Home From Two More Senior Table Tennis Tournaments

 Last Saturday I competed in the Pasadena Senior Games.  This was my second year participating, and I won the Silver medal in Women 60-64 years of age.  I arrived early to watch some of the advanced women play in the 1:00 afternoon group.  They were formidable!  I was amazed at their skills and fierceness.  It was like being at the Olympics.  I soaked up the talent and electricity in the air.  

I was greeted enthusiastically by a few of the top players from my club.  Their warmth and support made a huge difference in my emotional state and gave me a sense of belonging.   They have so much dedication and experience.  Once it was my turn, Stacy Zhang, one of my favorite players,  patted my shoulders, said my name, and urged me into position.  It felt like I was part of their team, and reminded me of when I competed as a young gymnast.  LATTA has incredible players.  I hadn’t realized these ladies would be there; it felt like a tribe.  They have very high ratings.  Mine had started climbing, and it made me a bit nervous.

A couple women I met last year came up to me after the matches, expressing excitement and amazement over how much I had improved.  That was so kind and generous of them.  I started lessons last May, and my coaches Rudy Miranda and Tawny Banh have really worked me intensely.  It feels like an accelerated and highly creative pace.  They see your possibilities and natural gifts.  The personal game is a very individual design, like choreography.  You put in so many hours on and off the court, practicing, repeating, and refining.

I felt exhausted but relieved after the tournament.  The more I compete, the more I get to know people.  It’s a circuit.  I went right back to class the next day and then got some rest and chores done at home.  It takes time to recover.

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Feminine T Shirts That Fit Women

 I recently purchased a couple of t shirts online from a Colorado company called Onno.  Their website is Onno.com.  I am ecstatic with the superb fit, high quality cotton, hemp, and bamboo material.  

Now that I am playing table tennis almost daily, I wanted to switch to wearing breathable fabrics and incorporate my favorite colors.  The clothing sold for these athletes does not suit me.  It’s made of polyester, the cuts don’t show the female physique, and the extra small jersey I ordered online hung on me, baggy, unflattering, and masculine looking.

I found a few pair of linen shorts from Nordstrom.  They are light, airy, and colorful.  They match the Onno tees beautifully.  It feels right to wear colors that work with my hair and skin.  These outfits will meet the requirements for the tournaments I’m playing, yet still offer a sense of comfort, age appropriateness, and personal expression.

What do you wear when you exercise?  Does the color of your clothing affect your mood?  It sure does mine…I now have pale pink, powder blue, dirty purple, calming green and cherry red.  I can’t wait to wear them all to play!

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please reply in English.  I’m sorry, but those with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear, they are moderated.  

Finding Practice Partners in Table Tennis

 

Finding practice partners for table tennis can be a challenge, especially as a woman.    Everything starts at the top.  It took me four tries to discover a place where people watched me taking private lessons and then invited me to play.  I stuck with it and studied the top athletes while they practiced.

Many players believe that playing with someone who is at a lower level than they are is a waste of time.  They avoid “beginners” like the plague.  I disagree.  I look for people who are exact, calm, healthy and focused.  They usually learn the skills quickly, or are willing to practice drills for accuracy.  They are mature and relaxed, not reactive and angry.

If you are playing with someone newer to the sport than you are, you can still loop their serves, work on your attack shots, flick the short balls, and smash the medium balls.  You have to look for the opportunity and incorporate their natural strengths.   Sometimes I will make up an exercise that suits the partner’s natural abilities.  It could be a good arm, speed, agility, excellent serves, or solid blocks.   They are using what they do well, and you can work on your weaknesses.

I recently was asked by a guy standing across the floor at my club, “Hey! Do you want to hit?”  “Definitely,” I thought.  We warmed up with very long forehand and backhand rallies, in unison.  I told him that my coach wants me to practice games, but that I knew he could easily beat me.  He suggested, “How about if we play a game, but I won’t attack?”  I was so pleased.  How thoughtful.  The style he played was soft balls, and I felt disoriented.  My coach challenges me with hard, fast, high spin shots.  This was far less pressure and demand.  It felt foreign, and my body wasn’t sure what to do.  I mentally reminded myself to loop and use topspin. 

We had some excellent rallies, and although he still beat me all three games,  we were both challenged and enjoyed the workout.  Finding a person who is creative, loves to play, and doesn’t display arrogance is key.  You want people who see your potential, and recognize your discipline.    I look for the artistic types.  They are constantly growing and learning.  Their focus is on improvement, not on demeaning you.  

I have some photos from the US Open that Blogger is not allowing me to post.  Have any of you fellow bloggers encountered this?  I used to hit a tab that allowed cookies, but it is no longer appearing.

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please reply in English.  I’m sorry, but those with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear; they are moderated.

Played Table Tennis in the US Open, Women’s 60 to 65

 

Last month I traveled to Las Vegas,  Nevada, and competed in the US Open.  My coaches warned me that the ladies in my age group would be very experienced, and suggested that I not worry about winning or losing.  They were right.  I was nowhere near their level, but I enjoyed every minute of the games.  As a dancer, I followed the talent, and the same concept works in table tennis.

Lily Yip, in the rainbow shirt, is one of my favorite players.  She is still in gorgeous shape, and has a fierce dedication to the sport.  She complimented me on my yoga, and asked me how my matches went.  When I explained the gap in skill level and experience, she advised me to keep practicing.  She has a smile filled with light and is very warm.  I loved meeting her.  She and her coach have a very spiritual connection.  I sat and watched all their games and practices in the semi finals and finals.  It was thrilling.

The lady next to me also easily beat me.  I was able to score several points, though, to my relief.  She came and watched my match in the Under 1000 category.  It was helpful to have someone smiling when I scored and cheering for me.  We got along well.  She cleans houses for a living.  She learned to play in tournaments as a teenager.  

The Mandalay Bay was a gorgeous hotel.  I really enjoyed staying there.  It was convenient to go back to my room and eat, stretch, and soak in the tub.  This was my view at sunset from the window.  The hotel was easy to find from the 15 freeway,  and parking was convenient.  I would definitely stay there again.  I enjoyed Mexican food for dinner.  There was a VERY long line at Starbucks each morning, but that didn’t stop us coffee addicts.

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please reply in English.  I’m sorry, but 5hose with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear, they are moderated.