Giving Thanks and Planning Ahead. Updates for June 2021.
Well it's been just over a year since we reopened with a modified schedule and COVID-19 safety plan, which includs protocols for disinfecting, player health screenings, temperature checks, and limited capacity. We were closed for a 2-week period in November out of precaution due to a person who attended a session and who had been exposed to someone who had COVID-19 at a facility other than the academy. Fortunately there were no known transmissions of the virus at our facility.
We are also blessed not to have lost any of our members, friends, and family to the coronavirus...but we are mindful that so many people have suffered during this long year, and we continue to keep everyone's health and safety at the top of our priorities. Among our supporters are health care workers, educators, juniors and seniors. We are so thankful for their contributions and hope that we can continue to serve the community through table tennis.
There are some exciting changes going into effect at ARKTTA next month, June 2021, which will add more variety of learning and competition for our membership while keeping the environment safe.
USATT Sanctioned Tournament, June 12, 2021
ARKTTA needs to say thank you for the members who stuck with us during the last year. This will be a 1-day tournament on Saturday, June 12 and include several events. Check out the tournament web page for details. Eligibility is restricted to Arkansas residents with ARKTTA members having priority and others going onto a waiting list. Everyone who is not a member of ARKTTA must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
To purchase a USATT membership ($25/annual): login or create an account at https://usatt.simplycompete.com/, and pay your membership fees online.
Monday Night League
Official Start: June 7, 2021. Read the Monday Night League page for all the details and to sign up.
Competition times: 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Show up early to get started on time!
It will be a USATT Sanctioned League, meaning players need to have a minimum of $25 annual USATT membership (allows for playing in sanctioned tournaments too). Players also need to have a membership OR show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. On each league night, there will be a $10 entry fee. We will use various formats (round robin/single elimination/team) depending on number of players.
Winner of each league night gets half the entry fees! One lucky player gets cash! One player will be randomly drawn to get part of the remaining fees. ARKTTA keeps $10 to use for prize money at periodic USATT sanctioned tournaments for league players throughout the year. Weekly match results will be posted at Omnipong and processed by USATT league rating software (same process that calculates tournament ratings).
Schedule Adjustments & Flexible Closing Times
Starts Thursday, June 3, 2021. Visit our schedule page for the full list of times and activities. Flexible Closing Times allow players to get the most out of their visit and membership. On each day the academy is open, members can stay past the regular closing time so that more practice times are available. Members will just need to turn off the lights and lock the door. They can take care of the disinfecting protocols or I can care of this on the following day.
- Thursday evenings have new open time of 4:00pm. Individual or group lessons are available at 4:15pm, 5:30pm, and 6:45pm. Open play and robot are available from 4:00 pm to close. Flexible close: I will be leaving at 8:00pm, but members who want to stay after 8:00pm to play need to show up by 7:45pm.
- Saturdays mornings will stay the same, but afternoons will be different. One 45-minute lesson (counts for 30 minutes individual lesson under bronze/silver/gold plans) from 9:30-10:15am which can be used for individual or group (2-3 players). Group training starts at normal time of 10:30am but will run for 90 minutes and finish at 12:00pm instead of 12:30pm. Individual/Group lessons start earlier, with booking times available from 12:15-1:15pm and 1:30-2:30pm. Flexible close: I will be leaving at 3:00pm, but members who want to practice after 3:00pm should arrive by 2:45pm.
- Monday nights will be USATT Sanctioned League competition from 6:30-8:30pm. Flexible close: Members are welcome to stay and practice after the league finishes until they are tired of playing. I may or may not be able to attend all Monday league nights.
Continuing Online Lessons by Video Chat: We will still be offering individual and group online lessons by video chat, such as Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, Google Meets. If you have a favorite online video app, we can use whatever works best. To schedule a lesson, simply contact me by phone, text, or email: 501-291-3142, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Read ARKTTA's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Equality, and Inclusion.
