To Townsville Table Tennis Association

North Ward, 19. August 2008.

We, Paul Jones and Terry Dahl, are very concerned for the coaching situation at the TTTA - especially with a view to the players that are keen on reaching higher level in their sport.
We would therefore like to present a plan on how to help - and attached is the sketch on our ideas. Our goal is, in short, to establish an academy to provide an opportunity for the table tennis players to achieve their maximum potential. We would like to call it: Table Tennis Academy North Queensland.

The initial set-up of Table Tennis Academy North Queensland:
1. Establishment
We suggest that the Table Tennis Academy North Queensland is approved by the TTTA at the meeting on 21. August 2008, as sketched and with an immediately start.
We suggest that the sub-committee, the Academy-committee, shall consist of the following members: Terry Dahl, Paul Jones and Steven Fielding. Dahl and Jones in the capacity as the Academy-coaches and Fielding as a member of the TTTA-managament committee.
2. Coaching/clinics
The Academy will be run as an addition to existing weekly coaching programs and private coaching - and as a start as a clinic on Sundays.
Invitation to players will be made and handed/send out.
3. Venue
We suggest that the Academy can use tables in TTTA-venue. To make the expenses less for the players we would like to suggest that the Academy can use the venue and an agreed number of tables free of costs. We would like to suggest a use of up to five tables.
4. Costs.
The costs of participating in high-level academies in other sports are quite high but we are hoping to keep the fees reasonably low - like 20 dollars for a Sunday-clinic of 2x1,5 hrs.
5. Players
We are mainly aiming to help the TTTA-players, but we would sometimes also like to invite keen players from other associations/clubs in North Queensland. They will have to pay a TTTA membership fee.

We hope that you find that our suggestion will be beneficial to TTTA, and that we can get a positive "go-ahead!".

Regards

Terry Dahl Paul Jones

Attached: The plan for Table Tennis Academy North Queensland

VISION
"To be recognised as the premier table tennis academy in Australia"

MISSION STATEMENT
"To provide an opportunity for athletes to achieve their maximum
potential athletically, educationally and as individuals."

The Academy shall strive for the highest level of professionalism
The Academy will strive to operate its programs at the highest competitive levels while simultaneously providing athletes with stimulating programs and sound support services.
Through training and competitive activities, the Academy hopes to teach several values: An appreciation for the benefits of hard work, motivation, and perseverance in both winning and losing situations; a sense of group loyalty and the ability to work as a team; a feeling of pride in accomplishment through fair and honest means; an appreciation for cultural diversity, human development and learning; and a sense of good sportsmanship and a high level of personal integrity and ethical conduct.
Through competitions and national and international exchanges the Academy shall strive to provide the athletes with the opportunity to test themselves against, and learn from, the best in their sport.
The Academy will strive to help the athletes in their personal environment besides the sport, and also work to bring positive recognition for their sport and the Academy at local, regional and national levels.

Selection criteria:
There are no specific selection criteria to become a member of the Academy, but the athletes must understand, and commit to, the adherence criteria. Acceptance will be at the discretion of the coaches.

Adherence criteria:
To be a member of the Academy the athletes at all times must fulfil the following criteria:
- display discipline and good work ethic
- display positive attitude
- display honesty, integrity and good sportsmanship
- display understanding of personal responsibility and what it takes to achieve set goals
- participate in the activities/training programmes with keen interest and top effort
- always follow instruction and advise from the coaches
The athletes must also understand that the way to achieve their maximum potential will include self-motivation, willingness to sacrifice, willingness to develop planning and time management skills, maturity and competitive nature.

Continuance in the Academy will be at the discretion of the coaches.

Aims for the coaches
The coaches shall strive for the highest level of professionalism and their main aim is that the athletes shall achieve their maximum potential as table tennis players. They will also help to develop the athletes as a person as well as players. They will also do their best to:
- aid the athletes to prepare for regional, national and international events.
- aid the athletes to set achievable short- and long term goals.
- aid the athletes to achieve their goals.
- aid the athletes through periodised training programs and monitored competition schedule.
- aid the athletes through stimulating programs and sound support services.
- be updated on the resent development within table tennis and sports in general.
- be creative in finding relevant methods that can aid the athletes.
- monitor the development of the athletes with a view to their goals, input and results.

