Table Tennis isn’t just a Gump sport anymore.

Northern Kentucky University’s Table Tennis Club is dedicated to a lesser known, but still legitimate, sport.

Vice president Eric Shierberg is just one example of the club’s talent. In fact, Shierberg was the winner of the last college tournament he played in. Club members look up to both his quality of play and his motivational words.

Every Friday on court No. 1 in the Albright Health Center, there is about 10 to 14 Donic 25’s set up for club members to use. Now, for those who don’t know what a Donic 25 is, it’s a $1,000 tennis table. “Top of the line,” said George Thompson, United States Association of Table Tennis certified trainer and one of NKU’s coaches. “This club is serious, talented and fun.”

Table tennis is not only fun to play, “it can help you lose weight and stay physically fit,” Schierberg said, who admits that he was very overweight before he started playing table tennis at NKU, but is now down to 165 pounds.

Junior Bryan Wilson, another experienced player, agreed: “It’s great physical conditioning and you get to have fun competing against players with styles different than yours.”

Another attractive aspect about playing table tennis at the Albright Health Center is that it’s free. The club supplies gently used paddles and balls for use.

“We want to stress our openness here,” Thompson said. The group wants people from any age group and gender to come out and play, even if it’s not competitive. They have three state certified table tennis coaches on hand to help improve a person’s game or teach how to play. The tables are available Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m.