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Co-curricular opportunities are a key part of a Newington College education, with more than 50 sports, clubs and activities enjoyed by our students, including table tennis. And with their lightning-fast flick and chop and pendulum serves, our table tennis team has taken full brain and body exercise to new heights.

Year 12 student Xander W was initially drawn to the break-neck speed sport of table tennis because it is a social game that can be played by many regardless of skill level, and it is just plain old good fun.

‘Not only do you learn and develop skills, but you get to play full games with mates in an environment that can be serious, but also one where you can have fun and enjoy yourself.’

From beginnings as a recreational sport among our boarders, table tennis went on to be played internally at Newington from the early 1950s to the late 70s. Since 2016, players have been able to represent Newington at the interschool GPS tournament.

Recent studies suggest that table tennis is mentally as well as physically demanding, drawing on a range of cognitive skills and providing a true workout for the brain. There have been 40 students playing in Newington’s program this year, which is open to Years 8 to 12.

According to Mr Michael Shen, Director of Table Tennis, it caters to all levels.

‘All our students have the opportunity to practice and finesse their skills at training three afternoons a week at Concordia, and then on Saturdays we select our 12 top players to compete in the GPS competition,’ he says.

These 12 players are divided by twos into six divisions, with the top two students selected for Division 1 and then ranked chronologically down to Division 6. This enables them to play both singles and doubles games as they work their way through competition, with the six divisions of players from other GPS schools.

‘Selection for Saturday games is based on skill but also takes into consideration those players who demonstrate a real drive to improve themselves. We like to give these students an opportunity to test themselves at a competitive level as well,’ says Mr Shen.

‘One of the great things about table tennis is that all divisions contribute equally to the overall score; in other words, winning a game in Division 5 is the same as winning a game in Division 1. It makes the whole team feel much more united and driven for the same purpose.’

Additionally, unlike other sports where only a fraction of the training time is dedicated to competing, Xander explains every training exercise is conducted by participating in matches. And table tennis offers a chance to boost transferable skills employed in other sports.

‘I played a lot of soccer before, and I found that a lot of the footwork is very much transferrable,’ says Xander.

‘I think like a lot of sports, the less technical elements that are non-specific (like footwork, mental toughness, stamina) can cross over very well between each other.’

Perhaps this is why many of our table tennis players also play football for the College, says Mr Shen.

‘A lot of them have really gotten into it. They’ve invested in a table to play on at home, or they’ve bought their own special paddles. It’s been really great to see,’ he says.

Did you know?

• Newington is the only GPS school in NSW to field a 1st and 2nds team in six GPS sports.
• Students can choose from more than 50 sporting and co-curricular activities.
• Newington table tennis players have been participating in the interschool GPS tournament since 2016, when they finished as the leading school in all four divisions. Since then our players have continued to excel in their chosen sport.

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This story first appeared in the Autumn 2026 edition of The NC magazine. You can read this full issue and all past issues here.

To find out more about sport options at Newington, click here.