FUNdamentals: TOPS Table Tennis

Learn to Train: TOPS Table Tennis

During the late 1800s, table tennis – the sport formerly known as “ping pong” – sparked a craze throughout England. The sport was added to the Pan American Games in 1979 and the Olympics in 1988. Table tennis is now one of the world’s most popular sports, with roughly 200 national sport federations around the globe.

Along with partnership, table tennis teaches participants fundamental movement skills, fundamental sport skills and the ABCs – agility, balance, coordination and speed – of physical literacy.

Table tennis’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model consists of eight stages.

  • Active Start (ages 3-6) – Teaches fundamental movement skills and links them into play in a safe, stimulating and FUN environment.
  • FUNdamentals (5-9) – Develops fundamental movement skills, builds overall motor skills (ABCs) and teaches basic sport-specific skills through active participation in a fun and safe environment.
  • Learn to Train (8-12) – Introduces general physical fitness, teaches sound basic technical and tactical skills, and develops basic mental qualities.
  • Train to Train (11-15) – Raises the performance capacity, prepares to perform at identified competitions and reach a peak performance at the decisive competition(s) of the year.
  • Train to Compete (14-21) – Integrates all performance factors in a complex and harmonious blend in order to perform on a regular basis at identified major domestic and international events.
  • Learn to Win (20-25) – Consolidates all aspects of performance in order to reach a peak performance in major international events.
  • Live to Win (25+) – Refines all aspects of performance in order to reach the podium in major international events.
  • Active for Life (all ages) – Encourages players to remain physically active and in the game, either competitively or recreationally, for life.

LTAD Table Tennis 4 Life

TOPS School Program centers on the FUNdamentals.

Clubs of Excellence focuses on the Learn to Train stage.

Centers of Excellence aims at the Train to Train stage.

Centers of Excellence and Canada Cup competitions cover the Train to Compete and Train to Win stages.

Table Tennis Canada – ttcan.ca