Quality - not quantity
Even if there are no specific selection criteria to become a member, the Academy is only for the athletes that are aiming to achieve their maximum potential in their sport. The Academy is not the place for those who only want to have table tennis as a hobby. Quality and not quantity is important to us.
There will never be more than five players per coach - and the time spent directly with each player, standing on the other side playing or feeding multiball, will be equal for all players.
A coaching session for ten players, two coaches and four tables can be like this:
Table 1: Two players are fed multiball by one coach (one at work, one picking up balls).
Table 2: Two players are doing an exercise with one coach on the other side of the table.
Table 3: Two players are using the robot (one at work, one picking up balls).
Table 4: Two players doing an exercise - with a set goal.
Table 5: Two players are doing match-play on the exercise.
Most of the players will change their role after at set time, like 5 minutes, and change table after both have been taking turn. There will be a pattern of rotation so that all players visit all tables.

Input and intensity
The coaches will always take into consideration the player's level and the time of the season when planning and executing the exercises, but there will always be a high level of intensity at the coaching sessions. The players are required to be precise and prepared to the sessions and show top effort at all times. Since few, or no, players are 100 percent equal in terms of level there will always be a player that will have to play with one of lower standard, but they will have to accept this and understand that they no matter what will have to show top effort and put high demand on own play.

Physical and mental
Some athletes tend to put in a lot of practising hours into their sports - without reaching their goals. Planning, time management, quality training, monitoring and evaluation are keywords for the coaches at the Academy. A professional attitude is a must in sports today, and the physical part is almost as important as the hours at the table. Mental training with a view to remove invisible barriers and social activities to keep the motivation is also important at the Academy - as is nutrition.
Good in sports - good at school
There are no reason that an athlete who put a lot of effort and hours into his/her practising shall not be good at school. On the contrary - researches shows that students doing sports on a high level seem very often get top marks in school. Physical fitness and been used to concentrate is always a plus!
The Academy will also try to co-operate with the schools, and take exams and level into consideration when planning for the season and doing goal setting together with the athletes.

Sunday and holiday clinics
The Academy will as a start be run as an addition to existing weekly coaching and private coaching, and extend to training at weekdays as well when the numbers of players are picking up and agreements with schools, associations and clubs is in place. Players in table tennis who want to reach international level are expected to practice as much as in other sports (and table tennis in the leading countres) - up to 30-40 hours per week.

An example on a Sunday clinic:
09.30-11.30: Group A w/10 players
11.30-13.30: Group B w/10 players
13.30-15.30: Group A
15.30-17.30: Group B

An example when agreements with schools have bee established:
Monday - Friday
08.00 - 10.15 : Training session 1
11.00 - 15.00 : Schooling (modified)
16.00 - 18.00 : Training session 2
18.00 - 19:00 : Strength & Conditioning fitness training

Costs/training fees
The Academy will more or less have to follow the normal rates from other places/sports:

An example - from Pat Cash International Tennis Academy:

Short Term : Full-Time Training - (less than 8 weeks)
$550 per week - (11 sessions)
Long Term : Full-Time Training - (9 weeks or more)
$2,100 per month - (11 sessions per week)
Short Term : One Session per day (Mon-Fri + Sat a.m.)
$330 per week (6 sessions per week)
Long Term : One Session per day (Mon-Fri + Sat a.m.)
$1,265 per month (6 sessions per week)
Daily Rate : $100 per day (or $60 per session)

The Academy is hoping that the athletes can seek financial support from local/federal government, ATTA, QTTA and local associations/clubs, plus sponsors.

Academy 2008 - the academy was never approved/started.
Newsletter 2009 - start of the season/year.
Coaching Comittee - 2009 - established and later cancelled.
Coaching plan, period 1 - 2009
Coaching plan, period 2 - 2009
Coaching plan, period 3 - 2009
Turbo Table - multiball.
Coaching Clinic - 2009 - Easter Holiday week-end coaching.
All Ages Tournament
Recuitment - 2009 - drives to get new members.
"Time for a change" - letter concerning coaching.
Coaches Workshop - 2010 - cancelled same day.