Browsing: Palace

The Paddle Palace Minor League wrapped up its most competitive and entertaining season yet, filled with thrilling golden games, breakthrough performances, and unforgettable camaraderie. From buzzer-beater finishes to weekly Jeopardy nights, this was more than just a league—it was a full-fledged table tennis community.

“This league proved that competitive table tennis can also be incredibly fun. We had drama, great rallies, and above all, respect between every player.” – Christian Lillieroos

Champions: Squatch Smashers

The Squatch Smashers powered through the playoffs and capped their season with a dominant 17–8 win over the Storm Strikers in the championship final. With clutch performances from David Stout, Michael Groom, and Reza Hantehzadeh, the Smashers showed why they were the most consistent force all season long. Team Members Brian Yoder and Chase Melby played critical roles through the season.

Quote from League Champion Squatch Smashers (Farm Club of Texas Smash) Captain David Stout

“Winning the first season of the MiLTT was truly a team effort, especially when playing the golden games. When I was selecting players during the draft, I tried to select a variety of playing styles that I thought would provide a good mix and make us competitive. I really felt like being part of a team was what made playing in the MiLTT so much fun. There were so many nerve-racking moments during the golden games that really added to the excitement. I was proud of my teammates for the way they responded to each challenge, and I think overall the league was a great experience for all.”

Final Team Standings

• 1st – Squatch Smashers (def. Storm Strikers 17–8)
• 2nd – Storm Strikers
• 3rd – Tigard Tigers (def. Laughing Dragons 15–10)
• 4th – Laughing Dragons
• 5th – Timber Choppers (def. PDX Minutemen 16–9)
• 6th – PDX Minutemen

Individual Awards

• MVP: Michael Groom – 74 total points, 19–5 singles, 39 golden game wins

• MVC: Sean Oâ€Neill – Inspirational leadership and strategic play as captain of PDX Minutemen

Top 5 Players of the Season

Player Team Singles Doubles Golden Games Total Points David Stout Squatch Smashers 17–7 18–9 39–26 74 Michael Groom Squatch Smashers 19–5 16–5 39–26 74 Dattha Reddy Storm Strikers 13–11 14–10 38–24 65 Ryan Gibson Tigard Tigers 14–10 10–10 33–35 64 Nate Wilkinson Tigard Tigers 15–9 15–9 32–35 62

Community Highlights

• Awards Dinner & Team Jeopardy: Post-match Trivia Game created by Storm Striker Captain, Kyle Yan provide the perfect touch for laughs and MiLTT community building. Congrats to the Tigard Tigers!

Looking Ahead to Season 2

Open Serve Doubles was tested in the 5th place playoff and both teams loved it. Each side swept one match 3–0 using the format. Player feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the rule is likely to be considered for Season 2.

“It opened up the game and made it way more exciting. We hope this becomes the standard going forward.” – Sarit Roy, PDX Minutemen

Final Word from Christian Lillieroos

“This league brought together beginners, Olympians, and everything in between. Every match was a celebration of table tennis, and I couldnâ€t be more proud.”

Thank you to all the players, fans, captains, and organizers. Season 2 is just around the corner. Are you ready?

The PDX Minutemen started strong in both Season #1 and in Team Jeopardy, but couldn’t hold the lead against a worthy set of competitors!

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The story of “ping pong diplomacy,” and the people-to-people links which grew from it.

In 1971 a small group of U.S. table tennis players made history, by traveling to a then-isolated China. The first Americans to legally visit in more than 20 years, they opened up lines of communication that remain vital today, succeeding where diplomats had failed. The people-to-people links they established are being carried on today by a new generation of American and Chinese college students.

Aired 04/26/2025 | Expires 04/26/2028 | Rating TV-G

In 1971, few couldâ€ve imagined that a sport often dismissed as “basement fun” would become the unlikely spark for one of the greatest diplomatic breakthroughs of the 20th century.

But thatâ€s exactly what Your Serve or Mine reveals: a quiet revolution served across a table tennis net.

It All Started with a Missed Bus

The film opens in a time of global unrest.
America is reeling from Vietnam, torn by protest, rage, and confusion.
China, in the throes of the Cultural Revolution, is equally fractured—its youth turned against its elders, its people silenced by ideology.

And yet… in the midst of this geopolitical storm, nine American table tennis players board a plane to Nagoya, Japan for the World Championships.

None of them expect anything beyond a few competitive matches.
Then Glenn Cowan, the teamâ€s free-spirited player—dressed in bell-bottoms and a purple shirt—misses his team bus.

So, he hops onto the next one.

Itâ€s full of Chinese players.

An awkward silence. Then smiles.
And in that small, accidental moment, the first seeds of diplomacy are sown.

The Unthinkable Invitation

A handshake. A friendly exchange.
Photographers capture it all.

And behind closed doors, diplomats take notice.
Soon, the Chinese government sends an invitation:
Would the American team like to visit China for a series of “friendship matches�

The players meet. Is it safe? Should we go?
Paddle Palace’s Judy Hoarfrost, and future US Table Tennis Hall of Famer, one of the teamâ€s rising stars, remembers saying: “Yes. I want to go.â€

But the path isn’t simple.
U.S. passports arenâ€t valid for China.
A consular officer takes a black marker and crosses out the restriction.
Improvisation becomes diplomacy.

And just like that, these young athletes walk across a bridge from Hong Kong into mainland China, unsure what awaits them.

More Than a Game

What they find is staggering.

Eighteen thousand fans pack stadiums in Beijing and Shanghai.
Everywhere they go, theyâ€re mobbed by crowds—children, elders, soldiers—curious and warm.

