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WOOLWELL TTC has now finalised a one year sponsorship deal with DML Sports & Social Club. We are very confident that this will be extended and be the start of a lasting partnership. The club will now be known as
DML Woolwell TTC
Further details of a new club kit reflecting our sponsors involvement will be available very shortly.
Many thanks to club members & DML employees Paul Whiting & Ian McLeod, as well as DML Sports & Social Club Manager Nigel Rowe for bringing about this major benefit to the club.
Below are extracts from our submission to DML which outline our vision for the future & for the money provided under the deal
"The recent involvement of Paul Whiting from DML and other top class players from the DML British League team has given Woolwell TTC the opportunity to progress to another level. Our aim is to become one of the most successful clubs in the country offering a structure to develop all ages & abilities & progress towards this will be achieved in the following ways.
Maintain at least one session per week when players of all ages and abilities can play seriously or just for fun - a 2 ½ hour early evening Sunday session, with players ranging in age from 7 to nearly 80, currently runs very successfully and will continue.
Maintain regular high quality coaching sessions at two levels.
Elite, by invitation only, for the club's top junior players.
Introductory for keen beginners and improvers of all ages.
Recently initiated Wednesday evening sessions under Paul's overall supervision have ensured that a start has been made at both levels, which has been very favourably supported and received.
Maintain the club's own competitive structure which is already aimed at ensuring genuine competition at all levels and includes a ranking ladder based on the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) system, used every Sunday and whenever matches are played, to provide an incentive to improve and ensure competition at the player's own level.
Club championships, run in the spring for the last five years, now incorporating ten separate events including beginners and handicap.
Occasional all day weekend open competitions.
Provide encouragement and financial assistance to additional adult club members to obtain coaching qualifications so that the development of players can continue long-term on a self-help basis. Also to give the opportunity for junior players to obtain nationally recognised skills and umpire awards.
Benefit the Community
Woolwell TTC supports involvement in a complete pyramid of external competition and offer Table Tennis beyond the boundary of club members. Woolwell TTC offers opportunities to encourage new players to enter the sport and progress without limit. This is done by running after school clubs and specific coaching in certain schools in an attempt to encourage youngsters to take up the sport, which is not offered by the national curriculum. Woolwell TTC provide continued support for the Plymouth Primary Schools Championships, run annually and organised by club treasurer, John Smith. This provides a first taste of competition for many of our very youngest members as well as encouraging other youngsters from around the city.
Use of Sponsorship
Woolwell TTC will be able to:
Encourage involvement in the Devon Schools and Devon Junior Closed Championships, which provide both an early introduction for improvers and top local competition for the more experienced juniors.
Enter as many teams as possible in the National Junior League (NJL) (the local heat of which is also run by John Smith) which provides excellent competition for our best very young, and our promising teenage, players as well as a gateway to;
the British Junior League - their success in winning the Devon & Cornwall NJL title in 2003/04 enables a boy's team to represent the club in this for the first time in 2004/05. As at least two of that team will have five further years at junior level, our aim is to reach the top division and compete for the title within that time-span while qualifying further teams from the NJL.
Provide the opportunity for all players, of whatever age, as soon as they reach the required standard, to represent the club in the Plymouth & District League. Six teams represented the club in 2003/04 and this will rise in 2004/05 to twelve, giving Woolwell TTC the largest representation in the league. This is partly due to ex-China Fleet teams, including Paul's title winners, joining Woolwell. As well as the coaching expertise they have brought to the club as previously mentioned, they have agreed to include five of our most promising juniors in those teams, which will hugely aid their development. Woolwell TTC now has comprehensive involvement and opportunity at every level of the league.
Maintain, and in due course increase, the presence in the British League and British Women's League. When our best juniors are ready, integrate them into current teams or new teams with adults of a similar standard, with the long-term aim of regaining the Premier Division title.
Woolwell TTC has progressed with very little outside financial assistance. It's own fund-raising (in particular an annual end of season event held in May) and a policy of providing table tennis at reasonable but realistic prices, has maintained a sound financial footing.
The club's development will, however, increase costs significantly to some of its members and the club would like to provide partial financial assistance in particular specific areas:
To the most inexperienced junior players entering external tournaments for the first time (in particular, the National Junior League and Plymouth & District League), for whom the sudden increase in costs provides a disincentive - overall entry fees are about £80 per team (of 3 or 4) in the Plymouth League. 12 teams have been entered for 2004/05. For the National Junior League the team fee will be about £65 and four or five teams will be entered in 2004/05.
To our top junior players representing the club in national competition (particularly Junior British League) where very considerable entry, travelling & accommodation costs are incurred - one team has qualified for the Junior British League in 2004/05. Entry fees total approximately £150 and travel/accommodation costs for two weekends approximately £500.
To those senior players incurring considerable costs representing the club who are also providing very significant voluntary services to help raise the standards of other (particularly junior) club members - one British League & one Women's British League team will represent Woolwell in 2004/05. The cost of entering these teams is, British League £415 and Women's British League £290.
To foster a true club spirit Woolwell TTC's "home" for Plymouth & District League matches will move from Plymouth League HQ to The Woolwell Centre in 2004/05. This has many advantages, but costs will increase and a small short-term subsidy will encourage participation - the total increase in cost in 2004/05 will be around £800
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