A NEW man at the helm is working hard to make table tennis a hit with youngsters in North Yorkshire.

Mark Smith, who played at under-21 international level for England, is busy setting up new schemes in schools all over the county to promote the game.

As the English Table Tennis Association's new regional development officer for the North, he has been assessing the coaching work already taking place in the county, giving exhibitions in schools and organising new ventures.

He has done exhibitions at Haxby Road, Poppleton, and St Wilfrid's Roman Catholic primary schools in York, with England Under-14 top ten player Richard Moss of Poppleton table tennis club as playing partner on two of the visits.

They put on a demonstration match for pupils at each school, showing some of the techniques, such as ball spin, involved in playing table tennis.

Smith, who represented Britain at the international under-19 championships, has played for Yorkshire senior team and is in Selby-based Derwent club's National League division one team, is hoping to start a junior under-17 league in York schools later this year.

" It will be for teams of two players and not the usual three, so that it will be easier to set up pairs of players," he explained.

Next month table tennis sessions for beginners are to be started at Millthorpe School with the objective of picking a York team to play in the North Yorkshire Youth Games to be held at Harrogate on June 24.

The Millthorpe sessions will be for primary school children and will last for five or more sessions at a cost of £1.50 a session. From these coaching sessions three girls and three boys will be chosen to represent York in the youth games.

Smith also intends to organise similar sessions in Selby.

The table tennis centre of excellence at Millthorpe School has been upgraded to full club status by the ETTA. The centre is run by York players including York Table Tennis Association president Betty Norman, the association's development officer Malcolm Haswell, and Mick Wilcockson.

Smith will be setting up a coaching education course this summer for those wishing to become.

Schools interested in inviting Smith to give a demonstration can ring him at City of York Council Leisure Services (York 613161) or on his mobile phone 07977 230167.

Updated: 12:22 Saturday, March 10, 2001