Volunteering still providing a social avenue after 50 years

This week is National Volunteer Week (NVW), the largest annual celebration of volunteers in Australia. Sports like table tennis wouldn’t continue to grow without the contribution of dedicated volunteers who selflessly give their time week in and week out to support the table tennis community. 

In 2020 Ken Sands was awarded a TTA 50 Years of Service Award for his continued contribution to the development of table tennis in New South Wales. 

Sands began his table tennis journey as a player in 1964 and is still actively playing now as a regular member of the NSW Veterans Team. 

“I have been playing since I was 15. I started coaching in my 20s and that is how the volunteer journey started,” Sands said. 

Sands is a current Committee Member and former President of the NSW Country Table Tennis Association. During his time on the committee Sands successfully refreshed the NSW Country Championships. The event now attracts more than 200 participants every year. 

“I have had a lot of fun playing and volunteering at the veterans tournaments and it has also provided me with a great social occasion,” Sands said. 

Sands uses volunteering as a way to contribute to a community he has loved being a part of. 

“I don’t do it for the reward. I think if you are playing, the least you can do is contribute to your sport,” he said. 

Ken has served on the Goulburn Table Tennis Association Committee for many years before retiring and moving to Port Macquarie, where he was instrumental in reviving the Port Macquarie’s Table Tennis Club. 

Sands was also an accredited coach and for a few years he travelled between Coffs Harbour and Nambucca to coach and mentor numerous players.

Click here to watch Ken accepting his 2020 TTA 50 Years of Service Award.