Sarasota Table Tennis Club prides itself on diversity and competition

In a small gymnasium at Colonial Oaks Park, 10 tables are lined up in two columns. Nine are blue; One is older and green. A net is placed down the middle of each.

On Monday and Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons, anywhere from 25 to 35 people will use these tables, smashing a light white ball over the net again and again, praying this time it won’t be returned. Winners raise their arms in victory, losers grimace, and both shake hands on a game well-played.

This is Sarasota Table Tennis Club.  It was started 11 years ago, but has been in the hands of Tim Coxson and a few others for the past eight. The club charges $5 for walk-ins, or $20 for a monthly subscription. The money goes to paying rent and upgrading equipment.

Coxson has been playing table tennis for 44 years, ever since he’d go to tournaments with his father-in-law, John Shimko, while growing up in Ohio. Coxson admitted that in those days, he only tagged along because he and Shimko would go for beers afterward.

“He was into it, but I wasn’t,” Coxson said. “The longer I played, the more enjoyment I got out of it.”

The club features many players from countries where the sport is more popular, including South Korea, Vietnam, Germany and Canada. The club is also diverse in age. Joe Cincotta, the club’s oldest member, is 84. He won a Table Tennis Doubles Men silver medal alongside partner Alfred Palumbo at the 2013 Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. The former tomato farmer plays to keep his cardio up and his brain function sharp.

The youngest participant is 5-year-old Shia Williams, who occasionally comes to play with his father, club coach Andrew Williams. Andrew Williams said his son stands about an inch above the net, but loves hitting the ball back-and-forth anyway.

One of the first things Andrew Williams tells me is the difference between table tennis and ping-pong, which I had used interchangeably.

“Ping-pong is recreational,” Andrew Williams said. “You’re just putting the ball on the table and over the net. There’s not a lot of skill involved. Table tennis is technical. You want to put spin on the ball.”

Williams said they even use different equipment. Ping-pong paddles are bare-bones and have pimples on one side, which eliminates spin. Table tennis rackets are a combination of wood, sponge and rubber. Most members bring their own racket. Some even treat their rackets with alcohol, giving it a sticky surface for better control.

The club doesn’t keep stats, but regulars know the best players. Wolf Johnson, a member for a year and a half, called Coxson the “Mr. Miyagi” of the club, or the master. This seemed to be a popular opinion. Johnson said Coxson excels at forcing opponents to beat themselves.

Johnson himself was praised by other players. An underground mixed martial arts fighter for 16 years, Johnson initially played table tennis to improve his hand and eye quickness, but soon fell in love with the challenge of adjusting to different styles of play. He’s such an avid fan that he drives from his home in Tampa twice a week to play with the club. He’s tried other table tennis clubs, but the level of competition and atmosphere of this one keeps him coming back.

“They treat you with respect here,” Johnson said. “They don’t care what color you are. You’re family.”

The vibe at the club is intense. There is not much talking during matches, other than the occasional grunt or expletive when someone missed a shot. If you come to the club, you come to play. Members have plenty of fun competing despite the serious nature of the games themselves.

I’d advise anyone interested in attending to check out the club, even for a night. Three hours of rigorous volleys works up a great sweat.

Just don’t call it ping-pong.