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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
“Ping-Pong club a go”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They showed up with their game faces on.
It’s a good thing Ric Crosby, owner of the Southern Athletic Club in Lilburn, has a Ping-Pong table set up in his gym. Turns out the folks who had turned up one recent evening had read my columns about possibly starting an informal Ping-Pong club in the community.
My friend Bill York and I came up with the idea. I floated it in the Sept. 25 column. Crosby, who enjoys the game as much as we do, has offered his facility as a host site if the club ever gets ramped up. Guess some readers misunderstood, thought we were up and running. That’s a pretty strong testament of love for a relatively simple game.
See, people enjoy playing; they just don’t have a place. I’ve learned that a tiny, hollow ball and a paddle can serve as a perfect way to connect.
Initially, about 25 people called or e-mailed me to express interest in a club. Nowadays, I get one to two inquiries a week from folks wanting to know if anything has been formalized.
Well, it’s on.
Our inaugural event takes place Nov. 1, beginning at 7 p.m., at the Southern Athletic Club on Beaver Ruin Road. This event - as well as the Ping-Pong club itself - will be a low-key affair. Of course it will be competitive, but most important, it will be fun. That’s not to say tournaments and other changes won’t take shape down the road, though. Those are particulars for another time.
We’re still working out some details. Like equipment. Do you have a table sitting in your basement that you want to get rid of? Let us know. I’d hoped that Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation could help us with a table or two.
No dice.
The county, understandably, can’t commit taxpayer dollars to equip a private facility, said John Register, the county athletics coordinator. He mentioned that the $5.8 million gymnasium/community center, under construction at Lucky Shoals Park in Norcross, is close to completion. The public will have a say in what type programs are offered in the facility.
“Maybe someone will want to start a [Ping-Pong] club,” Register told me.
Maybe.
For now, though, check out the competition Nov. 1 at the Southern Athletic Club.
Don’t forget your game face.
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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