USA Table Tennis to honor Millikin University President Dr. Harold Jeffcoat at U.S. Open

Please select the service you want to use:

• Newsvine
• Digg
• Delicious
• StumbleUpon
• Technorati
• Buzz
• Favorites
• Google Reader

USA Table Tennis (USATT) will honor Millikin University President, Dr. Harold Jeffcoat, at the 2012 Table Tennis U.S. Open on the evening of Wed., July 4 in Grand Rapids, MI. President Jeffcoat will be recognized for his long-term commitment to the development of the sport of table tennis in the USA.

Under President Jeffcoat's guidance, a model collegiate table tennis program was nurtured at Texas Wesleyan University that ultimately produced several national champions and involved Olympians as student athletes and coaches. President Jeffcoat also served on the USATT Board of Directors for several years where his experience and leadership helped the organization through a governance reformation process where his influence is felt to the present day.

"I am very excited about being honored," remarked Jeffcoat. "I had been on the Board of the United States Table Tennis Association for four years and at a time where the organization was going through some transition. I'm honored that USATT wants to recognize the accomplishment of opening the door for students to have the opportunity to have athletic scholarships for the Olympic sport of table tennis."

USA Table Tennis will be staging the 2012 U.S. Open from June 30 through July 4 at the DeVos Place located in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. The event draws over 600 elite table tennis athletes from around the world who will compete for a total prize money purse of $100,000. In conjunction with the U.S. Open, North American Table Tennis and USATT are partnering in the staging of an International Table Tennis Junior Circuit event. This international event will feature three USA women and one USA man who have recently qualified to compete in the London Olympic Games in late July 2012.

"I was very interested in promoting intercollegiate athletics while at Texas Wesleyan University, especially Olympic sports," remarked Jeffcoat. "USA Table Tennis is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and by virtue we were connected to that committee which develops talent for the Olympic sport of table tennis."

USATT is the national organizing body for table tennis in the United States. Created in 1933 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO. its staff serves over 9000 members and 285 clubs affiliated with USATT. It oversees a wide variety of membership services, the national teams, and other areas such as the rules of the game, and numerous online instructional and historical articles. It is governed by the nine members of the board of directors, numerous committees, and paid staff. USATT is affiliated with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the world governing body for table tennis, as well as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).