Passion for ping-pong powers Green Bay South school to sweep of provincials

GREEN BAY SOUTH, N.L. – There’s a passion that’s been paying off in a big way for Green Bay South students.

For the last five years, Dorset Collegiate, in Pilley’s Island, has emerged table tennis provincial winners. This year the team had a clean sweep, with the Grades 7-12 school claiming gold in all six provincial categories.

“We have a good developmental program,” said coach Mark Warren of the teams success. “We train up to an hour and a half each session, 45 minutes to an hour of that is dedicated to technical training.”

The school also competes at both the Atlantic and Canada Games level.

Warren has been involved with the program for 30 years and said Dorset Collegiate has been a strong contender in the sport since the mid-1990s.

While the school of 134 students competes in multiple sports, Warren said there’s a dedication to table tennis.

The program runs nearly year round, with training twice a week. A love of the game also sees students playing during their free time.

At any given time, Warren said, 20 to 30 students are taking part in table tennis, with the top 12 – six boys and six girls – taking part in provincial tournaments.

As older students graduate, he said, there’s always young players, stepping in to enhance their skill level.

Ty Winsor, Grade 11, has been playing for five years. He’s been the province’s boys’ singles champion for the past three years.

While he is involved in multiple sports, he said, the popularity of table tennis at Dorset Collegiate drew him to it.

He says it’s the challenge that keeps him going back to the table.

“I found you can always keep improving,” he said. “There’s never a point in time where you are going to stay at the same skill level, you can always learn something different.”

Ty practices at school and home.

“I try to get on a table every day,” he said.

And it has grown the sport beyond his classmates, as Ty said he often finds himself matched up again family members.

“I drags mom down whenever I can,” he said.

Grade 9 student Sarah Warren is this year’s girls’ singles provincial champion. Table tennis is in her blood.

Sarah was nine years old when she started playing. Her father, coaches, and her three sisters have been heavily involved in the sport.

“We play and train together a lot,” Sarah said.

And she sees the family time together as a strong connection to her continued interest in the sport.

Sarah sees the school’s success tied to a dedicated training regimen and a constant state of team building.

She’s hopeful it will keep Dorset Collegiate on top.

“We have a few young students coming up through, and we have six graduates leaving this year,” she said. “It’s going to be tough next year, but we can keep up the training and keep going.”

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Table Tennis provincial results

SOURCE: School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador