You may have seen the short documentary “Top Spin” about young ping pong player Ariel Hsing at a film festival this past year. The co-directors Mina T. Son & Sara Newens of the film are looking to make a full blown documentary out of this short. Here’s more about their film:

Imagine the smell of fresh rubber rackets, hollow plastic balls whirling by at 80 mph, sweat-drenched limbs, and exclamations of triumphant victory interrupted by bitter cries of defeat. Welcome to the world of competitive table tennis. TOP SPIN introduces audiences to ping pong phenoms who are finally giving serious table tennis fans in the U.S. something to cheer about. In 2009, Michael Landers was crowned the youngest ever U.S. Men’s Singles Champion at the ripe old age of 15. History repeated itself in 2010 when Ariel Hsing became the country’s youngest ever Women’s Singles Champion also at 15 years of age. Now the two teenagers have their eyes set on the Olympic Games with lofty goals of winning a medal, a feat the U.S. has yet to accomplish in the sport.

The film follows Ariel and Michael for a year as they compete domestically and internationally to qualify for the Olympics, all while juggling their last years of high school. Amidst the rigorous training and strict tournament schedule, SATs and college applications loom largely over their heads with the ultimate question arising: with no professional table tennis outlet in the U.S., what does the future hold for them?

Learn more about how you can help here along with ping pong gear you get with donation.

Help fund Top Spin documentary

update: Top Spin is now in post production. You can help fund it here.