Coach-of-the-year award just deserts for O'Keefe

GUERNSEY'S young table tennis players had their best year on record in 2005. And the woman who made it happen has been made Channel Islands coach of the year in recognition of her achievements.

Former Welsh junior Becky O'Keefe has overseen a coaching programme that has seen what used to be viewed as a minority sport grow by leaps and bounds since she came to the island in 2002.

'I think we have come a long way in that time,' said the development officer.

'We got our first medals last year by taking gold, silver and bronze in the national primary schools championship.'

Juniors Alice Loveridge and Oliver Langlois took gold and bronze respectively and the boys' team consisting of Langlois, Peter Mitchell, Matt Stubbington and Liam Robilliard took silver at national level.

'Teams like Wales used to see Guernsey as a walkover and even felt they could put out a weaker team,' said O'Keefe.

That is no longer the case.

The coach described guiding the island's youngsters to their first major win against her native Wales as 'fantastic' and since then, the youngsters have become a force to be reckoned with.

O'Keefe had worked closely with Welsh national coach Alan Griffiths before being thrown in at the deep end in October 2002, when she was practically given free rein to get on with improving the sport's future.

By introducing intense bucket-ball training for youngsters and overhauling the system, Guernsey's young players get the best-possible training.

'We found Becky by fluke,' said Guernsey Table Tennis Association president Derek Webb, who is impressed by the results of the drilling system and the encouragement given to the young players.

'Guernsey was a bit naive before we got ?Becks?. We wanted a new system, but needed someone who knew how to do it.'

She praised Guernsey's facilities and thanked the Sports Commission, especially for their annual taster courses to recruit more schoolchildren into the sport.

This has brought around 40 youngsters into the sport over the past three years.

Quick progress and an emphasis on fast and furious playing styles mean that the retention rate is high.

Over a hundred children now play the sport and the island has become a force to be reckoned with at junior level.