The rhythmic pinging sound of the ball hitting the table rings throughout the room as it goes back and forth at an accelerating rate. On one side of the table is Nafio Khan, senior and co-captain of the Boys Varsity Table Tennis Team. 

Despite starting to play the sport a little more than a year ago, Khan’s hard work and dedication quickly paid off.  He says he was driven to try out for the team because he, “Wanted to be able to play the sport consistently and find a new group of people to be friends with.” 

Khan is truly motivated to play, describing, “Though there are days where I play poorly, I always seem to come back and want to play more.” He is constantly pushed to be a better player due to his love of the sport.

Surprisingly, Khan claimed that the best way he communicates and strategizes with his team is teaching them what he’s learned through professionals.

“I give them tips on what to focus on to improve and if I tell them to hit the ball in a specific way, I try to explain the reasoning behind it,” he explained.

As Khan’s high school journey will eventually come to an end, he has set a mere plan for his future. He intends to go to college for mechanical engineering and play intramural table tennis.

Khan advised freshmen who intend on playing table tennis by learning through watching professionals, and mimicking the fundamentals in order to adopt those skills. “Things like footwork, Tempo, how to hit the ball in different situations, and understanding how to make contact with balls that have different spins” he shared.

He has also shared a piece of advice which he believes could help freshmen through their high school journey, “You should get involved with everything that you have even the slightest interest in. Don’t make up any excuses for not trying something new,” he advised.

The Boy’s Varsity Table Tennis recently started and if you plan to follow them on this years journey, come visit them in the Cafeteria, where they practice.