Today we’d like to introduce you to Archana Athalye.
Hi Archana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into the world of table tennis coaching began with a casual yet pivotal remark. Friends watching my son play in a league were surprised at his technical form and asked, “Who’s training him?” That moment sparked something in me—an idea that would soon transform into a fulfilling career.
Table tennis runs in my blood. My aunt was a national player, my father played at the state level, and I proudly represented Maharashtra in India throughout my school years. Though I pursued a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s in business administration, the love for the sport never faded. Actually educational background of a business degree made the effort towards setting up the business which has always appealed to me.
I previously ran a successful artificial jewelry business, but frequent international relocations made it difficult to continue. When I saw a real opportunity for growth in table tennis coaching, I felt a ‘Eureka’ moment. I envisioned building not just a coaching practice, but a professional venture.
With community support, my journey began modestly—from a basement. Word of mouth, creative marketing, and engaging players across all age groups helped expand the vision. I earned my credentials as a USATT Regional Coach and got qualified to coach across the Southeast region of the U.S. Eventually, I moved out of the basement, then transitioned from a rented space to owning my own facility—Archi’s Table Tennis Club—a USATT-approved venue that now serves as a hub for players of all levels.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The path wasn’t without hurdles. One major challenge was finding a facility that met USATT’s strict dimensional requirements. As a woman entrepreneur, earning trust in a gender-biased environment required resilience and consistency. Most of my students are in elementary or middle school—a group that often struggles to maintain interest in a single activity over time. Parental support is crucial, but parents themselves sometimes find it difficult to understand the progression and potential in sports. Academic pressure and the financial commitment needed for serious training often push older students to treat the sport as a hobby rather than a career path. Finding a way to keep the students motivated by challenging them in setting up various records within the club was one of the key factors of ongoing success.
To keep students motivated, coaches must be energetic, well-qualified, and highly organized. But being a good coach isn’t enough—running a business requires strategic thinking, risk management, and tough decision-making. While customer satisfaction is important, so is discipline and structure to ensure student growth. Balancing these worlds has been the key to the club’s ongoing success and my personal fulfillment as both a coach and entrepreneur.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Archi’s Table Tennis Club?
The readers will get 10% discount to appreciate showing interest in joining ATTC! Please click the link below to complete the registration… https://archistabletennis.com/new-enrollment.html
All level players are welcome to join our monthly leagues!!
Location:
Archi’s Table Tennis Club
6110 McFarland Station Drive, Unit 903, Alpharetta, GA 30004.
Website: https://archistabletennis.com/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17eJiiMGUd/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archis_table_tennis_club?igsh=MXh5cjRrY2E5cnhyeQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Class timings: 5 pm to 9 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 1.00 pm on Saturday.
Email: archimirchi@gmail.com
Mobile: 404 924 9457
Accomplishments:
The coach like me who handles the students to the grass root level to teach them how to hold the racket and contact the ball, feels very proud when 19 students participate in the USATT rated tournament and Archi’s team secures 2nd place in the state of Georgia!!
I am very grateful to my family for supporting me in this journey. It was impossible to reach up to the level where I am right now without them!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I started learning table tennis at the age of 6 under the guidance of my father, who was a state champion and my aunt who was national champion at that time. Having an experience in the competitive world of table tennis, my father played very important role in the journey of table tennis in my life. He used to drive me everyday to the club for 3 hours of practice with no exceptions. He appointed 3 different coaches with variety of skill sets which helped me a lot to improve my game tremendously. At that age, I was not much aware of his plans or his dedication to carve the path towards the bright future of my table tennis career. I just followed his instructions and cooperated immensely which resulted in setting up the club and coached 1000+ students including 6 years old to 78 years old by now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.archistabletennis.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archis_table_tennis_club
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HYBgNsEJg/
