Table tennis club thriving at Penn

Many know ping-pong as a game played for fun and recreation with old wooden rackets on beat-up tables in musty basements. For others, table tennis is a sport played passionately for competition and national recognition with top-notch equipment. That latter condition applies to the core of Penn's two-year-old table tennis club. The expanding club this year has 45 members. Some are extremely skilled while others want to learn how to duplicate their successes. Started by current president David Rosenzweig, who is nationally ranked, and vice president Henry Gosebruch, the club has quickly ascended to the top in collegiate table tennis. The club placed third in the national team college tournament last year at Princeton. At the heart of the club are Rosenzweig and Gosebruch, both certified United States Association of Table Tennis coaches. At practices held twice a week at Hill House Pit, the two provide 20-minute segments of coaching to both those members who are amateurs and advanced. "Several new members join looking to improve their skills and become better players through the coaching," said Rosenzweig, who himself was coached from the age 14, and last year won an invitation to the national individual championships. Although the club is relatively large, only four to six players are selected to represent the club in each tournament. These players are chosen based on a ladder system where the top players must consistently fend off lower-seeded players who challenge them to retain their status. At this stage, competition may be fierce, but that does not hold true for all of the club. "Being able to represent Penn's club at intercollegiate events is sought after, but in general the seriousness of the members vary with their level of experience," Rosenzweig said. The club's schedule is full of events every week. It participates in a regional league with about 10 schools, and competes in numerous local club events. Penn's club belongs to the Southern Division of the Northeast Intercollegiate Table Tennis League. During the league's regular season, Penn will play four matches against divisional opponents before beginning the playoffs, which conclude with the finals in Boston. Rosenzweig and Gosebruch plan open-college tournaments as well where anyone in the University can vie for cash prizes. Graduate student Priyabroto Chatterjee won the last one, held Oct. 6. These events will continue through the year, so there is still time to make the conversion from ping-pong player to table-tennis competitor. "Our membership this year has exceeded expectations," Rosenzweig said, "but we can always set up new tables and welcome more."