Aaron Shantz (right) and Mathieu Sanderson play a doubles match at Waterloo-Oxford's new ping pong club.
Each week after classes end, the hollow sound of a plastic ball bounces down the halls of Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School.
The school has started a new ping pong club this academic year. The group meets each Thursday, form 3 to 5 p.m. Around a dozen students usually show up each week to play one-on-one or doubles table tennis at the free club.
Math teacher Catalin Popovici oversees the games. He found the tables in storage at the high school, and bought paddles and balls to start the club this year.
If there’s enough skill and interest, the school could have a competitive team some day, he said: “I’m dreaming about a team but I have to be honest with myself.”
Moving up to the next level will require more practice and planning, so for now the ping pong games are just a fun activity.
“We try to let the stress out of our mind,” Popovici said. “They’re really enjoying it.”
Jaden Goetz prepares to serve the ball during a hallway ping pong game.
