From serving up multiball drills to serving up lattes and Americanos – Waterside TTC’s Josh Kelly may have achieved a unique volunteering combination in the sport.

The 17-year-old is our Young Volunteer of the Year in the Cloudathlete Pride of Table Tennis Awards after judges were impressed with his commitment to helping junior players to improve, as well as getting involved off the table.

His citation reads as follows:

Joshua Kelly has shown outstanding commitment at Waterside TTC, supporting coaching sessions and building strong relationships with players and coaches across the club. He has a talent for engaging the younger players. Alongside his work on the table, his initiative as a “head barista” helping raise funds and create a social hub has strengthened the club community, showing leadership, creativity and a genuine dedication beyond his years.

Josh started playing at 14 at the club in Southampton and quickly progressed to play in the Southampton League – he is now in Division One – as well as 1* and Youth British Clubs League events.

But he also quickly moved into volunteering within a couple of months.

“My mum was tournament organiser, so I’d help her set up at tournaments and stuff,” he said. “And then I’d serve coffees and take card payments.

“Then I started volunteering at the junior coaching on a Monday, feeding multiball and playing with the juniors and helping new members and beginners who just joined the club.

“It’s a really nice community (at Waterside). There are really good people there but also quite high level – you’ve got good players there.

“Heping out is fun and I guess I’m quite sociable to the new players that come in. It’s mainly the juniors but sometimes on a Thursday they do an adult session and I can sometimes help out there.”

Josh has been helped and mentored by the club’s Head Coach John McBeath, particularly around practical coaching skills and communication with player.

Josh said: “He has been pretty good, mainly helping me with what to tell the kids, how to feed them multiball.

“With a beginner, you’ve got to go more through the basics like helping them hold the bat properly, but with more experienced player you help them more with the technique.”

Josh, whose playing ambitions include competing in the National Championships, is combining his table tennis with studying psychology, media and economics A-Levels.

He says winning the Young Volunteer of the Year accolade was a surprise – not least because he wasn’t aware he had been nominated and was unable to travel to the Cloudathlete Pride of Table Tennis Awards ceremony during the London 2026 World Championships.

“I didn’t know until I won it, no one told me,” he said. “My mum told me I’d won just before the award ceremony.

“So, I was surprised but I was happy and proud. It’s quite a good achievement. I think people at the club are pretty happy for me, a lot have congratulated me.”

Josh has no concrete plans to progress his coaching career, but has started out on his first qualification and admits it has also helped with his own game.

“I’ve just started doing my coaching assistant badge and I’m still doing the hours I need to do,” he said. “I don’t really have a plan after that – just see how it goes and keep doing what I’m doing.

“It’s definitely helped me learn a few things that maybe I do wrong as well.”