“I didn’t come here to eat, I came to play,” Jay Morrison said as he joked with his table tennis partner, William Dorsey.

The two of them were playing a rigorous game at the Cedar Hill Recreation Center, when Dorsey decided he needed a snack. Watching everyone in the room, all members of the Oak Cliff Table Tennis Club, hit little ping-pong balls back and forth with fierce vigor made it seem easy to work up an appetite.

The club, which meets every Friday, takes this game very seriously — each giving one another pointers, friendly ribbing and power serves. With sweat pouring down their faces and big grins, it is also easy to see that this sport is pretty fun.

 “How bad is it when you say you are too busy [to play],” Bill Russell, who has been playing table tennis seriously for 35 years, said with a laugh. “That’s a terrible excuse.”

Nothing slows this group down. Not even when its state Senior Games in Lubbock were still going on during Sept. 11, 2001 — they won everything in the doubles and singles category, Dorsey said.

The club consistently maintains its equipment in good condition and still plays on the same tables it played on many years ago.

The members also take time to help other recreation centers and parks with table tennis programs as well as donating tables and playing exhibition games.

 “We work with kids and create an interest in playing the game,” said lead table tennis player James Smith, who has been playing for 42 years. Smith is a State Senior Games competition champ in Men’s Singles and Mixed Doubles.

Kid Springs and St. Phillips School, among others, have benefited from the group’s humanitarian efforts. But the players also benefit from playing table tennis on a regular basis.

 “I read not long ago that table tennis is good for eye coordination and brain function,” Russell said. “It keeps you alert and functioning.”

Russell’s wife, Cyma, also plays, but not very often.

“Loyal wife, you know,” he said as he smiled. “She watches me play.”

The game room at the CedarHillRecreationCenter stays full with players from the club who have been playing since the 1960s and ’70s and have been friends just as long. But there are also younger enthusiasts who play — each of them with a different playing style and history in the game.

In fact, the Russells first got into table tennis when their son Bob wanted to play for his 15th birthday after seeing an article in the paper.

 “At 17 he went on to the Southern Open in Atlanta and beat the then-reigning men’s national champion,” Bill Russell said. “Those were the glory days. He stopped playing when he got married, but we’re still plugging along!”

TABLE TENNIS TERMS

Penholder grip — holding the paddle like you would a pen.

Benefit: Able to hit the ball when it comes right at you. Gives the best possible forehand but awkward backhand.

Shakehands grip — holding the paddle as if you are shaking someone’s hand.

Benefit: Good for reach and gives the best balance of forehand and backhand.

Topspin — A type of spin used on most aggressive shots, with an extreme amount being used in the loop shot. When you topspin the ball, the top of the ball moves away from you.

Push — A backspin return of backspin. Usually defensive.

Volley — To hit the ball before it bounces on your side of the table. It results in an immediate loss of the point.

— Information provided by members of the Oak Cliff Table Tennis Club and usatt.org.

Jenice Johnson is a writer and photographer for neighborsgo. Contact her at jsjohnson@neighborsgo.com.