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!

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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.

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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.

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Winter Activities

 

Today the Newhall Community Center set up a festive table with cookies, candy canes, and devil’s food cupcakes,  They offered steaming coffee and hot chocolate.  It was beautifully done, and very thoughtful.

The women who work there went to a lot of work decorating the gymnasium where we play table tennis.  They did a lovely job.  I thought it was very touching.

I have been making some hearty meals this time of year.  Above was a dinner of pork chops and skillet Russet potatoes.   The days are short and the dogs and I feel very sleepy early in the evening.  I love this time of year.

How are things with you?

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Parents Who Demand Their Child Be the Best

 

When I was a young dancer, a mother of one of the girls who was from Japan used to glare at me with hatred when we passed in the halls.  I would smile and say hi to her, but she was a raging Tiger Mother.  Our teachers had given me a half scholarship and asked me to work as a teacher’s assistant each afternoon.  The money I made I used to pay for  my classes, pointe shoes, costumes and ballet seminars.  This woman felt her daughter should have been chosen for the opportunity.  She wasn’t.  I had natural teaching abilities that were evident at a very young age..  I was on the studio payroll at thirteen.  My father was impressed that the owner, Mr. Kirkpatrick, deducted social security taxes from my check each week.

Mrs. T. was livid, and she made no attempt to hide it.  She placed extreme pressure on her shy, quiet daughter.  The girl had natural talent, but lacked the drive, desire and confidence to excel.  To me, she seemed extremely obedient, submissive, and almost ashamed.  She looked down a lot, apologetically.

My dad used to tell my brothers and I,  “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”  That stayed with me.   In table tennis, if I improve and am able to apply what I learn under pressure, I am happy.  I have played with people from cultures who can’t bear to lose even one point to a woman who looks like me.  They react in a panic, and immediately lie, cheat, or order me to leave the table and play with someone from my own race.  This is the dark side of being a poor sport.  Many are experienced and adept cheaters.  In singing and dancing, you can’t fake what you do.  If you don’t hit the high C, the audience hears it.   If you are out of shape, you won’t be able to perform the choreography to a professional standard.

I am thankful now that I learned as a child to congratulate the winner,  not get upset by losses, and to develop the discipline to go back to class or practice the next day.

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Staying in Your Budget in Retirement

 Today I listened to a story on YouTube about a couple who financed an expensive RV during retirement.  It is eating a huge chunk out of their monthly budget.  I thought about my own strategy.  I drive an older car, and combine errands to save gas.  My hobbies are extremely inexpensive.  I ride my used beach cruiser with my dogs, read library books, play table tennis, and cook and bake.  Most of these activities are free.

I do splurge on travel, but get discounts through a close friend.  I also research and find what is most valuable to me.  As professional dancers, we traveled all over the world  together.  The company manager arranged our flights and the buses to the hotel.  With the Internet, you can really find the best deals and read up on boutique hotels and charming bed and breakfasts.  I have been very fortunate with the places I’ve stayed.  I can usually tell right away from the photos.

I have a few practice partners I meet with regularly to play table tennis.  We do exercises for accuracy  and work on drills.  It’s fun, social, and excellent exercise.  It’s much less expensive to attend the local senior programs than to join a club.  I still would like to have my own ping pong table at home.  My family had one on our back patio, growing up.  We would all play for hours.

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An Exciting Time Competing in the 2025 San Diego Senior Games

 

Gary Nishikida, Stephenie Lawton, Faye Gilbert and Arun Kumar 

Mixed Doubles Gold Medalists 

The San Diego Senior Games, 2025.

Last Sunday I drove one hundred and forty miles from Wrightwood, California to the Balboa Park Activities Center in San Diego.  I got up at 4:00 a.m., and made coffee and breakfast.  I packed a light lunch of fresh peaches, raw cashews, and bagged up  a couple of homemade scones.  

It was still dark outside when I warmed up the car at 5:30 a.m.  Wearing my table tennis dress and a shawl I had once knit for my mother, I headed down I-15,  my hand written directions laying on the seat next to me.  It was a straight shot to San Diego with very little traffic, which is highly unusual for this commute.  My friend Anita, who is a local,  gave me perfect directions.

I was of the first players to arrive.  There was plenty of parking, right near the building.  I found shelter from the sprinkling rain and I started my Russian conditioning warm up just outside of the building.  People began drifting into line to register.  I was asked to compete in women’s doubles and mixed doubles, due to low enrollment.  I agreed.  

It was an exciting and challenging day.  I am not used to playing so many matches in a row.  It was exhausting, and I felt my blood sugar drop around noon.  I was very glad I had packed some healthy snacks and brought water.  The levels were varied.  I played people who are new to the sport and was also paired with the top male player in the club.   That was very exciting!   Our opponent is  one of the best in the world!  I focused on staying calm, watching the ball, and thinking of it all as choreography.    Practicing at our local community centers, senior center, and training with the pros at Allen and Sons helped me greatly.  Anastasia, Fovad, Bella, Rudy and Zichery prepared me for the tournament.  

To my surprise and delight, I was awarded Gold in Women’s Singles, 60-65, Gold in Mixed Doubles, 60-65, and Silver in Women’s Doubles.  Phew!  It was definitely worth all of the private lessons, group classes, and hours of practice and off the court training.  It is four days later, and I am still recovering.  

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Taking a Blogging Break

 Hi blogging friends.  I am taking a break from my blog, due to a very busy schedule.  Hope everyone is having a fabulous summer…I am!  Have met some exciting and talented people through table tennis, and am enjoying the challenging training.  Hope you are all staying fit, happy, and healthy!  Keep me posted on how you are doing…

Party for the Medal Winners of the 2025 Pasadena Senior Games

 

This afternoon I attended a party for the medal winners of the Pasadena Senior Games.  “Wear your medals!” The invitation stated.  I got ready early, walked the dogs, and drove down the mountain onto the 15 South, and then took the 210 West to Pasadena.  It was a sunny and quiet day.  I found parking near the Metro station and the senior center.

Since we arrived early, I chatted with a couple of men in the lobby.  Both were lean and athletic.  They pushed themselves very hard, and let me know their accomplishments and times.  Both were gold medalists.  “Lots of Type A’s,” I chuckled to myself.  The woman sitting next to me at lunch had a backpack full of medals that  she had accumulated this year!  She has plans to complete a triathalon tomorrow.   It sounds like a demanding and exhausting lifestyle.

Some were headed to the Nationals and World Games.  I will wait until next year.  I am mostly interested in private lessons and training.  I love the learning aspect.  It makes the games so much easier, by giving me a toolbox.  Some people never lose that competitive edge.  It’s still nice to relax and take a rest, though.  

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.