Game Gallery Amusements

By STEVE CUSUMANO
June 10, 2005
Will Todd has known table tennis his entire life.
His father taught him the sport when he was 2 by attaching a net to a coffee table. When he was 6, the Columbia native was the No. 1 player in the nation for his age group, and he has since lost count the number of times he won the under-17 state tournament.
Todd, now 18, will join nearly 100 other competitors in the Missouri State USA Table Tennis Tournament this weekend in Jefferson City. Play will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Washington Park Ice Arena. It is the first USATT tournament held in Jefferson City since 1995. Admission is free, and the doors will open at 8 a.m.
“This is a unique event for Jefferson City and the surrounding area,” Tournament Director Steve Downing said. “There is no other tournament of this level in the Midwest. We hope this event will help us promote the sport of table tennis in the Midwest.”
This isn’t pingpong played in your grandfather’s basement. This is a four-star tournament, one step below international play. The best players put spin on the ball, making it unpredictable, and play at speeds close to 100 mph.
Participants must be USATT approved and are ranked using a point system. The tournament includes two divisions based on the ratings of members of each team. Players’ ratings are based on how well they have fared against other USATT players.
Downing said the upper division will include mostly nationally ranked players, and the majority of teams in the lower division are from Missouri.
Todd will compete in the lower division. He and his teammate Alex Lehocky, 35, from Tennessee, were awarded the fifth seed in the lower division, and Todd said he thinks they have a good chance to win.
Todd and Lehocky have never met before, but that doesn’t stop Todd from being optimistic. Todd said he feels he can beat any of the other competitors in the division. He will probably play against the other team’s strongest player.
“I’ve held my own against a few guys with ratings around 2,100 who have an offensive style, so I think I can do real well,” Todd said. “As long as he can beat the guys on or below his level, we have a real good chance of winning.”
Todd said the high skill level forces players to always be thinking a few moves ahead.
“It’s all about positioning and serves,” Todd said. “You want to get the other guy out of position, and you’re always thinking ahead. You have to know where the ball is coming to and get set, and pay attention to how high the ball is bouncing to determine the spin. If you can get to the ball and get set and get good position before you stroke, you have more time to hit it, and you’re guaranteed to get a good hit.”
Lehocky brings intimidating size to the table. Todd says Lehocky, who is 6-foot-5 tall, should help the team in doubles.
“If he can reach the long balls and return them,” Todd said, “then I can come in and get ready to attack.”
Todd expects to play in at least 15 matches during the tournament. Playing that many matches means a player must be in good physical shape to compete.
“In our bracket, it’s going to be about stamina,” Todd said. “It’s really crucial to win your matches fast. If you don’t play to your ability with every play and you start playing around, you’re going to waste a lot of energy. Then, it can hurt you in your next match when you play a tougher opponent.”
Todd hasn’t competed in a tournament since last year, but he has stayed in shape by playing basketball at Douglass High School. Despite the time away from tournaments, Todd still said he has the experience needed.
“I’ve played in a tournament in Baltimore where there were 1,000 people watching,” Todd said. “It’s not so much the physical part and technique for me anymore. The game is more mental for me right now. It comes down to execution on shots. I need to stay focused.”