Dateline

Monday
 2 June 2003

You can go directly from here to the following pages

HOME

CLUB INFO

CONTACTS

LINKS

MAGAZINE

NEWS FEATURES

RESULTS

WHAT'S HAPPENING

All the latest news and features can be found from the
NEWS FEATURES
 page

Don't forget to visit

C&DTTL

 of which the Club is a member

Great Honour

For the third time in the last six years a member of the Club was highly honoured by the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League at the League AGM. On this occasion the prestigious Rosebery Pope & Smith Award went to the Club's Junior Development Secretary, Neil Gooday. The award, which is made annually, is given in recognition of service to table tennis in Chelmsford during the current season. It is the first time, in at least 10 years, that the award has gone to a person not currently serving as a member of the League Management Committee.

In making the award, at the AGM on 29 May, League President Norman Smith paid tribute to the work that Neil has done in Coaching, saying that the award was thoroughly deserved on merit. Neil has led the Club's coaching initiative at the Cathedral School, making it accessible to juniors across the league as well as to many that are not yet associated with any particular club. He has also assisted the League Coaching Officer (Father in Law) Hil Dowsett both with the elite "Chelmsford" squad as well as with a number of ventures of taking table tennis into local schools. Having first qualified as an ETTA Level 2 Coach, Neil is now progressing towards completion of his examinations for recognition as a Level 3 Coach, which would enable him in future to coach at County and Regional level. The President explained that not only is Neil able to demonstrate proper shot execution as a result of his own playing abilities but being on the "youthful" side himself has been able to develop a great rapport with youngsters, developing enthusiasm and loyalty to table tennis thereby sowing seeds which it is hoped will provide fruit for the League for the future.

In accepting the award, Neil expressed his appreciation at the honour and paid tribute to those fellow coaches and helpers without whose assistance much of the work being undertaken would not be possible.

The extent of the applause from the meeting was its own testimony to the fact that members considered this a thoroughly well deserved award. Congratulations Neil!