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Those of you who have researched the history of the game of table tennis may have come across the term Ping Pong Diplomacy. Ping Pong Diplomacy, an event which occurred back in 1971, was an effort by the Chinese government to improve Cold War relations by inviting the United States to their country to play ping pong. The objective of this gesture was not to keep score or win matches, but to improve communication between our countries and provide the opportunity to learn more about our individual cultures after 20 years of isolation. The term diplomacy is defined as "the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and effective way." It's hard to find a competitive sport where diplomacy can be tested more than in ping pong, particularly during doubles play. In this activity, you have the pressure and intensity of four competitors crowded in a noisy room around a 5' x 9' table trying to strike a small white ball that is moving back and forth over the net at lightning speed. In between strokes, you are trying to keep an accurate score while at the same time remembering which of the four of you should be serving. Of course, with most of us being of the "senior" variety, these tasks become ever more challenging. Such is the need for diplomacy. Yes, there can be disagreements about score or whether or not a ball landed on the right side of the center line or hit the edge of the table, but hey, we're not playing for big prize money or some huge trophy! Indeed, ego and pride can play a part in winning or losing a ping pong match, but this pretty much dissipates as soon as you get back to the kitchen and revel in the joys of getting older. Table tennis is a terrific sport, and should be tried by those who wish to test their reflexes, improve their hand/eye coordination, or simply want to spend some time with some very competitive but friendly folks. Just remember to be diplomatic. See you at the tables. ~ Bob Rubenstein, brube88@gmail.com FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | FEBRUARY 2024 61 By the time this Breeze issue hits your mailbox, the month of January for 2024 would almost be behind us. Oh well, belated happy New Year anyway! If you are like most people, you probably have already finalized your New Year's resolution list. So, if your list includes volunteering for an important position with the Tennis Club, you are in luck! The Tennis Club has an Executive Committee that consists of five members. Each member serves a two-year term. It just so happens that several seats have come to the end of their respective term and are becoming open in 2024. We always welcome new members to come in with new ideas and plans of how to improve and grow our club. If you become one of the Executive Committee members, not only will you have lots of opportunities to help make the Tennis Club better, it will also make your resume look really good. Who knows, the prestigious title of "Executive Committee Member" might even land you that "management position" you have been holding out for. (Ha ha, just kidding!) All kidding aside, if you are interested and have any questions about joining the committee, please feel free to contact any one of the following current members: Chuck Beckman, Larry Martin, Lou Stokes, MJ Newcomer, or Stan Lam. One caveat: If there are more interested candidates than the number of seats available, we will go through an election process. So, please don't let this golden opportunity slip away. Hurry up and throw your name in the hat! Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2024! Beat you all to The Courts! Website: https://sites.google.com/view/tennis-fourseasons/home. ~ Stan Lam, (714) 757-2141, slamcpa@gmail.com Tennis Club Spin 'n Slam Table Tennis Club Just a few of the Spin 'n Slam table tennis diplomats

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