MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD CURRICULUM WEEKLY PLAN BLUEPRINTS PAGE 1
Curriculum Roadmap
WEEK 2
Day 1: Ready Position & Steps 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Grip Review: Test students instantly on picking up the paddle with correct finger positions without coaching reminders.
10-25m
Warm-up
Mirror, Mirror Footwork (How-to): Coach stands at head of floor. Students copy lateral slide movements (knees bent, feet wide, shuffling side to side). Any crossing of feet is a "Let" and requires restarting stance from the center cone.
25-45m
Drill
Stance Check (How-to): Stand at table end. Place feet wider than shoulders, knees bent, chest forward. Keep paddle out in front with a loose grip. Shuffle 1 step left, 1 step right while holding stance.
45-65m
Challenge
Shadow Master (How-to): Play high-energy music. Students shadow-footwork freely across the court. When music stops, students must instantly freeze in an immaculate Ready Position. Last student to freeze is a "ball boy" helper.
65-75m
Debrief
Passport & Safety Check: Confirm kids know the Ready Position cues. Stamp passports for "Stance Sentinel".
Day 2: Introduction to Push 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Balance Drill: Gather students. Run 2 minutes of active ready stance squat challenges as arrival warmup.
10-25m
Warm-up
Racket Angle Sweeper (How-to): Practice holding the paddle parallel to the table. Push the air forward smoothly. Keep an open angle (racket face looking up) to glide flat underneath the ball.
25-45m
Drill
Soft Glide Drill (How-to): Coach tosses ball softly over net. Players stand in ready position and glide the open racket face underneath the ball, aiming to land the ball high and soft in opposing courts.
45-65m
Challenge
Table Gliders (How-to): Work in pairs. Try to slide or roll the ball back and forth across the table surface without letting it bounce (roll the ball using the open paddle face like a hockey puck).
65-75m
Debrief
Clean Up & Passport Log: Pick up equipment. Review "gliding underneath" cues. Stamp "Glide Guru" in student passports.
MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD CURRICULUM WEEKLY PLAN BLUEPRINTS PAGE 2
Curriculum Roadmap
WEEK 3
Day 1: Forehand Drive Mechanics 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Balance: Welcome, paddle selection. Brief ready posture warmup to keep energy high.
10-25m
Warm-up
Pocket to Salute (How-to): Practice the full forehand swing motion. Reach back to "hip pocket" and finish with a salute at the "forehead". No hitting balls yet—focus entirely on fluid shadow brushing mechanics.
25-45m
Drill
Coach Feed Drive (How-to): Coach drops balls onto forehand side. Student steps, swings with pocket-to-salute mechanics, brushing ball over net. Each student gets 10 attempts to establish muscle memory.
45-65m
Challenge
Forehand Fire / Targets (How-to): Place plastic cones on the opposite side of the table. Students get 10 attempts to knock off cones using forehand drives. Track hits on the scorecard.
65-75m
Debrief
Passport & Score Log: Clean equipment. Log highest hit score in Passport. Stamp "Forehand Striker" badge.
Day 2: Forehand Angles & Direction 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Partner Bounces: Get paddles. Pairs complete 20 cooperative floor bounces to establish joint coordination.
10-25m
Warm-up
Cone Shuffles (How-to): Move side-to-side between cones spaced 4 feet apart. Students shuffle rapidly, touching each cone with their paddle face while maintaining a low ready stance.
25-45m
Drill
Aiming Spot Drills (How-to): Place tape squares on Left, Center, and Right zones. Practice adjusting wrist angles at contact point to direct hits to the designated targets.
45-65m
Challenge
Target Hunter Game (How-to): Partners work together. One player serves or feeds, other aims for Zone 1 or Zone 2. Double Fire power-up allows double points on clean corner hits!
65-75m
Debrief
Tally & Passport: Group review. Talk about adjusting wrist angle. Log scores on Forehand Fire scorecards.
MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD CURRICULUM WEEKLY PLAN BLUEPRINTS PAGE 3
Curriculum Roadmap
WEEK 4
Day 1: Backhand Drive Mechanics 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Paddle Prep: Pick up paddles. Keep ball-bounces light on the backhand rubber.
10-25m
Warm-up
The Frisbee Flick (How-to): Practice drawing the paddle toward the belly button and flicking forward, mimicking throwing a small frisbee straight across the court to build elastic forearm power.
25-45m
Drill
Backhand Belly-Button Push (How-to): Coach feeds ball directly down middle lane. Students focus on chest-square posture, pushing backhands cleanly over the net. No wrist twisting!
