A Successful Season For Phoenix
As the Stroud Table Tennis League comes to a conclusion there is now time to look back on what has become a very successful season. When Mike and Jim Davis plus myself started this club back in June 2009 we had no idea what lay ahead. From that one single team that ventured into the Stroud league division four, we now have ten teams, competing in all four divisions.
We have two teams (soon to be three) currently in division one, they have not set the league alight but have consolidated their positions in what is known to be a very tough division. These two teams finished in 7th and 8th position. Only one of our sides took part in division two, but they have been top for most of the season and finished as champions, earning promotion and giving us three teams in the first division next season.
As befitting division three we had three teams competing with mixed results. We also finished as champions of this division but unfortunately we also had another side in the relegation spot and our third side finished nicely in mid table. And as it was division four, we by chance had four teams competing. Our highest finishing team were pipped at the post and finished as runners up by just one point. The other three teams were all neatly bunched in the middle.
Presentation night is at Deer Park School in Cirencester on Thursday 7th April and apart from the teams mentioned above picking up trophies, one of our juniors, Alex Horseman, will be picking up a trophy for the division four singles winner.
There are far too many names to mention individuals as we have had thirty one seniors and fourteen juniors representing us (some of the youngest just ten years old at the start of the season), but it has been very satisfying to see everyone (juniors in particular) progressing throughout the season.
Most of our juniors also represented us at the national cadet league played over four different weeks at Cirencester. After two preliminary rounds both of our two teams qualified to play in division one. Against some strong opposition they struggled a bit but gained some very valuable experience.
Taking a break is NOT the Phoenix way, we now open for practise on Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings is geared to more structured coaching and our ever present Saturday mornings still pull in a good number.
We are a friendly and welcoming club, so please feel free to come and join us whatever your age or gender. It is our club policy to encourage juniors into the game and it would be nice to see a few more girls come along.