When Forrest Gump was on the All-American Ping-Pong team, he just loved playing ping-pong with his Flexolite paddle. Okay, so Forrest Gump didn't really exist, and Flexolite manufactures pest foggers, but don't hold that against ping-pong -- or, rather, table tennis. As far as paddle games go, it's more popular than age-old fraternity spankings and, arguably, tennis itself. In Houston, there's a great following for the sport, and the Houston Table Tennis Association ensures that local players get to take a swipe at it. Founded in 1998, HTTA is an organization whose mission is to promote table tennis locally and internationally. Table tennis is, after all, a pretty wholesome sport. Located on the west side, the HTTA's facility has several tables and a few world-ranked players. But no worries: The place welcomes all. Says Bob O'Neill of the HTTA, "We have some players in their seventies. I do it for the enjoyment and for exercise. It's an addictive sport." No word on any 12-step groups dedicated to ping, er, table tennis. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. 11109 Bellaire. For information, call... More >>>