There are over forty clubs at North Hunterdon, ranging from community service to electives to academics. Each club brings a unique perspective to North, and each is a little bit different. However, there is one club that flies under the radar, a club not known to every student. This club is focused on the game of ping pong.
Yes, there is a Ping Pong Club, and it is run by one of the more popular teachers at North, Mr. Phillip Sorg. Sorg was approached by junior Bernie Zhang last year, who asked Sorg to be the faculty advisor of the club.
Zhang did all the work for the club, as well as recruiting members and receiving approval from the school board. Zhang said, “Getting approval from the school board was difficult, but I kept pushing and pushing.” This struggle was due to the fact that the approval process is lengthy and requires a lot of steps. But, Zhang’s persistence paid off, and now he loves watching all the members play ping pong.
So what exactly does a ping club meeting look like? “Well, they’re not really meetings,” Sorg says. Instead of going over upcoming events and electing officers, the members get together each Thursday to play pick-up games. The boys play on two tables that were donated by Zhang’s father, and each usually brings his own paddle.
Most people suffer from the misconception that ping pong is any easy game, easily learned and requiring little skill. Sorg challenges this assumption by saying, “If you watched some these guys play, you’d see that there is definitely a lot of skill involved and a lot of nuances to the game.” In fact, table tennis was added as an Olympic sport in 1998, and has been growing in popularity ever since.
With about twenty kids in the club, Sorg says, “The games can get pretty competitive, but they’re always friendly.” His favorite part is watching the games, because a lot of the kids are talented and are interesting to watch. Joey Leonard, a junior, says, “Experiencing different playing styles is great, and I love that everyone can get together and play doubles.”
While the club is made up of mostly junior boys, other grades (and genders) are welcome to join as well. Students with all different interests join the club because each shares the love of the game.
Sorg is also looking to have a tournament that will raise funds for the club to expand and purchase more tables. They are in the planning process, with the hopes of having a tournament in the next month or two.
Students who have a passion for ping pong and an interest in this club should come to the Café B annex on Thursdays for great games, with great people.