If you are someone who is up for a challenge then playing competitions is the right fit for you!
You have been practicing, taking lessons, hitting the ball with one or different players. Your game is improving! Or it certainly seems that way; but how can you really tell? Tournaments give you the perfect opportunity to not just test your skills, but your temperament under pressure. It is only through playing more matches that progress can be assessed through different margins such as technique, strategy, tactics and most importantly match psychology.
As in most sports, most people practice a sport to see how their hard work is paying off. Some people enjoy hitting the ball with others for exercise and fun while others are curious to see just how you really stack up against others and take your play into the next level. Participating in a tournament can give a good indication of where your play ranks within your club, community, city, country and internationally!
Different types of tournaments:
Sanctioned Tournaments: Sanctioned tournaments are recognized by an official governing body such as Ontario Table Tennis Association, or Table Tennis Canada, etc. These tournaments are worth rating points which allow you to aim for higher rankings in the Table Tennis Canada ranking lists. Since these competitions are recognized by the provincial and national associations, therefore, hold more value.
Unsanctioned Tournaments: As the name suggests, these competitions are not recognized by any association. Unsanctioned tournaments are mostly catered towards recreational players. Matches are not worth any rating points, so if a players loses or wins against a competitor, it will have no effect on TTCAN rankings. If you would like to compete in a less pressure environment to enjoy and compete for fun then these competitions are the right fit for you!
Most commonly organized categories:
Singles: mixed (both men’s and women’s); by skill level, rating points, or age.
Doubles: Seeding based on combined rating of the pair
Teams: Commonly used formats are teams of 2, or teams of 3
Tournament categories vary depending on the tournament organizers. They are usually divided by skill level to give everyone an opportunity to play with players of similar skill level. Finally, it depends on the organizing group, number of participants and possibly their skill level.
Benefits of playing competitions:
* Meet other like-minded players and make friends!
* Become accustomed to dealing with pressure situations.
* Test different strategy and learn more about match analysis.
* Get an idea of where you stand within your club, community etc.
* Get the chance to be recognized when winning a trophy or medal.
* Immerse yourself in an atmosphere of the sport in which you witness the spirit and love for the sport.
* Have the opportunity to discover your strengths and weaknesses and what to work on
To get notifications for upcoming competitions please refer to our social groups on WhatsApp or send us an email on club@ottc.ca.