Theyâ€re not just athletes.
Theyâ€re symbols.

And the Chinese players?
Polite. Brilliant. Gracious.
They seem to play not to win, but to build something bigger.

“Friendship first. Competition second.â€
That phrase becomes the spirit of the tour.

From Players to Diplomats

Back home, news spreads fast.
Ping pong diplomacy is splashed across headlines.
The players write stories for Newsweek and Life.
Everyone wants to know what China is really like.

One year later, the Chinese team visits the U.S., greeted like celebrities.
In Detroit, they play at Cobo Hall—better known for rock concerts than table tennis.
Police escorts, media frenzy, massive crowds.

In the stands, a young high school student named Jeff Lehman watches in awe.
Years later, he would help build NYU Shanghai—still inspired by that moment.

Beyond the Table

But Your Serve or Mine doesnâ€t stop at 1971.
It follows the ripple effect:

• How the handshake led to Nixonâ€s historic trip to China.
• How U.S. universities began welcoming Chinese students again.
• How young Americans today are studying in Shanghai and Beijing, eager to understand the world beyond headlines.

We meet the Schwarzman Scholars—ambitious, curious, often conflicted—who travel China not just to earn a degree, but to experience difference firsthand.

We see them navigate cultural shocks, political tensions, and the limits of language.
But they stay. They learn. They grow.

The Power of Showing Up

The film closes with reflections—honest, unscripted.

One former player recalls how strange and wonderful China seemed in 1971, and how a small group of young people changed history simply by saying yes.

We see how student exchanges have slowed in recent years.
How mistrust has returned.

And yet—Your Serve or Mine doesnâ€t end in despair.
Instead, it leaves us with a challenge:

In a world that increasingly talks past each other, what might happen if we sat at the same table again?

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On April 23rd, the Paddle Palace Club in Tigard, Oregon came together to celebrate World Table Tennis Day with a full evening of private coaching, community matches, cutting-edge tech, and shared passion for the game.

Private Lessons with Top Coaches

Club members had the chance to book private lessons with two of the sportâ€s most respected minds:

• Jiwei Xia, the newest member of the Atlanta Blazers via the MLTT expansion draft, offered high-level technical and tactical insights.

• Christian Lillieroos, head coach of the Portland Paddlers, provided one-on-one coaching tailored to players looking to sharpen specific skills.

These lessons gave participants an invaluable learning experience with some of the best minds in North American table tennis.

Play a Pro: Novice League with Sean Oâ€Neill

As part of the Wednesday Night Novice League, players had a rare chance to face off against Sean Oâ€Neill, two-time US Olympian and Paddle Palace Sponsorships & Partnerships Manager. Sean played matches with league participants, offering a fun and memorable opportunity for players to test their skills against an Olympian in a relaxed round robin format.

Andro Tournament Shirts for All

To commemorate the event, every participant received an Andro performance wear tournament shirt, courtesy of Paddle Palace. This thoughtful gesture reflected the clubâ€s continued support for community-building and creating a professional experience for all levels.

Virtual Table Tennis Action

Sean also introduced Burke Walls, the clubâ€s new Manager, to the world of Eleven Table Tennis via the Meta 3 VR headset, showing how virtual reality is helping grow and diversify the sport. In parallel, members of the Eleven Table Tennis community joined the “paddlepalace†room online for a virtual meet-up centered around diversity and inclusion—the global theme of World Table Tennis Day.

Robot Demo: Precision Meets Technology

The club also showcased the Paddle Palace X2W Rally Robot—a cutting-edge training tool that never misses a shot. Fast, reliable, and customizable, it impressed attendees with its ability to simulate realistic play. Itâ€s currently available at a promotional price.

Special Offer: Free Paddle Case

To extend the celebration, Paddle Palace is offering a free paddle case with any order over $75, valid through April 28. Please enter the Coupon Code – FREECASEabove the cart at checkout to receive your special gift from PaddlePalace.com!

About World Table Tennis Day

World Table Tennis Day, celebrated each year on April 23, aims to bring people together through the sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, or background. With the theme of “Diversity and Inclusion,†the 2025 edition continued the ITTF Foundationâ€s mission to make table tennis a symbol of unity, equality, and mutual respect across cultures.

The campaign hashtag #TTBelongsToYou reminds the world that table tennis is for everyone.

From Olympian match-ups and private coaching to virtual rallies and custom shirts, Paddle Palaceâ€s 2025 World Table Tennis Day was a celebration of what makes this sport so powerful: it welcomes everyone.

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The 2025 National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) Championships, held in Rockford, Illinois, from April 4–6, showcased the pinnacle of collegiate table tennis talent. As primary sponsors, Paddle Palace, Nittaku, and STIGA played pivotal roles in the event’s success.​

Posted by Paddle Palace Table Tennis on Saturday, April 19, 2025

Elevating the Championship Experience

Paddle Palace, alongside Nittaku and STIGA, contributed significantly to the tournament’s professional atmosphere:​

These contributions underscored the commitment to excellence and the advancement of collegiate table tennis.​

Celebrating Collegiate Talent

The championships highlighted the dedication and skill of student-athletes nationwide. The competitive spirit and sportsmanship displayed were commendable, reflecting the growth and popularity of table tennis at the collegiate level.​

Looking Ahead

Paddle Palace remains committed to supporting and promoting table tennis across all levels. The success of the 2025 NCTTA Championships sets a promising precedent for future collaborations and the continued growth of the sport.​

For more insights and highlights from the event, visit the NCTTA Championships News Page and Results Page.

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