Working closely with the local authorities has also been vital although, according to Martin May, the young persons’ co-ordinator for the Enfield Leisure Centres Trust, the club’s progress has been driven by the passion of Reg Rockall. “The main reason our project has become a success is really down to the hard work, determination and drive of Reg Rockall who has coached, guided, and organised the club for the past four years,” he said. The 3E’s is now a standalone club in its own right and has applied for Sport England’s ‘Clubmark Award’. If successful, it will only be the second club in Enfield to get this after Ellenborough TTC. “We have players ranked in England now and have trained many to become junior umpires and some as coaches,” explained May.
The club, however, emerged from the grass roots and was essentially formed of players who had never picked up a bat before. It was launched by the Enfield Leisure Centres Trust, the organisation that manages the borough’s leisure centres, in May 2003 after receiving £4,094 from the Lottery ‘Awards for All’ scheme. This money was used to purchase five tables, bats, balls and professional coaching. Initially, the project was created to provide the young people of Edmonton with an exciting sporting activity which they could participate in after school and during school holidays.
The project, which was managed by May along with coaches Reg and Simon Rockall, was launched on May 6, 2003 with an exhibition match and coaching workshops. Local schools were invited and the mayor attended the launch of the project. The Friday night sessions took place on two squash courts and it was soon evident that more space and time would be needed as up to 35 young people descended on Edmonton Leisure Centre every week to take part in coaching and matches. Many of the young players came from walking distance of the centre for a first taste of table tennis. To cater for the increased demand, the project introduced a second session at the Angel Community Centre, also in Edmonton. This session featured three tables but again quickly became popular, especially after gaining sponsorship from TTK (Table Tennis for Kids) which enabled the young players to play for free.
After a year, the sponsorship was withdrawn and the project decided to look for an alternative venue so that more people could take part. In February 2005, the project began sessions at Boundary Hall on the Snells Park Estate in Edmonton, thanks largely to the Metropolitan Police who funded £7,000 for the project. This enabled the organisers to equip the hall for table tennis and provide coaches.
The sessions quickly became popular with the local community and a club was formed called ‘The 3E’s Table Tennis Club’. This club was entered into the North Middlesex and the Cheshunt local leagues. The 3E’s stands for Edmonton (where the majority of the players come from), Enfield (the borough where Edmonton falls under) and Edison (the club which coaches Reg and Simon Rockall ran successfully in Crouch End).
In its first season, the club finished fourth in North Middlesex Division Three and was made up of three 15-year-old players. After running for only four years, in May 2007 the club was crowned North Middlesex League and Cup Champions of Divisions Three and Four, Handicap Cup Champions and National Junior League North London Zone Champions, beating established clubs such as Ellenborough, Wembley and Barnet along the way. Many of the players that have taken part over the 2006/07 season began playing table tennis at the now defunct Edmonton Leisure Centre.
The 3E’s TTC also operates junior teams in the Cheshunt League which are largely made up of players under the age of 14. “In just four years The Edmonton Table Tennis Project and the 3E’s TTC have managed to convert a group of local young people into talented sports performers playing competitive table tennis,” said May. |
