The ball is zooming across the table, but his eyes can see it as clear as day. Quicker than lightning, he smacks it back at his opponent with the ferocity of a lion. Seconds later, it comes whistling back around. They do this song and dance with each other until one has fallen, leaving the other victorious. This victor is someone with immense knowledge and skill in the game he loves dearly. This is Freshman, Joshua Joseph, a Bridgeland High School table tennis extraordinaire.
His excitement for the game began when his dad taught him how to properly play. He was an expert on table tennis himself and was able to allow his son to grow into a master of the game, too.
“When I first started playing competitively, my dad was pushing people around [table tennis] when we were still living in Kansas,” Joseph said. “Back then, when he was a [young] player, he was a state champion for 10 years, so he helped pass down some skills to me.”
It was a grueling effort to achieve greatness at a game not many have heard of, but Joseph continued his grind despite this. In 2022, he competed in the National U.S. Team 11-U Boys, and in 2025, he competed in the 15-U Boys. Earning the highest world ranking of #44.
“Many years of training and hard practice have all helped me to get me where I am today,” Joseph said. “And a big step was moving from Kansas to Houston where there’s a lot more high-level table tennis players.”
Since then, he has only strived to improve himself as a player even further not just because he liked the competitiveness of the game, but also because of its ingenuity and speed. These elements made table tennis such a different, yet engaging sport for him.
“The game’s really fun. It’s fast paced, and it’s really unique,” Joseph said. “Not too [many people] play this sport, and it’s pretty good for college resumes. I [also] have a lot of friends with me who play.”
One thing is certain: Joshua isn’t stopping at table tennis any time soon. He has devoted time and effort into finding ways to fulfill his long term goals involving the game, and they have only encouraged his passion for it to expand beyond its horizons.
“My dream school [is] to go to is Harvard, and I’d like to join the Harvard Table Tennis team,” Joseph said. “[and] become a good player for the National Table Tennis Association, the Table Tennis League for college.”
