About Us Learn About Ozark Tennis Club
Ozarks Table Tennis Club was established in 1971 by Dave Zapatka. We are dedicated to helping beginner and intermediate players play better thorugh lessons, open play times, and by staging local, regional and national tournaments. O’Reilly Tefft Gymnasium 1408 E. Pythian St, in Springfield, MO. Handicapped accessible, good lighting and climate controlled.
Where: O’Reilly-Tefft gymnasium 1408 E. Pythian Street.
When: Sundays: 12 o’clock pm to 5 o’clock pm.
Why: For fun, exercise, meet-n-greet, see new players, challenge any style. “ANY BASEMENT PLAYER” player who comes in off the street and beats our #1 or #2 rated player gets: $20 bucks.
Cost: 16 or older: $8. 15 or younger: $2. 5 hours of F.U.N. !!
Tables: 12 French 1″ Cornilleau model 740 light blue tables. Tables are endorsed by Jean-Philippe Gatien … [France #1 rated player] … Used in several world class table tennis events.
Affiliation: www.USATT.org affiliated.
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Our History Read Our Story
Club originated as GOTTA – Greater Ozarks Table Tennis Association - and was started in the fall of 1971 by Dave Zapatka while a student at Southwest Missouri State University. The club played in a building at 2006 N. National Avenue. There were two leagues: one commercial and one university. The commercial league consisted of City Utilities, The Elk’s Lodge and the Forsythe Table Tennis Club. The Forsythe Club was run by Jack Harrison a longtime player from Kansas City. The university league consisted of: Baptist Bible College, Central Bible College, Drury University, Evangel University and SMSU. Stan Morest was a member of the commercial club and from 1938 to 1939 was the president of the USTTA … (United States Table Tennis Association as it was then known).
From 1975 to 1982 Stan Morest was also an associate editor of the USTTA’s monthly magazine and contributed on various topics. GOTTA then closed its doors in February of 1975. Zapatka owned Z Tech Corporation before moving out of the area in 2003. Table tennis was inactive through the 1980’s before being revitalized by Hugh Mason in 1993. Those players, who were still active in table tennis, received a significant boost when a club was formed called Ozarks Table Tennis Club. The club was bolstered achieving USATT chartering through guidance from Mason.
2001 Ozarks Table Tennis Club has staged 40 USATT sanctioned tournaments; 9 non-sanctioned tourneys and 8 mini tournaments for a summed total of: 57. Fifty-seven tourneys held at O’Reilly-Tefft gymnasium; five at Baptist Bible College; two at Central Bible College; and one held at Parkview High School. There have been 2312 players, $70, 075 in payouts and several thousand matches played.
Eminent players who’ve played in Springfield: Eric Owens, 2003 USA National champion; Mark Hazinski, world rated #367; Choor Sime Oh (Malaysia) world rated #536; Alfred Najem (Lebanon) world rated #602; Paulo Rocha (Brazil) world rated #633; Fernando Yamazato (Brazil) world rated #682; Venkat Ramesh (India) world rated #725; and Joey Cochran world rated #1138.
Notable Springfield champions: Alfred Najem 5 times; Parviz Mojaverian, Overland Park, KS 4 times and Richard Martin, Kansas City, MO 4 times’. Springfield is a recognized leader in table tennis in Missouri and the mid-West.
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Entry Blank___2025 Missouri Show-Me State Games Open – June 7 2025