Stanford Player with Heart of Gold

By Michael Reff and Willy Leparulo
NCTTA Media Committee

Eric Pattison is a Stanford University doctoral student with a heart of gold. An American Para player utilizing a paddle he created himself (“I even tried to make my own rubber which was a disaster LOL” he says), Pattison states that “ping pong is the reason I’m doing chemical engineering.”

He is a multiple US Open champion who attributes his experiences in table tennis to establishing global friendships through international competitions. “I am the luckiest person on the face of the earth!” he exclaims, a line reminiscent of the late baseball great Lou Gehrig.

Pattison says his Stanford squad was invited to the champs right in the nick of time, “in other words within 30 minutes of the deadline!”

Right away when arriving at the venue, everyone could note Pattison’s infectious smile and willingness to help. NCTTA President Willy Leparulo appreciated the kind gesture from Pattison when he offered to lug some registration boxes from the hotel, but politely declined, saying that Pattison “is a guest.”

Pattison only has high praise for the NCTTA Champs event, remarking that it’s “One of the most well-run tournaments I have ever been to.”

Pattison and his team had quite a difficult preliminary draw, playing the likes of first seeded Indiana University, 12 seeded Yale, and 13 ranked Michigan, to ultimately end their participation at the tourney today against WUSTL in a double’s tie breaking match. This final match followed wheelchair rules, where no alternating points were allowed. WUSTL’s strategy was to avoid Pattison’s deceptive twiddling pips shots in favor of his teammate’s more standard style.

In addition to table tennis, Pattison also has a background in politics as a former student member of the Washington Student Achievement Council. According to a 2015 press release from the WSAC, “One of Pattison’s priorities is to ensure students have access to a quality education.”

With brains, table tennis prowess, and a heart of gold, Pattison has won us over on and off the table as a model NCTTA college athlete!

About 2022 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships

The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and the Round Rock CVB. Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, and Men’s/Coed Teams, Women’s Teams. The event is sponsored by Double Happiness, Double Fish and Joola.
Watch the event on live stream starting Friday April 8th on champs.nctta.org

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively for promoting the sport of table tennis at the college level. As the national governing body for college table tennis in the United States and Canada, NCTTA organizes elite intercollegiate competition throughout North America. www.nctta.org