45-65m
Challenge
Backhand Blast-Off (How-to): Fire backhands at empty plastic bottles or stacked target cups. Each target knocked down scores 50 points for the player's team tally!
65-75m
Debrief
Stamp Passports: Clean up tables. Discuss square chest alignment. Stamp "Backhand Blaster" badge.
Day 2: FH to BH Paddle Switching 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Setup: Distribute paddles. Have kids partner up at assigned tables.
10-25m
Warm-up
The Quick Flip Game (How-to): Stand in pairs. Coach shouts "Red!" (Forehand) or "Black!" (Backhand). Students must instantly show the matching rubber face. The fastest pair earns a bonus check!
25-45m
Drill
Alternating FH/BH (How-to): Coach feeds 1 ball to forehand corner, then 1 ball to backhand corner. Student must switch stances and racket faces dynamically between hits.
45-65m
Challenge
The Great Paddle Switch (How-to): Pair up at tables. One partner feeds balls randomly left and right. Hitter switches faces. Golden Shield allows safety from mis-strikes!
65-75m
Debrief
Review & Passports: Gather for debrief. Discuss returning back to the central ready state after hitting. Stamp passports.
MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD CURRICULUM WEEKLY PLAN BLUEPRINTS PAGE 4
Curriculum Roadmap
WEEK 5
Day 1: The Serve Blueprint 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Rules Brief: Explain the official Youth legal serve rules (flat open palm, toss ball 6 inches straight up, hit behind baseline).
10-25m
Warm-up
The 6-Inch Toss (How-to): Practice tossing the ball straight up 6 inches using flat palms, catching it cleanly with the same hand. This ensures a legal, spin-free toss.
25-45m
Drill
Baseline Landing (How-to): Practice hitting served balls so they bounce first on own table end, fly over net, and land on opponent's table end. Focus on soft underhand contact.
45-65m
Challenge
Landing Pad Target (How-to): Place chalk squares on opponents' table end. Get 10 legal serve attempts. Accumulate target scores; double points for hitting the outer corner targets!
65-75m
Debrief
Clean Up & Passport: Gather balls. Review legal toss check-off verbal guidelines. Stamp "Serve Master" skill in student passports.
Day 2: Introduction to Spin 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Partner Rally: Distribute equipment. Free-play rallies to warm up tracking and reaction pathways.
10-25m
Warm-up
The Ball Brush Game (How-to): Hold paddle at a steep angle. Swipe or "brush" the ball gently sideways across floor lines. Witness how the friction causes the ball to curve along the floor!
25-45m
Drill
Spin Serves (How-to): Brush over back of ball for topspin (creates fast diving paths). Brush under belly of ball for underspin (creates slow floating paths). Differentiate by observing bounces.
45-65m
Challenge
Spin Doctor Challenge (How-to): Serve using extreme spin at targets. Partners attempt returns. If they misjudge spin and ball flies away, the server gets the point!
65-75m
Debrief
Stamp Passports: Return paddles. Ask students to show topspin paddle angles. Log and stamp "Spin Doctor" passport badges.
MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD CURRICULUM WEEKLY PLAN BLUEPRINTS PAGE 5
Curriculum Roadmap
WEEK 6
Day 1: Lateral Footwork Mastery 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Warm-up: Welcome players. Warm up shoulder and leg muscle chains using light partner balancing runs.
10-25m
Warm-up
Traffic Cop (How-to): Coach points paddle Left or Right. Kids must instantly shuffle-step laterally in that direction without crossing over feet. Tripping or crossing feet resets points.
25-45m
Drill
Two-Spot Active Drive (How-to): Feed balls alternating to forehand and backhand corners. Student shuffles, hits forehand drive, shuffles back, hits backhand drive. Repeat 5 sets.
45-65m
Challenge
Cone Shuffle Relays (How-to): Teams race laterally across gym paths touching cones with their paddles while maintaining ready posture. Keeps center of gravity low and dynamic.
65-75m
Debrief
Stamp Passports: Tidy paddles. Discuss the technical "shuffle" vs "crossing legs" footwork difference. Stamp passports.
Day 2: Cooperative Rally Marathons 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Pairings: Group players based on equivalent performance to run balanced cooperative tables.
10-25m
Warm-up
Cooperative Wall Bounces (How-to): Stand with a partner 2 feet from a brick wall. Alternately strike the ball back against the wall, maintaining a continuous cooperative flow.
25-45m
Drill
The Soft Stroke Rally (How-to): Play cooperative rallies over the net using slow, consistent drives. Focus entirely on ball guidance rather than fast, powerful winning shots.
