Adelaide Table Tennis Club dives into Girls Spinneroos

The Girls Spinneroos program at Adelaide Table Tennis Club has received rave reviews from parents of participants in the program. 

Adelaide TTC is one of five clubs hosting a Girls Spinneroos program as part of Table Tennis Australia’s My Gender My Strength initiative to grow female participation in the sport. 

Keen to encourage more girls to participate in table tennis, the Club jumped at the opportunity when they were invited to host a Girls Spinneroos program. 

“I have noticed that girls participating at our club need to feel that they are in a friendly and very supportive environment. I think our Club has that type of environment,” said Club Secretary Greg Bungey, whose daughter played at a high level. 

“For girls to continue in the sport they need to have made friends with other girls within the club and thus have a friendship group,” he concluded.

Two weeks into the program, the girls have certainly been enjoying the sessions which have provided an introduction to table tennis. To date, their favourite activity is trying to knock stacked cups on the table over as they practice hitting backhand shots. 

Jasmine, who is leading the program at Adelaide, came into coaching last year after taking part in her school’s community service program which allowed her to help with junior group sessions at her local club.

“I enjoyed working with children and I decided to give coaching a go,” Jasmine explained.

“One of my favorite things is to observe their growth over time, both on-court and off-court where they improve their skills and friendships, as well as developing sportsmanship.

“I can always feel and share their joy, laughter, excitement, and positive attitudes during lessons.”

After being introduced to table tennis during a physical education lesson at primary school, the sport has gone on to be a regular part of Jasmine's life. The high-school student is one of the top female juniors in South Australia, having represented her state at the Australian National Junior Championships. 

Through her coaching, Jasmine has found it important to emphasise and demonstrate a positive mindset and good sportsmanship on the court. 
 
“The essence of the game is to realise your skills and the reaction to your opponent, and not just simply a game of win or lose,” she explained. “I find coaching is more challenging since I am stepping into the shoes of others to imagine myself playing and what I would do if I was him or her.”
 
As the Girls Spinneroos program continues at Adelaide TTC, Jasmine hopes to deliver a fun environment that the participants can enjoy. 
 
“Hopefully they will be interested enough to continue playing, and with a growth in the positive attitude,” she said.