Wheelchair Tennis
Wheelchair Tennis
If you have ever tried playing tennis, you know how hard it is. Now imagine playing it when you are in a wheelchair.
These amazing paralympic athletes are playing in the Beijing 2008 sports championships – Open Semi-final women’s singles tennis, France vs. the Netherlands.
Kids are becoming aces in wheelchair tennis.
A new program in Miami-Dade county, Florida gives kids with disabilities a chance to participate in wheelchair tennis. They use smaller raquet sizes to give the kids better control.
The Northwest Wheelchair Tennis Association is a non-profit co. also dedicated to wheelchair-bound athletes.
- Wheelchair-bound kids can learn to play tennis
- Participate in a Wheelchair tennis tournament
There are also plenty of camps across the U.S.A. and in other countries that offer wheelchair tennis sessions.
The ITF (International Tennis Federation) provides complete rules for wheelchair tennis competitions. These organizations help children with disabilities get active and compete with others. The ITF also works together with the Paralympic movement to make sure it remains part of the Paralympic Games every 4 years.
Wheelchair tennis was originated in 1976 by Brad Parks and in 1988 the International Wheelchair Tennis Federation was born.
In competitive wheelchair tennis, the player is allowed 2 bounces of the ball with the second bounce being either in bounds or out of bounds. Power wheelchairs are even allowed for some players.
No matter what, enjoy your game and the competitive spirit!