45-65m
Challenge
The 20-Ball Marathon (How-to): Try to hit 20 continuous consecutive shots with your partner without missing. Successfully completing this unlocks the "Team Savior Life" badge stamp!
65-75m
Debrief
Tally & Passport: Group review. Log highest cooperative rally count in Passports. Stamp the "Rally Ranger" skill badge.
MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD CURRICULUM WEEKLY PLAN BLUEPRINTS PAGE 6
Curriculum Roadmap
WEEK 7
Day 1: Tournament Rules & Prep 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Draw: Distribute paddles. Write names into bracket sheet. Explain game scores rules (first to 11 points, best-of-3 sets).
10-25m
Warm-up
Code of Honor (How-to): Review proper handshake mechanics, rules of courtesy, retrieving neighboring balls, and complimenting opponents' great shots. Have students sign Code of Honor sheet.
25-45m
Drill
Cooperative Point Play (How-to): Play loose mini-matches where the coach monitors starting legal serves and keeps correct scores. Correct double-bounce allowances and let serve rulings.
45-65m
Challenge
The Team Cup (How-to): Divide cohort into Red and Black teams. Run short 3-minute matches. Score tally adds toward final Team Cup scoreboards. Applaud great technical points.
65-75m
Debrief
Log Match Readiness: Clean tables. Explain how the final day's Bracket tournament will run. Stamp passport preparation fields.
Day 2: Grand Finale Cup & Graduation 75 Minutes
00-10m
Check-In
Check-In & Team Warm-up: Rapid racket handout. 5-minute rallying in teams to tune up reaction tracking pathways.
10-25m
Warm-up
Boss Battle Finale (How-to): All students line up. Each gets 1 attempt to return a serve from the Coach ("The Boss"). If the group scores 3 points total against the Coach, the entire cohort earns bonus stamps!
25-45m
Drill
The Bracket Match Play (How-to): Run the official 8-player bracket matches. Log points on Tournament Bracket boards. Run consolation tables so everyone is playing actively!
45-65m
Challenge
Final Match & Cup (How-to): Play the final championship match with both teams cheering. Award the Golden Handshake points to the winner. Add up team points.
65-75m
Debrief
Graduation Ceremony (How-to): Award the Grand Finale Cup trophies and print-out Graduation Certificates. Final passport group picture!
MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD CURRICULUM WEEKLY PLAN BLUEPRINTS PAGE 7
With 15 kids, table tennis can turn into a frantic track-and-field sprint for stray balls in 30 seconds. Run this strict routine:
Each pair of players gets a dedicated basket or cup containing exactly 5 balls. They only collect their balls during designated "tidy-up" breaks.
When playing games of 3 or 4 at a table, the player who is "out" is the official Ball Retriever. They must return stray balls to the cups immediately.
At the buzzer, yell "Tidy Challenge!". Table teams race to put exactly 5 balls back in their basket. The first team standing in "Sumo Stance" wins.
Critical Skill
If kids are failing, they quit. If they get too easy, they goof off. Watch your group and adjust immediately:
If they're struggling (Level Down)
If they are bored (Level Up)
Step 1: The Launch (15m)
Welcome kids individually by name. Gather at the central table. Explain the goal, run a 5-minute dynamic warm-up, and review the passport.
Step 2: The Action (45m)
Split into smaller teams. Rotate through targets and exercises. Ensure every player gets at least 50 strikes of the ball.
Step 3: The Wrap (15m)
Perform the Tidy Challenge. Gather together. Hand out stickers/stamps on the Passport cards. Ask one reflection question to finish.
TEEN COACH PLAYBOOK • MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD PAGE 2 OF 2 • PROMOTING PHYSICAL LITERACY
1. What game worked best?
2. Which player struggled?
WEEKLY COACH CLIPBOARD • MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD Lead with energy and pride!
MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD CURRICULUM COACHING BLUEPRINT HANDBOOK PAGE 1
GAMING POWER-UPS & BONUS ACTIONS Activate Once Per Game
The Golden Shield (Defense)
Say "Shield Up!" before your opponent serves. If you lose the upcoming rally, you lose 0 points! (A safe buffer to practice returns).
Double Fire Strike (Attack)
Declare "Double Fire!" before serving. If you win the point using a clean *Forehand Drive*, you receive 2 points instead of 1!
Team Savior Life
If partners successfully sustain a 15-hit cooperative rally during warmups, both players earn an "Extra Life" passport stamp!
Boss Battle Finale
At class close, challenge "The Boss" (Coach). If the group scores 3 total points on the coach, the entire cohort earns bonus points!
MATTAHUNT YOUTH PINGPOD CURRICULUM COACHING RULES COMPANION PAGE 2
