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Overcast A ping pong heroine resides in West Hempstead
Fourteen year-old Ackerman will compete in Olympic Trials, Feb. 4-6
Estee Ackerman of West Hempstead may only be 14 years old, but don’t let that fool you. This well-spoken, very calculated young lady is a serious ping pong player, and will be competing later this week in the Olympic Trials for Table Top Tennis in North Carolina from Feb. 4 through 5.
“I am definitely not a favorite in this tournament, because I’m one of 15 other females trying out, but people have been telling me that I’m playing the best in my career,” said Ackerman. “Even though there will be two former Olympians competing against me, I’ll play my best and give it all I’ve got there. And in sports — anything can happen.”
Ackerman, who is a freshman at the Yeshiva University High School for Girls in Holliswood, Queens, began playing ping pong six years ago in the basement of her home, practicing with her brother Akiva, who she says is also a nationally ranked player. As she improved, she started competing in tournaments across in multiple cities throughout the United States. She went on to participate in the United States national championships multiple times. “Last December was her seventh time back in Las Vegas,” said her father Glenn Ackerman of the national competitions. “She won the fifth highest rating last year, and there were 170 players in the event,” he added.
Over the years, Estee honed her sport by working with several ping pong coaches, one of which is a paraolympic gold medialist, and she also practicing at professional ping pong clubs in Brooklyn and Queens. But many times, when it isn’t convenient to venture out due to homework and other responsibiities, she pracitces in her basement, where there is ample space for ping pong playing.
The Olympic Trials run over a period of three days — from Thursday through Saturday, but Estee will not be participating in Saturday’s event, in accordance with her Orthodox Jew beliefs.
“Players will have three chances to make the Olympic team,” said her father. “Estee will only have two chances.”
Regardless of the outcome, when she returns to West Hempstead, she will be honored at Hempstead’s Town Hall for her accomplishments on Feb. 9.
You can follow Estee’s progress during the trials on the USA Table Tennis Association’s website, usatt.org.
