Larry Hodges Table Tennis Page     May, 2009

To Mom, RIP

This page started out during my years as a full-time coach as my coaching page, as a way to attract students. I put too much time into it to let it go to waste, so I still maintain it. Someday I might turn "larrytt.com" into a serious online publication of some sort.

My article "The Table Tennis Fantasy Tour" is up at Fantasy Magazine! Feel free to comment. It went up on March 26, 2009.

In February, 2009, my new book came out, "Table Tennis Tales & Techniques." It's a compilation of my best work over the past 30 years, including lots of interesting (and humorous) stories and many coaching articles. It's packed with photos. Read the review by Tim Boggan!

On Friday, March 20, I did the final proofing of my science fiction novel, "Campaign 2100." It came in at 111,000 words, or 566 pages double spaced. It's being critiqued by four other writers, after which I'll probably do more rewriting. I also write science fiction and fantasy short stories - I've sold 31. See my Fantasy & Science Fiction Page.

I recently underwent a personal "tennis boot camp." (Yes, tennis, not table tennis!) Starting in late October, 2008, I was in a tennis training program four nights a week for eight weeks. I might make this an annual thing. I'm about a 4.0 player, but with a somewhat lopsided forehand attacking game.

I was interviewed online by Community Fridays on Friday, Nov. 7. The interviewer, Emma Larkins, asked for the interview after one of the panels I was on at the Capclave SF Convention.

On Feb. 26, 2008, The Washington Post did a feature article, which links to a video they also did, on the elite junior training at Club JOOLA! I'm interviewed several times. The video is about 2 min 30 sec.

At the USA Nationals in Las Vegas, in December, 2007, I was caught off guard at the Hall of Fame Banquet when they announced I had won the President's Award for service to the sport of table tennis. (See below for some other plaques in my "growing" collection!)

These days I'm taking a break from coaching, and mostly writing science fiction and fantasy. I've sold 20 short stories, and plan to get back to my novel this summer.

As the editor of USA Table Tennis Magazine, I did 71 issues, through the March/April 2007 issue. (USA Table Tennis has gone through a lot of editors over the years.) Here's the USATT news item on my resigning as editor for twelve years of USA Table Tennis Magazine after the March/April 2007 issue. I'm also the founder of the USA Table Tennis League.

In 2008, I hit the BIG 1100! I now have 1151 published articles in 88 different publications, including 1096 on table tennis. The first was in 1977. Many of these articles are linked online.

Table Tennis: Steps to Success

Now in Six Languages!
Click on pictures to see larger version
English Chinese Korean
Indonesian Malaysian Hebrew
More Translations are planned!

You might have read my book, Table Tennis: Steps to Success. As of Jan. 1, 2009, 26,595 copies had been sold. It has been translated into Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian and Hebrew, and there are more translations planned. I did an update in 2007 for a repint. See info page for ordering English version.

My first book was Instructor's Guide to Table Tennis, the official coaching manual for USA Table Tennis.

My third book just came out, "Table Tennis Tales & Techniques." It is a compilation of my best published work. It came out in February, 2009. I'll put up photos and ordering info soon!

I have a Master's degree in Journalism, and a Bachelor's degree in Math, with concentrations in computer science and chemistry (all from University of Maryland). I'm a member of the following organizations: USA Table Tennis, USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame, Maryland Table Tennis Center, Classic Table Tennis Association, Science Fiction Writers of America, The Writers Center, Critters, U.S. Tennis Association, Quince Orchard Tennis Club, NASE, and American Mensa.

In the July/August, 2005 USA Table Tennis Magazine, I had a feature article I co-wrote with Cheng Yinghua, "The Secrets of Chinese Table Tennis ... and What the Rest of the World Needs To Do To Catch Up." (This was also translated and published in Slovenian!)

In October of 2004 I created a Celebrities Playing Table Tennis page - just what this world needs! Hundreds of photos of celebrities playing our favorite sport! It's been averaging 15,000 (that's not a misprint!) downloads per day! Many "celebrity" web pages and blogs discovered it and linked to it.

(Click on plaque for larger version.)

In December, 2003, I was inducted into the USATT Hall of Fame.  (I'd missed it by one vote the previous two years.) Here's the notice of my induction, the profile of me by Tim Boggan, and the online video of my induction - go to minute 9, then 13:50). I was inducted as a "contributor." (I'm the youngest person every inducted as a contributor.) Two players were also inducted - Eric Boggan and David Zhuang, and Marty Reisman received the lifetime achievement award. USATT has been around since 1933, and there are currently 109 members of the Hall of Fame. Here's a picture of me with my parents at the induction ceremonies, and one of my parents talking with USATT president Sheri Pittman. 

I was the 2002 USA Table Tennis Developmental Coach of the Year. After being nominated three times in past years but never winning, it was a pleasant surprise. I'm a USATT Certified National Coach, the highest level of certification.

I was an editor for a magazine that covered quality in industry ("The Quality Observer," 8 issues, a color glossy), and a computer programmer for one year before coming back to table tennis. 

From 1991 until 1998, I was the director and a  regular (sometimes full-time) coach at the Maryland Table Tennis Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA. (I only coach there part-time now, plus some organizational work.) Go there to find info on training camps and tournaments, most of which I help out on.  MDTTC players dominated the Junior Olympics and Junior Nationals from 1991 to 2003, winning over half the gold medals and the most total medals for 13 straight years, but the last two years many of our players have spent the summer training in China or other places, so few have gone. We expect to be back at full force at the 2006 Junior Olympics/Junior Nationals, when they are held in Norfolk, VA, which is driving distance for a change.

I was the director of the USATT League which I founded in September, 2003. As of Jan. 1, 2008, over 5000  players had played over 100,000 league matches in 170 leagues in 47 states and DC.

Here's a listing of U.S. Hardbat Champions - I've won 18 U.S. national titles at the U.S. Open and Nationals (15 in hardbat, but I normally use sponge). Check out the U.S. Open and Nationals Doubles listings! However, my main task at the Open and Nationals is online and magazine coverage.  I'm semi-retired from tournaments now.

Some web pages I maintain:

Left: Coaching the Maryland Team at the 2000 Junior Olympics/Junior Nationals in Orlando, Florida. For 13 consecutive years (1991-2003), we won over half the gold medals and more total medals than any other state.

I have a long history of using weird objects as a racket, from a clipboard to just about anything else. It's just for fun, but yes, I once did beat someone with an ice cube as a racket. I also beat a news reporter using his running mini-tape recorder as a racket, giving taped commentary throughout!

Here's how I got started - blame it on Marty Reisman! I also do local exhibitions. See my "cartoon" on the last presidential election! Can you name all ten people?

A now ... my "table tennis resume." 

USATT OFFICIAL POSITIONS

TABLE TENNIS COACH

Right: Coaching Todd Sweeris at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials. He made the team.

Right: Director/Assistant Coach, Olympic Training Center, Resident Table Tennis Program, 1989. That's me on the far left.

TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR

CLUB DIRECTOR  

PROMOTER

WRITER/EDITOR

WEBMASTER

PLAYER - Sponge (National titles in bold)
Here's me playing a point.

PLAYER - Hardbat (National titles in bold) For more info on hardbat table tennis, go to www.hardbat.com or www.hardbat.org. I'm now semi-retired from tournaments, due to age, recurring injuries, lack of practice, and a recent tendency to play really, really bad.

Right: Larry Hodges smacking in forehand against Steve Berger and Marty Reisman, with partner Ty Hoff watching in mute admiration. (I normally use sponge.)

OTHER