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Tuesday, October 2, 2007
“Tennis Club is born in local basement”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
He used to play Ping-Pong at clubs in metro Atlanta. With the traffic, though, he found getting to them too taxing.
Jon Gustavson started looking for a place closer to home. He learned that no Ping-Pong clubs existed in Gwinnett. He also learned that the USA Table Tennis League, an online network, recognizes as a “club” any players with tables.
So Gustavson declared the table in the basement of his Lawrenceville home the Gwinnett Table Tennis Club. Today, the club plays at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville. About 130 players comprise the roster. Anywhere from 20 to 25 men, women and kids show up on Wednesdays and Saturdays for scheduled playing time.
“It’s not always the same 25 or 30,” said Gustavson, 50, who works for UPS.
On Saturday, I was supposed to hit a few with Gustavson, the founder, and Patsy Barrett, the assistant director, of the Gwinnett club. Life got in the way, though, and I never made it to Rhodes Jordan.
Maybe Wednesday.
In last Tuesday’s column, I asked if there was any interest in forming a Ping-Pong club, an idea dreamt up by me and Bill York, a friend. At the time, we didn’t know that the Gwinnett club already existed. We still want to set up something for players in the Norcross-Lilburn-Duluth area, and Gustavson has offered to assist.
His club philosophy definitely inspires. All ages and levels are welcomed. It costs $2 to play, a fee that goes to the county, which supports the program. There are no dues. Emphasis is on player development. For a fee, coaches offer beginner basics as well as help devotees elevate their skills. The club hosts USATT league tournaments and other events.
“It’s worked out extremely well,” Gustavson said. “You have so many people - serious players, people with kids, a lot of different levels.”
A dozen or so people have responded to the initial column that sought player interest. Gail Hock told me that her boyfriend is Duke Stogner, a Senior Olympics gold-medalist player who lives in Alabama.
The couple used to play at Spin City, a business in Roswell off Holcomb Bridge Road that recently closed. Hock said she’d like a place to play that’s closer to home.
“I, for one, would love to play in Gwinnett during the week, or on the weekends,” she wrote. “Feel free to contact me with any news about what you plan to do.”
If you’'re interested in a south Gwinnett club, give me a call or send an e—mail. York and I are working out the details; information will be provided in this space within the coming weeks.
Until then, take your game face and A-game to the Gwinnett Table Tennis Club. Surely, any number of players can dole out a heaping serving of humility.
For more information about the Gwinnett Table Tennis Club, visit www.gwinnetttable tennis.org. Contact Jon Gustavson, the league director, at topspin9@bellsouth.net; or Patsy Barrett, the assistant director, at patsyjo@bellsouth.net.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
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