Teresa Bennett reckons she must have the most varied schedule of all the coaches in England.

“That would be my claim,” chuckles the Brighton TTC coach. “For example, my Tuesday, I coach at High Down Prison running a Playing for Success course for Brighton and I go from that back to the club and I deliver the Fitz Cafe session, which is an open session for anybody to come in.

“We have all sorts because it’s a pay-as-you-feel cafe, so we get homeless people, people that can’t afford normally to come to a club. Then I’ll have an after-school club and then I’ll have my two women’s sessions.

“And my Friday’s similar, I have a little lad that I coach who’s got complex needs, then I have a 50-plus session, and then I have an adult disability session and then I have juniors.

“I love the mix of coaching adults of all needs and the youngsters too. So yeah, a nice, varied role!”

Teresa, who started playing at the age of eight, began her coaching journey at 18, as she finished sixth-form college and went off to train as a PE teacher.

Her first coaching role was at the George Rainey School in Hastings. “It was a special needs school for boys with challenging behaviour, and I used to go and run a table tennis session there,” she remembers.

“And I think ‘crikey, that was really hard’ – I was 18, these are quite unruly boys, but I used to get them loving table tennis, so that’s when it all started.”

She then moved to Patcham High School in Brighton, and then on to Filsham Valley (now St Leonard’s Academy), where she spent 25 years and was Head of PE. As well as setting up after-school table tennis clubs at both schools, at Filsham she built a relationship with the Hastings League, setting up a junior league with several divisions. She also played a role in administration of the County Schools set-up in East Sussex, something she continues to this day.

“I look back and think that was mad when I’d coached a full day of PE and then Wednesday evening coaching,” she said.

“But we produced lots of county juniors and just lots of kids that loved table tennis and who still, if I’m out in Hastings and meet them, will say they loved playing and are still playing in the league.

“Earlier this year I met someone at the East Sussex Schools Individuals who was in his 30s, or even early 40s, with a couple of his kids playing in the Under-11s. He used to come to my table tennis club and now his kids are playing!”

Coaching became a more serious occupation after Teresa retired after 30 years of teaching.

“The opportunity came up at Brighton Table Tennis Club, and I think I’m in my eighth year of coaching there three days a week,” she said, “and doing obviously still lots of tournaments and taking the kids everywhere.

“In between all of that, I obviously had my own children and they all play table tennis. I started Jack and Josh and Joelle off, but very quickly would take them to other people’s sessions. They were very fortunate to have had Craig Bryant as their regional coach and Ken Muhr did loads with them at Cranbrook, along with various other coaches with bits added from mum.”

Many coaches have influenced her over the years, and she still looks to pick up tips from other coaches on the circuit.

“I really enjoy talking to other coaches, getting ideas, seeing some different practices,” she said. “You talk to people on the circuit when you’re taking kids to tournaments, I think they influence you as well and I talk to a lot about how they may be doing things, and it gives you ideas.”

Beyond that, her motivation is simple – seeing the happiness players experience when they improve.

“I love seeing players progress and improve and the joy that that can give them – I love it when they can really feel the improvement and see those benefits to them of mental health and physical health as well as actually improving the skills and the confidence it can give them.

“I love seeing after-school club kids where you just see their concentration improve or their self-belief that they’re getting better at something.

“So, yes, I get a lot of satisfaction on seeing that, seeing people really enjoy the sport and making improvements to whatever level is that they want.”

Teresa has also been a coach tutor, delivering the old Level 1 courses, and is always keen to see more female coaches develop – something she’s had a hand in herself.

“I don’t think there’s enough women coaches on the circuit,” she said. “It’s not everything, but I do think sometimes young girls do relate more if there are more women in coaching.

“I know quite a few of my women that did the Level 1 who’ve come through me and perhaps wouldn’t have had the confidence to have gone for it and they’re now absolutely super little coaches who’ll run the women’s sessions when I’m away.

“Anyone thinking of starting a coaching career, I would encourage them to give it a go and aim to start out small in terms of if they’re in a big club and have got someone who can support them.

“I’d just say give it a go if you’re somebody that is great with people, you enjoy seeing progress and people improving and you want to give something back to the sport, why not give it a chance?”