his letter of resignation. This, and his warnings that the association might end up bankrupt, would normally have lead to that the committee members asked him to reconsider his resignation and promise to speed up a process of making a development plan after a problem-solving process where the association and it's situation was analysed.
My last try to start at process that could get the association on the right track was to suggest and plan a Coaches Workshop http://www.sydhav.no/terje/tabletennis/coaches_workshop_index.htm. It was decided at the board meeting that we should hold the workshop and that I should conduct it. And then it was cancelled when everybody were present and I was about to start - just unbelievable incredible! (I might add that it was on the internet-pages prepared for the Coaches Workshop that the board meeting told me to remove the TTTA logo - something I had believed that the association should be proud of!) It's just amazing how the negativism is flowing when it comes to everything I try to help out with. Is it just a "nobody shall come and tell us what we shall do"- attitude - or what is wrong? It is like there are forces trying to stop every normal way of running a sporting organization. I had in Norway sometimes problems to get table tennis associations to understand that our sport is a sport like other sports, and if we want to succeed then we at least must do as good as them, but it seems like people here do not have any pride in table tennis as a sport. It's like a "it's only ping-pong"-attitude. Why they want to get involved, or involve their kids, in table tennis as a sport is a mystery to me.
When I got into table tennis coaching and administration in Norway it was quite natural for me to take coaching courses (Level 3 in both Norway and Sweden), physiology courses and coursers for administrators - I had to know what I was doing. So when I through Olav was pulled back into the sport I of course had to upgrade my knowledge base, which I did before I made a decision to get back into coaching. Both when it came to coaching techniques and playing styles (and was surprised to find some of the techniques used were the same as I developed back in 1996). And of course I also had to study all the players and confer with Paul before I could give the players any feedback at all on their techniques. Too many cooks can spoil the food, and Paul had been coaching them for quite a while. I had been approached by one of the TTTA parents some time before Olav started, to help out with private coaching because there seem to be a problem with Paul's way of coaching. Paul was the TTTA-coach and I only could advice to take the problem up with Paul, which as far as I am concerned is the correct way of doing things. Yes, the players shall of course take up any concerns with the coaches (and Paul and I encouraged them to do so). If they are too shy to talk to a coach then they should talk with their parents so that they can take it up with the coaches in a sensible way (the parents should also be present at some training session to see for themselves).This is normal procedures in sports all over the world!

Well, this is turning out to be a long e-mail, so I better stop, but I felt that I had to explain my concerns.
If somebody does not agree (or agree) with the information I have given then I hope they will contact me!
Terry

Regards
Terry Dahl
Phone (office/home): 61-7-47723486
Mobile: 61-0431099274

(By the way: I did not get feedback from anybody on the e-mail above!)


E-mail from me to TTQ , 28/07-2011, confirming that I am willing to take part in a mediation discussion with TTTA.
Derek Scott at TTQ sent me an e-mail on the 27/7/11 and again 31/08/2011 saying that I had set preconditions on the mediation process. Well, I still do not feel that I made any preconditions to a mediation meeting (that I had suggested). I simply asked TTQ if it not would be wise to clarify important matters before the meeting. I believe that it is quite natural and common for a mediator to collect information that might be important to the meeting, to have the necessary background-information to be able to act as a mediator! I still believe that my questions were very relevant!
I would not had refused to come to a mediation meeting even if TTQ did not want to ask TTTA these questions but it turned out that TTTA was not at all interested in a mediation meeting - which of course was unfortunate!

Here is the e-mail with my questions:

From: Terje Dahl [mailto:terje@sydhav.no]
Sent: Thursday, 28 July 2011 11:22 AM
To: 'Derek Scott'
Subject: Re: To the board concerning issues in Townsville.

Hi Derek,
Thank you for your reply. I will of course be willing to take part in a mediation discussion with TTTA but I feel that it is important that some of the questions I am asking in my letter should be answered before such a meeting.

Have TTQ asked TTTA why they do not want to communicate and co-operate with the Academy? In so case: Is there an answer?
Have TTQ asked TTTA if they can rescind their new by-law and once again allow players who have primary registration with other associations to compete in their weekly fixtures? In so case: Is there an answer? If not: Why not?

I also feel that it would be useful if TTQ could ask TTTA if they would be willing to take back the decision that I no longer can do any group or individual coaching or training sessions in TTTA facilities – and/or if they would be willing to allow me to coach my son Olav at the TTTA venue (if we are members), also at the club coaching sessions in cooperation with the club coaches.
It should also be clarified if TTTA will allow all members and also non-members to have a hit or practise if there are free tables – also during club coaching sessions.
The above are the most important problems/questions on the more practical side that it also should be of interest to get answers to before a mediation meeting.

Regards
Terry Dahl
President
Table Tennis Academy Townsville
ttatownsville@gmail.com


Just a few thoughts on having more than one association in a city:
That somebody wants it to be only one table tennis association in Townsville is very hard for me to understand - might be especially with my background from Norway (and also Sweden and other countries). I Oslo there are many associations and nobody believe that it is anything wrong or strange about that. On the contrary; everybody are very happy that there are several associations - for of course the more associations the more activities like leagues and tournaments! Yes, we were even working hard to establish more associations all the time!
The associations are also co-operating. If one association is having a tournament, often held in large school-halls (for free), then they borrowed tables from each other and help each as good as they can with the arrangement!
When Olav and I went to Norway last year then Olav could experience how my old association was open for players besides the members to come and practise. During the club-squad practising for the juniors there were always a couple of players from another association - and they were even using their own uniforms. They practised with Olav and they practised with the association's other players. The players of my old association always thought it was great to have "new" players to practise with! They do not have the Fixture-system i Norway but players from other associations were welcome to play in the social Friday-ranking.
When I was coaching in Noway I was coaching squads on many levels. Oslo I had weekly squad training for the most promising players - keen players picket from all the associations. I also visited other associations besides my own - to help the coaches to get their training organized in a best possible way, and to give input to the players. Most of my work was done on a voluntarily basis, as a board member of the "state" and the Norwegian association it was natural that I tried to help out because everybody had to help out to improve our sport! I am sure that many think it is strange that I am not doing private coaching but private coaching does not exist in Norway. Might be you could give a couple of players some extra training one-to-one or as a small group when needed but very seldom (might be prior to championships) and you never charged them for it! The social aspect of playing together in squads is more important than rapid development - you want to keep them in the sport!