Our Management Committee meeting on 5th January was well attended by over 30 people.

The concensus was that it was a worthwhile exercise in communication between Committee and clubs and one which i am sure will be repeated in the future.

As a League we are a strong body with much mutual respect amongst our playing members. If, however, we are to achieve growth then we must continually look for opportunities to encourage groups and individuals to join us. This, as the meeting made clear, is very much a collective responsibility and one which i hope we can all contribute in the coming weeks and months.

Visit your local halls and community groups  - is there scope to introduce table tennis? Encourage former players back into the sport when you see them.

We all get so much pleasure from table tennis, it would be wrong not to share it, wouldn't it !

Good luck to everyone in the coming weeks as the season reaches a highly competitive phase in all three divisions.

I can't believe that we are now half way through the League fixtures for this season !

Time certainly does not stand still and when we have recovered from the excesses of Christmas and New Year we shall be swiftly into 2012 !

With the Olympics firmly in our sights, the coming months present an opportunity to capitalise on the exposure to Table Tennis which this great sporting event will bring.

The meeting at Marsh on 5th January, to which all clubs have been invited, will explore how we can collectively meet this challenge. Members will also have an opportunity to air any topic in an open forum .

Our secretary Rod Hullah is not enjoying good health at the moment and i should like to express my best wishes, especially at this time of  year.

To all other members and friends of the League may i wish you all a Happy Christmas and healthy New Year.

My notes this month must begin with a reflection on the sad and sudden loss of two senior players in recent weeks.

Stuart Sykes' life was dedicated to table tennis as he not only played to a high standard but his involvment also included coaching and administration with the Brooks club which he first joined in 1963. Stuart's contributions to Committee meetings and League events will be missed in the months and years to come.

Paul Hirst was a good table tennis player and played in the right spirit. He was a good bloke and is missed by us all in the League.

We had our first Committee meeting of the new season last week and have already found ourselves discussing postponed fixtures ! ! I won't go over the top at this stage save to say that the Management Committee are determined to see that the League rules are strictly adhered to in the interest of fairness to everyone.

It is with the same spirit of fairness in mind that i should remind clubs that they have a duty to ensure that the playing conditions they provide are to the best standard they can achieve. Attention should be paid to the playing area around the table, , lighting , flooring and of course the table, nets and balls.

I have enjoyed the start of the season, my performances have been mixed but the spirit in which the matches have been played has been a credit to the League and makes the hard work of pulling it all together well worthwhile. Long may it continue!

It's September already and a new season is just around the corner! The Huddersfield League starts on Monday19th September and once again we are delighted to welcome a new club into the League. New North Road Baptist Church have in fact entered two new teams and will compete in Division 3. They are a most welcome addition to the league and i hope they have an enjoyable season.

Division One promises to be interesting. The dominance of Brooks in recent seasons is being strongly challenged by Woodfield Park this time with the introduction of Darren Lindley, current Huddersfield champion, to their squad. It may go right to the wire with only a point or two separating the teams and it could hinge on how often the teams are able to field full strength teams..

Whilst the Summer League has once again been successful, many of us are just trying to remember where we put our table tennis " things" last April, realising that our favorite shirt has "shrunk " or at least no longer fits the frame it adorned just a few months ago and considering whether the key to our success in the coming season lies in parting company with a large sum of money in the purchase of a new bat and rubbers !

In truth, a session with a good sports psychologist might prove a wiser investment for there is no doubt that whilst improved equipment will help improve performance, the ability to think clearly and react well to situations as they present themselves on the table is equally important.

Psyching yourself up for a game does not have to mean that you abandon good sportsmanship or behave in an aggressive manner. The League recognises this in presenting the "Alan Land Trophy" each season to players who conduct themselves in the right manner -  the current recipient, Jonathan Taylor, is an excellent example but there are many others who contribute week in week out to an enjoyable evening's table tennis.

Our excellent web site is constantly being improved and i hope you will find it both informative and an aid to help further enhance your enjoyment in being part of the Huddersfield Table Tennis League.