Largs TTC: Cooke & Deaton's Trip to Inverclyde

This month, the Cooke & Deaton Table Tennis team – featuring Alan Cooke, Nicola Deaton and Kelly Sibley – made the long journey north to Largs in North Ayrshire for a packed weekend of coaching at the Sportscotland Inverclyde National Training Centre.

The National Centre is a residential facility supporting both elite athletes, grassroots sport and the local community, is also home to the fantastic Largs Table Tennis Club. All three members of our team have fond memories of the venue from their own playing careers, so were looking forward to a return visit – this time in a coaching capacity.

The weekend was brilliantly organised by Jurie Duvenage, with support from Paul, and was made possible thanks to a generous grant awarded to Largs TTC from the Helter Skelter and Common Goods funds. The club is investing the funding into youth development across Largs and the surrounding area, and we were thrilled to be a part of that vision.

Jurie also arranged for TVAyreshire to visit and film part of the weekend, capturing the energy of the sessions and showing how the funding is being used to inspire both younger and older generations of players. Watch the broadcast here!

 After a 5.5-hour journey up to Largs on Friday, we kicked off with a junior masterclass featuring one-to-one sessions and a group coaching session. Over the course of the weekend, we ran multiple sessions for players of varying ages and abilities – always tailored to the needs of the group, with plenty of opportunity for multi-ball drills and targeted advice.

Sunday offered something a little different. While Nicola and Kelly delivered another coaching session in the hall, Alan led a “coaching the coaches” session with a group of local coaches. This was an interactive and open discussion around working with different styles, standards and physical abilities. Alan encouraged reflection and shared insight from his own coaching journey:

“Nobody knows everything – you can always learn something. Be open minded and willing to learn.”

The group discussed what to coach and how to coach, depending on the players they are working with, and also had the chance to observe our team’s practical demos throughout the weekend.

It was great to see so many familiar faces – and even better to hear that many are planning to join us again at our upcoming Summer School.

Thank you to Jurie, Paul, Largs TTC, and of course the Helter Skelter and Common Goods funds for making this fantastic weekend possible. We’re already looking forward to returning!