Wheel chair tennis

1776 Words4 Pages

Tennis

Populations
1. Wheel chair tennis
2. Hearing impaired
3. Learning disabilities

Wheelchair tennis won’t come easy to a new comer but with practice you can only get better. I would rate wheelchair tennis not a 1 or 2 (easy) because its hard to do two things at once. Positioning yourself in a wheelchair to hit a tennis ball before it bounces twice can be difficult. I would rate this activity a 3 due to having tennis skill and wheelchair handling capability. Wheelchair tennis is for every level but to have the basics of moving around the court and learn how to hit different types of shots with a tennis racquet can be challenging.
Wheelchair tennis started in 1976, when Brad Parks introduced the potential of this new sport. Since 1976, wheelchair tennis has been the fastest growing and one of the most challenging and exciting of all wheelchair sports. It has provided opportunities for many disabled people to enjoy competitive tennis, as well as sharing experiences with both able-bodied and disabled friends of all age groups.
A little over a decade later since it was first introduced, with its fast growth and popularity, the IWTF (international wheelchair tennis federation) formed in 1988. The new sport grew throughout the country and even overseas. As fast as the sport grew one of the major problems was lack of equipment. Over the year, many players have donated their old wheelchairs to new and developing countries to help them start a wheelchair program. Wheelchair tennis has the same rules as a regular tennis game, except the only rule difference is the ball can bounce 2 times instead of once.

The Mission statement for Wheelchair Tennis:
The ITF is the international governing body for tennis, including wheelchair tennis. It aims to provide, promote and develop opportunities for men, women and children with disabilities to participate in recreational and competitive wheelchair tennis at all levels from novice to the professional player. As the governing body of tennis, the ITF provides a leading role in the administration of wheelchair tennis. The ITF aims to ensure that a fair and equal opportunity is provided for all those entitled to play under its eligibility rules and that the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis are implemented according to the standards expected of an international body. The ITF aims to work together with National Tennis Federations, National Disabled Sports Organizations and National Wheelchair Tennis Organizations to provide opportunities for all involved in wheelchair tennis and to encourage integration with able-bodied tennis whenever possible.

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