Regis Penn ’25

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Strake Jesuit has many clubs, ranging from Anime to Paintball. Another is Table Tennis, aka Ping Pong.

A focus of the Table Tennis club is to “introduce this exciting game while providing kids another activity physical in nature, rather than video games,” Mr. D’Souza said, the faculty advisor for the club. 

The club consists of over 70 members. Practices and play take place during Community Time when no conflict arises, allowing students to sharpen their skills while also bonding with their peers.

Although all members are a part of the club because they have an interest in the game, members have different goals for themselves. For some “the sport is an activity to de-stress,” Mr. D’Souza said. “We also have very good players who would like to  compete in a potential competition.” 

The Table Tennis club recently hosted a doubles tournament, in which students, representing their respective houses, competed. Campion House proved to be victorious; however, the tournament was great fun for all who participated. As a result of this, a singles tournament is scheduled to take place early in the spring semester. (For students interested in playing in the tournament, please email Hurley Qi, kqi@mail.strakejesuit.org).

The club has dedicated student leadership, which has resulted in some exciting programs.

“Even as the club could not carry on with regular practices last year because of the pandemic, the club President, Hurley Qi, provided an inspirational avenue for the members,” Mr. D’Souza said. “After contacting Mr. Adam Bobrow, an American, founder of USC Table Tennis Club and international player, he set up a ZOOM meeting for the club members. Mr. Bobrow took time away from his work schedule while overseas in China, to join us on ZOOM and provided a boost with his expertise, about the game. Mr. Bobrow shared his experience of how he grew to love the game and how that has now transformed him to host many YouTube videos of Table Tennis.”

The table tennis club has a noble mission.

 “The table tennis club allows students to play physical games rather than video games in their free time,” Mr. D’Souza said. Recently the table tennis club made hoodies for its members. The back of the hoodie says, “Go forth and set the world on fire,” a quote from St. Ignatius of Loyola.