By Graydon Findlay | Guest Contributor
The Ping Pong Club at Baylor is a quickly growing organization that has allowed students to create a community where they can connect with people over their common love of the game.
“I thought it was just going to be something where I get to participate in a hobby that I like, but it has also given me a community of great friends,” Plano junior Zach Bush said.
Bush — vice president and co-founder of the club — along with the president, Houston junior Joseph Times, have been table tennis fans for a long time and said they were disappointed to not find a club dedicated to the game during their freshman year at Late Night.
“My friends and I were just playing table tennis in the dorms freshman year when Joseph came up with the idea and we decided to go for it,” Bush said.
The club started off small, with just Bush, Times and some of their friends, but has grown a great deal over the past three years. The club doesn’t have a required skill level to join, but they do try to strengthen everyone’s ping pong skills, according to its Connect website.
“At first it was super small, but we kept adding more and more people, and now this semester, we have about 200 people in our group chat,” Bush said.
Times said he is happy to see the club expand beyond their friend group.
“It’s been a rewarding experience watching the club grow in global diversity, and observing students develop a love for the sport,” Times said.
Bush said the friendships made through this club go beyond ping pong as well. Being able to connect with new people over the shared interest has given him new people to know outside of just ping pong.
Beyond a fun way to pursue a hobby he loves, Bush said the club has also taught him how to build and manage an organization.
“It’s given me practice being in a leadership position,” Bush said. “Being a part of this club has helped me develop organizational skills for sure.”
Since its creation, Bush and the rest of the members have tried to build a foundation that will allow the club to thrive, even after they all graduate. Younger members in the club are beginning to prepare to takeover once the founders and long-time members leave, Bush said.
“We already have some underclassmen who are willing to pick up leadership positions in the club going forward,” Bush said. “We still have a lot of potential to grow.”
