Rochester, Minnesota successfully hosted the NCTTA championships in 2008 and 2009. Given that warm reception that collegiate table tennis players received for those two years, NCTTA officials are confident the home of the famed Mayo Clinic will be a great place for the College Table Tennis Championships in April 2011. In recent days, NCTTA leaders tallied the votes and picked Rochester over four other sites in Tennessee, Georgia and Michigan.

“We were very pleased with Rochester’s hospitality, the facilities and resources they supplied in 2008 and 2009 and we’re excited to return to Minnesota for the 2011 championships,” NCTTA President Willy Leparulo announced Monday Nov. 15. “We want to thank all the bidders for seeking this tournament that will feature the best collegiate table tennis players in the United States and Canada,” he added.

There were a few bumps in the road in the selection process earlier this year, but that’s in the rear view mirror now as NCTTA officials look ahead to what should be a super tournament in Rochester, Minnesota. With major sponsors like Killerspin and Newgy Industries plus help from tons of volunteers from Rochester and nearby communities, the 2011 College Table Tennis Championships should be a success, Leparulo said.

With a population of more than 103,000, Rochester is Minnesota’s third largest city. It attracts patients from all over the world who seek the medical services of the Mayo Clinic. Mayo’s name is all over town, including the Mayo Civic Center. The tournament will be held in a spacious sports facility on the campus of Rochester Community and Technical College. In 2008 and 2009, volunteers from the Rochester Table Tennis Club and table tennis enthusiasts from around the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes pitched in, and we expect they will come through again.

We are encouraging our NCTTA players to pack a sweater or two because Minnesota weather is typically chilly in April. During the 2009 tournament, we even saw snowflakes falling, but there was little accumulation of the white stuff on the ground. For those who have time to shop ‘til they drop, the Mall of America is about 75 miles away in Minneapolis. It is the largest shopping mall in the USA.

But the main thing is to bring your paddles and school uniforms and be ready for three fantastic days of table tennis. And there should be another great championship banquet at the host headquarters, the Kahler Hotel in downtown Rochester. At that Saturday evening feast, there will be time to congratulate all the tournament players, coaches and guests from around the USA and Canada and enjoy the fellowship.

Again, we want to thank Nashville, Atlanta, Grand Rapids and Battle Creek for submitting bids, but the NCTTA leadership felt Rochester was the best site, and one with lots of experience, to host the 2011 tournament. Earlier this year, we picked Fort Worth, Texas, but that fell through and we had to re-open the bidding process in October.

Thanks to all for bearing with us during this prolonged selection process! OK, it’s now mid-November and the tournament in “Med City” will soon be here. We are already looking for scores of volunteers to make our championships in April 2011 the best they can be. Check our web site soon for regular updates on the Minnesota tournament that’s fast approaching. Play your best in regional NCTTA and ACUI tournaments this fall and spring. Win there and that’s your ticket to the championship games in Rochester!

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