The Ulster Branch of Tennis Ireland are launching a programme called Enjoy Tennis which so far has given the opportunity to 250 people of all ages with an intellectual disability to access the sport of tennis, to receive free professional coaching in their local clubs and hopefully avail of the opportunity to continue to play the sport in the longer term.
We partner with organsiations such as Schools, Service Providers and Special Olympics clubs to operate the programme. Tennis is an ideal sport for players with an intellectual disability - it is non - contact, can be played and started at all ages, can be played between parents and children, is a lot of fun!! and has already developed adaptive forms of the sport.
If you’re based in Ulster and would like to find out more about this opportunity please contact me on odonohotliam@gmail.com tel 00353862618931 and I’ll be happy to tell you more and perhaps meet up to discuss in more detail - there’s also information available on email and for starters here’s a short youtube clip of some service providers and athletes describing their experience of Tennis at Shankill Tennis club.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlFvt4ivYkA&feature=youtu.be
Regards to all who have read this far!!
Liam O’Donohoe