Burnaby North Table Tennis Team Review

Have classes for many level also has droppins pretty cheap great place

My kid joined the Sunday afternoon beginner group lesson since the beginning of 2017. It suppose to be a 2 hour lesson but the coach teachs less than an hour in total for the whole group. My She is too busy handling other things than teaching. It would be lucky if a kid get 10 minutes of coaching from her in 2 hours. Also at the very beginning she will request your kids to buy the tennis racquet and t-shirt from her which cost $85. If I know this is how my kids would be treated I will definitely not let my kids learn table tennis here.

This is not so much a review but a little preamble for anyone looking to play here for the first time.

Background on me, I have been playing here for the past 2 years and have trained with both coaches who work here, I've also participated in their tournaments and other events.

If you are a beginner, the following concerns you the most so please pay attention.

First things is the price, which is 7$ for non members. Even I would consider this a bit expensive, especially when it is a crowded afternoon when all the tables are occupied and you must wait and play at 20 min intervals. When you walk in, just go straight past the netting separating the coaches area and go towards the desk that is facing you a little bit back, that's were you pay and sign your name.

Next, make sure to have your own racket. I for one always had my own, but I've heard that it is quite costly for a rental.

If all the tables are full, don't just sit their and wait. Nobody will know that you are in queue. Get up and go the players playing at a table and ask them how long they will take, be polite and usually, they will be friendly, too.

If you are not a person of East-Asian ethnic background, unfortunately their will be people who are prejudiced enough that may ask you to relinquish you table or treat you sub-par. Honestly, they can go **** themselves. Make sure to defend your case and when asked to give your table to others, just point to the people at the back who've been playing for an hour straight. If the coaches that are teaching comes, have a conversation with them and try and talk things through. Coach Chen and Zhang are good people but can come off as a bit aggressive and dismissive.

Another thing are your shoes, make sure they don't leave marks and are suitable for indoor wear.

Hopefully this helped, don't be discouraged if the first couple times are not the best since building a rapport with the people there is one of the ways that make your experience better.

LOVE IT! Super fun way to kill time and gain a skill at the same time. I came in on a drop-in basis as a noobie and was given a free run-down by a coach on what I was doing right and wrong. Super fun, great staff.

Great place for table tennis club. Very good tables. Amazing professional flooring. But not many good players. Its a good place for beginners and intermediate players

Since ownership has changed, the place has slowly gone downhill. First and foremost, the problem stems from the new owner as his style of management naturally antagonizes people. For example, he has many of his students acting as toll machines and as soon as you step into the club you will be faced with a person asking you to pay and holding a clipboard out to ensure you sign in. Furthermore, the owner does not seem to have competency in English and is unable to communicate with patrons that are not fluent in Mandarin. Another problem is his group coaching style. It is VERY lousy and honestly a waste of money for all students involved, but the parents don't know enough about table tennis to understand that the coaching is poor. There are also a myriad of other problems that the new owner has introduced and the consequences of them are quite evident as the club's attendance has dropped significantly compared to before the ownership change.
I do understand that as Wilson has invested quite a bit financially into the club, he has to ensure money flows in, but I don't think he is doing it the right way. He should act in a more friendly manner and promote a positive club atmosphere so that people want to come back and keep paying club fees.