The Tennis Foundation

The Tennis Foundation and the Wheelchair Tennis Programme, run by WheelPower, are equally two of the very best support organisations of their kind in Great Britain.

Support From The Tennis Foundation

Such an extensively managed British sports foundation as this is very difficult to find any degree of rival to; because as opposed to many other similar charity based entities which tend to concentrate mainly - or often even purely - on their own local area, T.T.F. have an absolutely incredible network of activity throughout the whole of Great Britain. From the very south of England to the very north of Scotland, and taking in a pretty significant area of Wales in between, The Tennis Foundation leaves no stone unturned whatsoever in its clearly vigilant pursuit of promoting all that it has to offer.

Unfortunately, a foundation on this scale cannot allocate all of its resources to supporting the needs of those confined to a wheelchair; but with that said though, you are unlikely to encounter another organisation along the same lines in the UK that is in a position to provide more of its time and money to fulfilling such vital needs than what T.T.F. are. All of their specialist tennis coaches and generic workforce alike are provided with only the highest standard of training at all times; which is imperative not just in terms of the "hands on" skills that are at the forefront of importance when teaching physically disabled people how to play the game to a professional standard, but also so that they are capable of both communicating and engaging with these individuals in a sensitive and appropriate manner.

Exactly what The Tennis Foundation do is divided into two key areas; The Disability Awareness Course and The Specific Impairment Group. The former is designed to build a solid foundation for educating coaches, so that they can understand the ailments suffered by a person with certain types of health issues; whilst the latter has more of an advanced course structure, which enables a coach to obtain knowledge relating to how best to deal with the three main specific areas catered for there. These are assisting wheelchair users, dealing with the hearing impaired and the best protocols to use when teaching those with learning disabilities. Please take the time to visit: www.lta.org.uk - this is the official website of The Tennis Foundation, and genuinely is a potent source of information on these topics.

Wheelchair Tennis Programme Via WheelPower

This is by no means a second rate sporting activity, and is very similar to the game played by fully able bodied people; with the only fundamental modification to the established format being that a wheelchair bound athlete is permitted to allow the ball to bounce twice before placing a return hit. This is of course understandable, as although experienced participants in the WheelPower tennis programme can often gain a significant amount of momentum, it is nigh on impossible for them to rival the manoeuvrability of a non-disabled competitor.

The basic premise of wheelchair tennis - which WheelPower have now well and truly made there own - started way back in 1976, when the American Brad Parks decided that being in a wheelchair would not stop him hitting a ball, and so took the executive decision to simply give it a try. Since its very unspectacular beginnings in the seventies, this pass time has now become elevated to the level whereby it can boast over 170 different events; which take place not just in the UK and United States, but around the whole world. Arguably the most recognised player who fits this criteria at the present time is Peter Norfolk; a Brit who has won a pairing of Paralympic gold medals in 2004 and 2008.

The prerequisite for qualifying to join this organisation is obviously that of someone who has a permanent physical disability, and one which is specifically linked to substantial loss of function in either or both of their legs. All eligible athletes will be able to compete in both singles and doubles events, alongside those who suffer with a similar level of mobility to that of their own. In addition to this, separate games of the same set-up are in place for quadriplegics; that being people who tragically have impairment within all four limbs in the body. WheelPower also provide extensive support on a similar level for those who would have an alternative preference towards table tennis; which despite not being quite as physically exhilarating as the usual game, requires just as much skill to succeed all the same.

Tennis Foundation Contact Information

The Tennis Foundation's website and contact details are located here http://www.lta.org.uk/Tennis-Foundation/Tennis-for-Disabled-People/Wheelchair-Tennis/