Connecticut Table Tennis Background
How and when the clubs were founded — from NETTA’s early 1990s vision to today’s open-play network.
How and when were the clubs founded?
The Middletown Club was founded by Normand Chouinard of Waterbury around 1991. Norm, a prominent tournament promoter, began the NorthEast Table Tennis Association (NETTA) to develop a network of clubs in Southern New England — especially Connecticut.
The Middletown TTC started as a combined youth and adult club at the New Britain Boys & Girls Club, then moved to the larger gym at Riverview Hospital in Middletown in 1992 with assistance from RCH staff including Rich Daley and Rick Nelson.
In addition to Middletown, Norm arranged sites in Danbury and Hamden in 1993 while coordinating table tennis for the 1994 Special Olympics World Games in New Haven. As family, banking, and parish work overextended him, he sought a successor to expand the club network.
Dave Strang becomes director
Dave Strang of Akron, Ohio had run clubs and tournaments in Northeast Ohio before marketing work in Michigan. He wanted to return to direct club and coaching work. When Norm and Dave found their goals complementary, Norm offered Dave the director role for NETTA.
The model: host gyms supply space; NETTA/CT TT provides equipment, organization, supervision, and promotion. Modest nightly fees support tables, nets, barriers, Newgy robots, and a portion of the director’s time — keeping play accessible while maintaining professional conditions.
Growing the Connecticut network
Dave opened Hamden in early 1994 with six tables, twice weekly. Around 1994–95, Fairhaven youth programs with Peter Noble joined the NETTA family — later recognized with USATT grassroots support and local press. Hamden later spent two years with the New Haven JCC tennis club in Woodbridge.
With help from a local enthusiast and student, Connecticut TT opened Fairfield around 1996 with the town Recreation department at the Fairfield Senior Center gym. Reflecting the Connecticut focus, Dave increasingly used “Connecticut Table Tennis” / CT TT Association rather than NETTA.
CT TT has long ties to Connecticut Senior Games, Special Olympics, mall exhibitions, school demos, and clinics featuring guests such as Olympian Sean O’Neill. The web presence began in the mid-1990s — among the earlier U.S. club sites — later fronted by RealTableTennis.com while keeping Tripod links alive.