Butterfly Table Tennis Championships/Wasserman Memorial at Lincoln Center

Butterfly Championships/Wasserman Memorial at Lincoln Center

Font Size:
Default font size
Larger font size

When you talk about "ping pong," you'd better be talking about the balls used in the NBA Draft.

Because when you mention "ping pong" to Dan Seemiller, he'll be quick to clarify.

"We don't play 'ping pong,' we play table tennis," said Seemiller, the U.S. Men's Table Tennis coach from South Bend. "Ping pong is what you play in your basement."

And table tennis is what they're going to be playing at the Lincoln Center in Highland on Nov. 15-16 for the South Shore Sports Butterfly Table Tennis Championships.

Also taking place that weekend is the Nate Wasserman Memorial Junior Classic, which will award scholarships ranging from $100 to $1,000 for finalists in the Under-12 through Under-18 boys and girls divisions.

"That's the first year for that," Seemiller said of the Wasserman Classic, which was started by U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Famer Si Wasserman in memory of his younger brother who passed away in 2001.

"We should attract a lot of the best junior players from across the country ... even as far as California."

Though this will be the first Wasserman Classic, memorial scholarships under the same name were awarded last year to top junior players.

"That was based on overall ratings at the end of the season," said Steve Isaacson, founder and president of the United State Table Tennis Hall of Fame. "This will be based on how they do at the tournament."

As for the Butterfly Championships, Seemiller, a longtime member of the South Bend Table Tennis Center, will be among the competitors next weekend.

Though he was U.S. men's coach, Seemiller wasn't at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

"We didn't have any men qualify, though our women were represented," he said.

One up-and-coming star and former SBTTC member, A.J. Brewer, seemed to be on the verge of becoming a medal contender.

"But he (Brewer) got into other sports," Seemiller said. "We have some other top juniors. We'll have to see how they progress."

Print Email

/sports
Current Conditions
55° F
Sponsored by:

Poll

Is Merrillville the best prep football team in the Region?

Loading…
Yes
No

Connect with Us

My NWI