Disability Tennis Coaching Resource DISABILITY TENNIS CoacHING RESOUrcE Disability Tennis Coaching Resource Contents 5 Introduction 10 Inclusive Tennis 11 Adapting Activities 12 Adaptations 14 Coaching Opportunities 16 Inclusive Schools Support 18 Disability Tennis Festivals 22 Communication 23 Camps 25 Deaf Tennis 39 Learning Disability Tennis 61 Visually Impaired Tennis 69 Wheelchair Tennis 92 Further Information 2 3 Disability Tennis Coaching Resource Introduction Disability tennis is simply the general term all parts of the community, recognising we use to describe the various versions of diversity and promoting inclusion. tennis that are on offer for disabled people to have fun playing. Through our focus on tennis in education, within the community, and within the Tennis is a completely inclusive sport with disability community in particular, we’re everyone being able to participate in its full promoting tennis as an inclusive sport and format or when adapted. The most well- helping more people play. known versions are deaf, learning disability, wheelchair and visually impaired tennis but We are working closely with the Lawn Tennis the sport is adaptable to a wide range of Association (LTA) and a wide range of other disabilities. But social play isn’t restricted to partners to deliver our vision. a particular type of tennis; disabled people can play against their non-disabled friends or family and take part in inclusive sessions and/or impairment-specific sessions depending on their preference. Tennis doesn’t just offer people the chance to develop their fitness and coordination, but also to build social skills, confidence, self- esteem and independence. That’s why the Tennis Foundation is supporting both coaches and venues to help them to offer improved opportunities to disabled people. This includes people trying the sport for the first time through to elite performance, as well as putting on competitions and major events. About The Tennis Foundation The Tennis Foundation is Great Britain’s leading tennis charity and our vision is a sport that is inclusive and accessible to every kind of community. Our aim is to provide opportunities to encourage people to both play and enjoy tennis, as well as to maximise their personal potential through the sport. We’re doing this by engaging 5 Disability Tennis Coaching Resource Disability Tennis Coaching Resource Tennis is a sport which lends itself to to make their full contributions to the Background Disability Tennis Networks integration and inclusion and those are growing of disability tennis. our long-term aims. All disabled people Nineteen per cent of the UK population The Tennis Foundation is supporting a can participate in tennis either in its full • Motivation are disabled or have a long-term limiting number of Disability Tennis Networks across (‘traditional’) format or when adapted. Inspiring, encouraging and incentivising illness, so it is essential that coaches and Great Britain with advice, funding and people and organisations to engage fully other members of the tennis workforce be equipment to increase participation locally. The core activities through which the Tennis and positively with tennis. given the skills and information necessary These Networks are made up of a number Foundation aims to achieve its vision are: to communicate and engage with these of clubs and community tennis venues with • Partnership individuals. As part of the Tennis Foundation links to schools and disability organisations. • Education Working effectively with LTA colleagues and LTA’s ongoing commitment to this They run impairment-specific sessions as Equipping people and organisations with and external partners to facilitate the area, there are a number of development part of their tennis programme. You can view the knowledge and awareness required growth and development of the sport. opportunities available to coaches at the locations of the Networks on the Tennis tennis venues. Foundation website. The diagram below illustrates simply how our goals can be realised through our core activities in each of these three vision areas. Educate Motivate Partner Performance To inspire Development and engage disabled people to be involved in tennis whatever their ability or background, providing Community opportunities for all and credible pathways for the most talented. 6 7 Disability Tennis Coaching Resource Disability Tennis Coaching Resource Impairment Considerations Physical Impairments Learning Disability Sensory Impairments Tennis offers a range of opportunities for Physical impairments include: Players with a learning disability, for Sensory impairments include hearing and disabled people in inclusive environments example those with Down’s syndrome or visual impairments. playing with non-disabled players and also • Amputation. autism, will usually have an intelligence focuses on four specific impairment groups: • Spinal cord injury. quotient (IQ) of less than 70. However, not • Visual impairments will vary in severity deaf, learning disability, wheelchair and • Brittle bones (osteogenesis imperfecta). all individuals on the autistic spectrum from partially sighted to totally blind. visually impaired. Further information • Cerebral palsy. will have a learning disability, e.g. those • Hearing impairments will vary in severity on each of these can be found later in • Muscular dystrophy. with Asperger’s syndrome have a learning from mild to total deafness. this resource. • Multiple sclerosis (MS). difficulty as opposed to a learning • Dwarfism. disability (but they are included within Participant Groupings Within disability sport you will find • Epilepsy. the learning disability category for the (As Percentage Of players with: • Pulmonary disease. purposes of this resource). Think about the Disabled Population) • Respiratory disorders. practical implications for individual players • A physical impairment. • Spina bifida. depending on their own specific learning • Physical – 6%. • A learning disability. disabilities. • Learning Disability – 19%. • A sensory impairment such as a visual It is important to realise that a physically • Sensory – 7%. or hearing impairment. disabled person may be ambulant (able to Learning disabilities include, but are not walk) or use a wheelchair. Those that are limited to: It’s important to remember there is a large You need to consider whether their impairment ambulant may use a wheelchair to play overall population percentage with other is minimal or severe, congenital or acquired, tennis but not everyone will feel comfortable • Autism spectrum disorders, including disabilities or long-term limiting illnesses. progressive or non-progressive. You then need using a sports chair if they don’t use a Asperger’s syndrome. to consider how the impairment may affect wheelchair on a daily basis, so you may • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder their participation and the additional barriers need to look at other suitable adaptions. (ADHD). that particular player may face. • Down’s syndrome. 8 9 Disability Tennis Coaching Resource Disability Tennis Coaching Resource Inclusive Tennis Adapting Activities Research from the English Federation of considerations include the type of illness, When adapting an activity there are four challenges and supports all abilities, e.g. Disability Sport (EFDS) shows that it’s likely impairment or disability, the severity of considerations to make. Are there activities integrating wheelchair tennis player into that a disabled person will just join in an the illness, impairment or disability and that are sufficientlyopen to include and existing activity and competition, and existing tennis session. As a coach, your whether it is congenital or acquired. remain beneficial to all abilities; does the allowing wheelchair player two bounces. most likely scenario will be adapting your activity need to be modified to include all • Parallel activity – use differentiation in session to include them, rather than having The Functional Approach and STEPS participants; can the activity be run with sessions ensuring that players complete enough demand to put on a whole new provide useful frameworks to follow in parallel groupings to ensure it is delivered at similar tasks but are grouped by ability/ session for a specific impairment group. preparing tennis sessions for disabled an appropriate level to all; or does the activity impairment, e.g. grouping special school people and those with a long-term limiting need to be specific and runseparately for the pupils by ability to ensure enjoyment There are some simple considerations illness. In every circumstance as coaches, group or individual? For example: by all. to make as a useful starting point for we want to provide the Optimal Challenge • Separate/discrete activity – tennis working in a more inclusive manner. Key for the individual we are working with. • Open activity – requires no alteration sessions specific to disabled persons’ to the tennis session, e.g. single-arm requirements and rules for specific Functional approach STEPS (considerations for inclusive tennis) amputee joining in with existing activity impairment groups, e.g. visually and competition. impaired tennis is played within • Consider the functional ability of the • Space – what is required to make the player. activity successful? • Modified activity – uses adaptations service boxes with an audible ball and modifications to ensure session and multiple bounces. • Assess the impact of this on their chosen • Task – how can it be adapted