RIVERLAND schools can access higher levels of sporting grant funds for table tennis through two new local coaches.
Renmark Table Tennis Association members Nigel and Rod Stoeckel earlier this year completed courses through the Table Tennis Australia Coach Accreditation System to teach young players in the region.
Nigel said their coaching would be available to schools receiving funding through the Federal Government’s Sporting Schools Program.
“We’re very excited to become coaches,” he said.
“There hasn’t been any coaches in the Riverland for a few years and there’s been a bit of interest from a few schools, so Dad and myself decided to go down and become qualified.
“We can teach beginners and new players. Primarily it’s for the Sporting Schools Program, so we’ll go around to schools in the Riverland when they apply for funding.
“If they have a local coach they can get more funding from the program.”
Nigel hoped promoting the sport in local schools would also help uncover potential new players for the Renmark Table Tennis Association.
“Eventually we will do coaching at the club as well… but we haven’t got a lot of numbers,” he said.
“The aim is to get people playing table tennis, then if we can get some students we can coach and create decent players out of that will be even better.
“When I was a junior we had 25 or thirty juniors being trained here and playing tournaments in Adelaide.
“We’re hoping to get that momentum back. Our club has produced a number of state players over the years and our long-term goal is to produce more in the future.”
Nigel’s father Rod – who possesses multiple decades of experience in the Riverland table tennis scene – said the impact of COVID-19 on many sports had made table tennis an “accessible” option.
“I’ve been playing since 1972, so I can put my experience towards training some of the young players now,” Rod said.
“It’s a family sport that you can play indoors, all year round.”
Rod said schools interested in hosting table tennis training would be able to apply through upcoming rounds of the Sporting Schools Program.
“A lot of the schools would already be aware of the Sporting Schools Program,” he said.
“They’ve just got to look it up the next time there’s funding available, choose table tennis and go through the different packages.
“If they get a local coach – like Dad or myself – they can get us out to the school, hopefully a couple of tables and bats, then we can start playing.”
More information on applying for the Sporting Schools Program can be found by visiting the website (www.sportaus.gov.au/schools).