This volunteer calls the shots

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This article was published 04/04/2016 (3701 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s possible Francesca Chan is the youngest female table tennis umpire in the world.

Chan has been volunteering with the Manitoba Table Tennis Association (MTTA) since she was in Grade 8. Now 20, she is certified as an international umpire through the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

In addition to serving as an umpire locally, Chan has had the opportunity to officiate at tournaments in almost every province.

Her skills overseeing table tennis matches have also taken her abroad: in 2014, she was one of four young umpires from around the world selected to attend the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.

Being an umpire can be challenging, Chan says.

“There is that underlying tension, because you’re at the table, and the audience and coaches are watching you,” she says. At the same time, it’s a lot of fun. “It’s cool to be able to dictate how the game runs and keep the sport running as smoothly as possible.”

She got into the sport in Grade 7 as a player. After just a few weeks of training, she competed in the Manitoba Games in Carman and won two gold medals and one silver medal.

Ultimately, she was more interested in following in her father’s footsteps and becoming an umpire.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity. I really wanted to see the other side of the sport,” she says.

Chan typically volunteers at six tournaments in Manitoba each year.

While she enjoys participating in the local table tennis scene, some of the biggest highlights of the past few years have been officiating at tournaments elsewhere.

“It was really eye-opening seeing the international players and also meeting people,” Chan says about her trip to Portugal, noting the three other youth umpires chosen to attend the competition were from Argentina, England and Sweden.

Volunteering at the Parapan Am Games in Toronto last August was another great experience, she says.

“It was really cool to see the paralympians compensate for their disadvantage and play the sport that we all love,” she says.

In addition to her volunteer work with the MTTA, Chan volunteers once a week with the Winnipeg School Division, helping students who have difficulty speaking.

‘It’s cool to be able to dictate how the game runs and keep the sport running as smoothly as possible’– table tennis umpire Francesca Chan

She is in her third year of a linguistics degree at the University of Manitoba and aspires to become a speech pathologist.

This summer, the MTTA is hosting the Canadian Table Tennis Championships at the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre. Chan has signed up to volunteer.

“It’s going to be really good because we haven’t had the championships in Winnipeg in a long time,” she says. “It will be really nice having it in our hometown and showing everyone our city.”

The MTTA is looking for volunteers to help at the event, which runs July 5-10.

Volunteers are needed to drive guests, including officials, athletes and families from out of province, as well as assist visitors in becoming familiar with Winnipeg.

The MTTA is also looking for volunteers to help in the racket control department. Training will be provided, and no experience is necessary.

Anyone interested is encouraged to email Norman Tran at normtran6@gmail.com.

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.