Ping Pong on Their Way to State

The Niles West Ping Pong team is headed to state this week, after crushing New Trier this past Friday, Jan. 20th, continuing their undefeated streak. The team has gone to state every year since 2018.

The team is hands down one the best in their conference, they take on other teams with no problem and get excited when they play a team that is a challenge. “When we play a team like Loyola, that’s kind of similar to our level,  it’s really fun because we have close games. But when it’s a complete shut out it’s not as fun,” junior Max Spector said.

One of the biggest reasons the boys think they made it this far is due to how long they practice. They meet three times a week in the cafeteria and do drills and play games for two hours. “Other teams I know they only practice like one time a week but we really want to win this year so we practice three times a week …We put in over 12 hours in a week it’s pretty competitive,” senior Elliot Myung said.

Another reason the boys are succeeding is that they are having fun and have a really close team. Coach Jerry Pope explained how sometimes they do circle activities before practice to ask questions to one another and are always joking around. Pope cherishes the boys too, he treats the winners of the games with vending machine food or takes them out for dinner after a big game.

Pope’s biggest accomplishment for all of his years coaching the team isn’t the wins or the state titles, but will always be the impact, “Even if we take first in state this year I don’t think that would be our biggest accomplishment, I think our biggest accomplishment is the impact we have brought to this school, and the kids coming in…we are bringing together a lot of different kids from all walks of life…to me, that is really gratifying,” Pope said.

Myung was interested in the team when he was only an eighth grader. “I went to the curriculum night and I just started playing with the older kids and I was beating them and I caught the attention of Coach Pope and from there we just bonded and now we are here,” Myung said.

Whether it’s just for fun or for the win, Ping Pong brings everyone together. “Anytime you have a team you have a family,” Pope said.

Cheer on the ping pong boys when they compete for the state championship!