Story on 'local heros' page

The next step on this page was to write the story.



We started off by saying who the story was going to be about and some of the achievements that she has earned. We thought by putting this at the beginning it gave her a good look throughout the whole story.




In the twenty five years since she began coaching table tennis, Claire Crutchly has enjoyed many notable triumphs.
For example, six of her students have represented the club in the Bristol and District league, three others have competed for the South West region in the ETTA (English Table Tennis Association) veterans’ Grand Prix league and a selected few have competed in the English Open, an international championship run by the ETTA.




We then moved onto the history/background of 'Claire' and how she got in to her love for table tennis.


Claire has always had a love for table tennis. Between the ages of seven and eleven, she joined the Portishead under 14s club and on many occasions, represented the team in the Bristol and District League, often obtaining first place in division one (the highest category for her age group). During her teenage years, Claire’s ever improving talent was spotted by John Higgins, head coach of Grantham Table Tennis Academy. “I walked into the hall where the club was training and I saw this fourteen year old girl playing incredibly well” says Mr. Higgins. “I thought that if she were to join our academy, she would achieve great things”.
Once under Mr. Higgins’ wing, Claire trained extensively with rigorous exercises. Five months later, she was at a standard to compete in the English Open.


We then started to talk about a disaster that had happened to claire to make it quite a heart hitting story.




However in 1992, whilst playing a physically draining quarter final match against then champion Terry Hutchings, Claire’s leg gave way. She was rushed to hospital and was diagnosed with iliotibial band syndrome, a lateral knee pain that prevents any kind of sport participation.
However, with her positive attitude and her love of the game, Claire refused to give up on table tennis and decided that she would become a top level coach. “Seeing as I couldn’t play, I wanted a new challenge.”


We then moved onto saying how she had become a 'local hero' and everything that she has done for the people she trains.




A year after her accident, Claire qualified as a Level Four ETTA -approved coach, (the highest coaching grading.) She booked a regular slot at the Portishead Redcliffe Bay Hall and purchased table tennis equipment. There was a big turn out for her first session and numbers continue to grow today. The ‘Portishead Spinners’ (the clubs nickname) runs on a Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 6:30-8:30 at Redcliffe Bay Hall and invites players of all ages and abilities.
“It’s really great to see so many people getting involved in a sport that can be both fun and
competitive.” Claire said, smiling proudly. “I feel happy in giving the players the opportunities that others have given me during my table tennis career.”
“Claire’s a great coach” says Sarah Coggins, a division one competitor. “She’s very patient and she manages to balance fun activity with competitive play.”



Instead of just finishing the story here we thought we'd mention one major acheivement clarie has had with one of her players and how she has made that happen for him.




‘The Portishead Spinners’ club has had its fair share of top quality players in recent years. James Thompson, 17, entered the Stiga Masters championship in 2003 and finished with a gold medal around his neck after beating the reigning champion Dom Johnson in a close scoring
match of 19-17.
“It was a hard match against Dom, but it was definitely worth it. Every time I look at my medal I think of my achievement but I am extremely great full for Claire’s faith in me and all the help she’s given me to accomplish this.”


We finished the story up with saying why she is such a local hero today and the rewards she gets from doing what she does best.




In 2005 Claire received an MBE for her outstanding contribution to the sport. The reward was presented to her by none other than John Hilton, 1980 European table tennis champion. During his speech, Mr. Hilton said that Claire is “an outstanding player, but an even better coach”.
We hope to hear more of Claire’s successes in the future.