Two New Haven Middle school Table Tennis teams with connections to CT. TT Association held an inaugural competition in June 2009.
Amistad Academy hosted the event, a team competition with nearby Conte West Hills School. The Amistad program, an afterschool activity option at the Charter school, is conducted by Peter Noble's Fairhaven Athletics organization. Peter was initially trained by CT TTA director Dave Strang. Strang was the program's original coach between 1994 and 2000, before Peter, and continues to conduct annual coaching clinics at the school.
Conte West Hills school's TT program is newer, conducted by Kacey Rosenfeld, a Physical Education teacher at the New Haven public school located not far from Amistad. Kacey has also been a student of CT TTA Coach/Director Dave Strang at the Middletown TT Club since finding the club a couple years ago.
Guests, Conte West Hills took most of the singles matches to gain an insurmountable lead, before Amistad won a number of doubles matches, finishing with a 10 to 4 match victory for Conte West.
8 Players, a mixture of boys and girls, represented each school, competing on 3 tables in the Amistad Gymnasium in the afternoon, afterschool event.
As the conclusion of the Spring TT season for both schools, the coaches, and a number of the players, expressed enthusiasm over the well attended and conducted event, and mentioned how plans for a rematch next year will motivate the students to more serious preparation during next year's club practices.
Photos below:
Coach Kacey watches and videotapes and Coach Peter hits with one of the kids.
