All year long, Mrs Peake has been the wizard behind the ping-pong curtain, running a lunchtime table tennis club that became so popular she had to add an extra weekly session just to stop the queue stretching halfway to Newport. With 40–50 students turning up every week, Carisbrooke officially became the Isle of Wight’s unofficial table-tennis talent factory.

So, in recognition of all those hours of topspin, backspin and “Miss, can I have a new ball?”, Carisbrooke entered the Isle of Wight Table Tennis Competition on Monday 17 November. Our most dedicated paddle-wielders headed to the legendary Carl Prean Table Tennis Centre to battle in the U13 and U16 Championships.

Little did the boys know they were basically being thrown into the deep end of the table-tennis pool. Our four Year 7s were up against players a year older and our Year 9s were technically in an U16 competition.

Not one of our players had ever competed in an official match before, but did that bother them? Absolutely not. They walked in like seasoned pros, paddles ready, nerves left at the school gates.

Led by Harry M, who bravely took on the top-ranked power-spinners from The Bay and Ryde School, the boys got straight to work. Meanwhile, Logan, Ted and Dylan battled their opposite numbers with enough intensity to make the balls fear for their lives.

And the result? 5 wins out of 8 matches, with Ted and Dylan going fully unbeaten, proper “don’t-even-try-me” form.

At the other end of the hall, Joseph stepped up as captain, backed by Joshua, Owen and Harry G. The boys started landing shots like they had magnets in their bats, taking 3 wins out of their 4 matches and making it increasingly obvious that the U13 crown was on its way to Carisbrooke.

As the U16 results took their sweet time to come through, the boys stood waiting, some pacing, some praying to the table-tennis gods, some pretending not to be nervous at all.

Then…the announcement.

Carisbrooke College: U13 Champions!
Carisbrooke College: U16 Champions!

The boys didn’t know whether to jump in celebration, look shocked, or accidentally attempt a victory-lap. But champions they were and champions they deserved to be. As a result, the boys will now represent Carisbrooke and the Isle of Wight at the Hampshire competition on Monday 24 November in Basingstoke.

Thanks to the opportunities Mrs Peake created all year, these students got the chance to experience something special and moments worth remembering forever.

Well done, Team Carisbrooke. You were inspiring and absolutely smashing in every sense of the word.

A special thank you to Tony Harris and Elaine Mills for organising the competition and also the rest of the centre's coaches for umpiring on the day.