When I moved to Ottawa three years ago, I would often hear stories about the “good old days” when the city was home to Canada’s National Training Centre. People spoke about that era with pride and nostalgia—not just because of the success it produced, but because of the unique environment it created. Young local players had the opportunity to train alongside national team athletes, learn from world-class coaches, and feel connected to something larger than themselves.

By 2022, Ottawa looked very different. Opportunities for young athletes to access high-performance table tennis training were limited, and even more importantly, there was no strong, unified community where ambitious young players could pursue their goals together. Many talented kids were working hard in isolation, without a network of peers, mentors, and supporters to help them dream bigger and stay the course.

The Youth Program—and later the High Performance Program—was built from a simple but deeply meaningful belief: every young athlete deserves a community that believes in them. We wanted to create more than a training program. We wanted to build a home where kids could feel safe, supported, and inspired; a place where they could express their ambitions without hesitation and know that their club would stand beside them through every challenge and every success.

Building these programs required a tremendous commitment. As coaches, it often meant giving up weekends, postponing trips, missing social gatherings, and sacrificing sleep. Yet every hour invested was worth it. Today, more than forty recreational and high-performance athletes call OTTC home. They are not just teammates—they are friends, role models, training partners, and part of a growing family that celebrates one another's achievements and supports one another through setbacks.

What makes me most proud is not simply the progress our athletes have made at the table, but the community we have built together. We are creating a culture where young people feel they belong, where lifelong friendships are formed, and where every athlete knows they are valued.

As we continue this journey, my hope extends beyond seeing one of our athletes wear the national team jersey. I hope that wherever their paths take them, they will always remain connected to the community that helped shape them. I hope they carry forward the values of support, dedication, and belonging that define OTTC. And most of all, I hope they look back on these years as a time filled with unforgettable memories, meaningful relationships, and a community that believed in them every step of the way.

-OTTC High Performance Coach and Director of Training, Priyanka Pareek