Are Veterans the Real Future of Table Tennis?

Our Juniors are the future of table tennis.

I've heard that saying a lot, and not just about ping-pong. You could probably insert any sport you like in place of table tennis, and it would still be a common saying. But while it sounds like plain common sense, is it really applicable for our sport?

While I must admit I was initially of the opinion that juniors must be the future of table tennis, the more I thought about the subject, the less convinced I became. And while I'm not quite radical enough to suggest that juniors should be ignored, I am starting to wonder whether we could do more to grow table tennis by actually focusing less on juniors and more on the Over 30's segment of the general public.

In this two part article, I'm going to start by listing the theory behind the Attracting Juniors method of growing table tennis, and some of the problems inherent in this process. Then tomorrow, I'll discuss how trying to attract the Over 30 market to table tennis could kickstart the growth of our numbers again.