Chelsea High School is known for having a multitude of clubs, however, with more than 30, many don’t get the attention they deserve. One lesser-known but incredibly welcoming group is the Ping Pong Club.                                                                                                                                              

”I think the students are the best part of the Ping Pong Club. It’s a very unique crew of entertaining, funny, but competitive people,” Ping Pong Club advisor Emma Yee said. ”It’s a very lighthearted environment – they’re all very welcoming.” 

Ping Pong Club offers more than a hospitable atmosphere. It allows members to participate in mock tournaments and free practices, usually resulting in a champion at every meeting. 

“Usually we get there and then we’ll either do a tournament or open play. For the tournaments, they’re organized in bracket-style,” senior Kai Ziolkowski said. “They pair up people, and then it’s just a tournament play-through. There’s usually a winner at every club meeting.”

Along with practice tournaments and club meetings, many members hone in on their ping pong skills while practicing a similar sport that utilizes the same basic elements of hand-eye coordination and striking a ball with a racket: tennis. 

“There’s a core group of tennis players because some of that translates tennis into ping pong,” Yee said.

One core player and captain of Ping Pong Club – affectionately known as “Sir Ping Pong” by fellow club members – has played a vital role in influencing members to join the club, and fostering a welcoming and open atmosphere within the team.

“[Senior] Luke Mourad got me to join. He’s got a lot of influence over me because he’s such a good student…I really just want to be like him.” Ziolkowski said.

Not only does the Ping Pong Club have an excellent captain, but it differentiates itself from other clubs by offering more than just the game itself, giving members a unique and engaging experience. 

“Most clubs are singularly focused. But Ping Pong Club, [although] that’s what we say we do, we do a lot of things behind closed doors. So we have a lot more to offer than most people think. I think that if someone came to our meetings, they’d be like, ‘Wow’,” Ziolkowski said.