Ping pong table creates competition among seniors
Max De La Rosa, senior, loves ping pong because he has been playing for a majority of his life and was initially inspired to play by his family. “My grandfather taught me how to play ping pong when I was 9,” he said. “I play at school maybe twice a week and I like it because it’s a fun way to hang out with friends at school and outside of school.”
March 24, 2023
One of the most anticipated aspects of senior year is the access to the ping pong table in the Student Center. Each year members of the senior class fight to be considered the top player during their free time every day. Usually games are played to 11 points and last about three to five minutes.
This year when students first started playing, the games were casual. The table was viewed to be a nice break and a tool to bring students together, but as the year progressed, the table became much more.
Large crowds started to gather around to watch games and a rankings list was formed. The bucket of balls next to the table had to be restocked every week and multiple wooden paddles were broken.
As the game grew, teachers began playing against students.
English teacher Mr. Ryan Call supported the ping pong players by providing new rubber paddles. With the introduction of the rubber paddles, players were able to put more spin on the ball and produce more skilled shots.
“The rubber paddles really opened up the game, and the rankings list got turned upside down,” said senior Jared Laskin, an avid ping pong player.
According to Laskin, the difference between the best players was so small that it no longer made sense to rank players. However, the most active players came together to build a tier list that ranked almost every person in the grade in Oct. 2022.
“I have been playing for 4 years for fun, at least once every two days, and I like the rush that I get from playing,” Robertson said. (George Kinder)
