USTA to host seventh annual wheelchair tennis camp at Hope College

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) Midwest Section, with the help of volunteers and coaches, will host its seventh annual wheelchair tennis camp for junior athletes this upcoming weekend at Hope College’s DeWitt Tennis Center in Holland.

There will be 33 participating players, ranging in age from 6-18 years old, some learning the sport of tennis for the first time.

Made possible by grant funding from the USTA at a national and section level, and a few local, generous sponsors, the camp provides a unique opportunity to learn a variety of skills including how to push the sports chair. There is a great focus on enhancing mobility on the court through a variety of drills and games. After learning how to score, the camp will end with a mini tournament.

“It’s simply an opportunity for kids to be kids and try a new sport, or see if this is an opportunity for them to take it to the next level,” camp director Lynn Bender said. “We are always looking for that next Paralympian if that’s the route they want to go, or it can be as simple as letting a kid experience friendships, exercise and a normal camp experience to meet others with similar disabilities.”

Bender is the USTA Midwest Section’s Wheelchair Tennis Committee Chair and also a USTA National Regional Youth provider for the Midwest Section.

More: Holland Christian tennis coach Lynn Bender earns USTA national honor

At the camp, USTA Midwest will be giving away four new sports chairs valued at $3,000 each.

Many kids do not have their own sports chairs or borrow used ones from other programs.

“We compare it to having the right size tennis shoe to play tennis,” Bender said. “You can’t play tennis in sandals or flip flops, and you must have the right equipment. For our kids, they need tennis chairs that fit them properly so they can play the sport.”

If you are interested in donating towards the cost of a sports chair for a future camper, please reach out to Bender. Many kids do not have these large ticket items covered by insurance companies and parents are left with many out-of-pocket costs to pick up.

There will be an adult wheelchair tennis player on each court, helping coach and mentor these young players. Many of the coaches are adult players from the local wheelchair tennis program; others are local tennis pros who offered to help coach and be a part of this amazing experience. Coaches and players come from all over the Midwest Section to be a part of this event.

“This is our seventh year and the camp has grown each year,” Bender said. “This is going to be a great opportunity for young athletes to learn what they can do and how tennis is a sport they can play with their friends and family. The only different rule is they are allowed two bounces. So it’s such an easily integrated game to be inclusive with the community and their peers and opens the door for many future opportunities for these kids from playing high school tennis, collegiate wheelchair tennis and even Paralympics if that’s their goal. This event will help prepare many kids who would like to gain some extra skills and then take it back to their own local summer wheelchair tennis programs.”

The campers come from all over the Midwest Section. More information can be found about camps, training sessions and tournaments by visiting the USTA Midwest Section’s Wheelchair Tennis Facebook page here or at usta.com/midwest.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: USTA to host seventh annual wheelchair tennis camp at Hope College