Table tennis prides itself on its accessibility, no matter what stage of life you are at – and that includes getting back into the sport after a break for family reasons.

A great example of this is Kelly Skeggs, a former Table Tennis England Director who is back on the table for the first time in just over a decade.

Kelly, a former top-10 player, was in action at the Mark Bates Ltd Senior National Championships Qualifying Tournament, where she was cheered on by her son Oscar, who is now making his own way in the sport and competed at the U10-13 Nationals last season.

We caught up with them both to chat about their table tennis journeys and find out how Kelly picked up a bat again.

How to get back into table tennis

If you are thinking of picking up table tennis again after a break, it could not be easier. Whether you want to play competitively or just for fun, we have an option for you.

Your local club can usually cater for all ages and offer social play or structured coaching. Many venues offer the Bat  & Chat programme, which provides organised social table tennis sessions for people aged over 50.

Our table finder can help you find your local club – and that is also the place to go to find a free-to-play public table near you, such as a Ping! table in a park or a Ping Pong Parlour in a shopping centre.

Table tennis is such an adaptable sport that you can even play at home by converting a dining table. Find out how here.

If you don’t fancy playing, why not lend a hand helping others to get into the sport? You can find out about volunteering here.

Table Tennis England membership is your way to access all the latest news and information, plus benefits including priority access to major event tickets and access to our TTE.TV channel to enjoy live and on demand action.

We have options for everyone, including free Supporter membership – and membership for all under-11s is free, even if they are playing competitively. Click here for more information about membership.