Marvin right, and Werner Stollenmeier do battle at Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreation Center in south Fort Myers.

Americans are, for the most part, casual about their table tennis.

It is an activity that is often relegated to the occasional game at a recreation center or on a family room table.

But for a south Fort Myers couple and the other enthusiasts who weekly descend on Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreation Center, it is anything but a niche sport. It is a passion.

On Tuesday afternoons and Thursday and Friday evenings, a room at the facility is set aside for table tennis, its five tournament quality tables drawing serious players from near and far.

For Marvin and Caron Leff of south Fort Myers and others, the sessions provide a close-to-home outlet for enjoying a sport they have devoted much of their lives to.

Marvin Leff, 71, has been a top tournament level player, on and off, since age 13.

Among the titles he has won during the years include the Florida State Men's Championship in 1965, 1966 and 198; the 1995 state Senior Men's Championship; and the U.S. Open singles and doubles titles in the 70-plus division. It was the sixth United States Table Tennis Association championship for the 1996 inductee into the Florida Table Tennis Hall of Fame.

Caron Leff, was inducted into the hall in 2006 after more than 40 years of devotion to the sport as a player, a regional director for the USA Table Tennis Association, a fundraiser and organizer, public relations representative, co-founder of the Miami Table Tennis Club and a former columnist for Table Tennis Magazine. She is also a co-founder of Florida's hall of fame.

The couple, who moved here from Miami in 2004, has a special connection to Wa-Ke Hatchee, having helped the staff select equipment for the table tennis room.

"It was one of the first programs we started at this rec center," teen program director Scott Van Selow said. He said the Leffs were consulted before the center's January grand opening.

Van Selow said the goal was to provide a Fort Myers area venue for the hardcore player.

"It was a sport where the only presence in Southwest Florida for competitive players was in Naples and we wanted to offer them something closer to home," he said. "We also wanted to expose table tennis to a younger generation."

The Leffs said the only facilities for competitive players in Lee and Collier counties had been at the Bonita Springs Recreation Center and the Naples Table Tennis Club, which meets at Fleischmann Park.

Having a third local venue available and the setting at Wa-Ka Hatchee drew raves from Garo Lehmejian of Naples.

"It's a nice set up," said Lehmejian, 27. "It's a relaxed environment. He said the staff has solicited players' advice and discussed possibly holding tournaments. "Sometimes you go to a location and you're the one who has to request things. They're really excited to have us there."

Table tennis is huge in Europe and Asia, with club level and professional competitions, a strong fan base and special schools for promising youths, according to the Leffs and Werner Stollenmeier, 53, of Cape Coral.

Stollenmeier, 53, a native of Germany, played at the club level as a youth and adult, and competed in the Bundesliga — the German League — which consists of squads from cities throughout the country. He said he also took part in international tournaments.

However, the sport has yet to catch on in a big way on these shores, something Marvin Leff attributes to a lack of proper marketing and the sort of sponsorships found overseas.

The Leffs, Stollenmeier and Lehmejian all endorsed the sport as fit for both young and old alike.

"Some sports are great for certain types of athletes or certain ages, but table tennis is great for everyone," Lehmejian said. " ... It gives you a chance to get out there at any age and have some fun. It's a great way to make friends and have a good time."