“For a moment I forgot I couldn’t see…” – The beautiful power of tennis
Editor Lizzie Flint on how a visit to a Visually Impaired tennis session in Bristol reminded her of the power tennis has to transform lives and create happiness…
As an elite junior player, my whole tennis life was consumed by my own game. How could I make my forehand stronger? How could I win more matches? How could I get my ranking high enough to be able to compete in bigger and better events?
It was all-consuming and I never once took a step back to notice the sport in any other way. All I knew was high-performance: pressure, expectation, fierce rivalry and gladiatorial competition. It was rewarding too, of course, and it was always my choice to play and be a part of such a world. But for my first 16 years, this was all I knew tennis to be.
Since becoming a coach however, that has all changed - I’ve seen tennis in so many more ways than I ever thought possible and I find myself continuously falling in love with the game, over and over again.
In just one day on court I can see the effect tennis has on so many different people in so many different ways. It could be witnessing the joy a child feels when they hit the ball over the net for the first time; or helping someone through their physical rehabilitation from serious illness. I’ve seen people escape from the stress of their professional or personal lives, letting it all go with the whack of a ball. I’ve seen friendships created and support networks evolve; I’ve seen individuals discovering confidence, pride and excitement they’d never imagined.
This is why coaching is so special and I’m so lucky to experience how tennis can influence the lives of so many people.
And if there was one moment that encapsulated all of that, it would be this…
A few weeks ago I had the chance to go to the University of Bristol’s Coombe Dingle sports complex to watch a Visually Impaired (VI) tennis session run by the brilliant, award-winning coach Ben Hardwick.
His group is a mix of all ages, each with varying degrees of sight impairment.
There is ten year-old Thomas, an energetic, whole-hearted hitter who has congenital night blindness. That means he has difficulty seeing and distinguishing objects in low light - but with the special VI tennis balls he can crack some serious crosscourt forehands.
Thomas (far right) crunches another forehand
Mitchell, 15, has oculocutaneous albinism, which affects the pigmentation in the iris and retina, causing vision problems. He’s a keen skier as well as a very competitive tennis player.
Then there is Karen who has no peripheral vision, making tracking the ball very difficult. She has had to learn a tailored technique and an improvised way to move so she is able to see the ball at all times.
B1 tennis players Jenny and Steve, with Helen Abbott
Meanwhile, Jenny and Steve - a couple who both lost their sight relatively late in life - are classed as B1: totally blind.
To me, witnessing Jenny and Steve getting into position and returning tennis balls, without the aid of any kind of sight, was extraordinary. And to see the enjoyment they get from being a part of the sport was genuinely inspirational.
After the session I asked Steve what tennis means to him. I’ll never forget his reply.
He told me that when everything comes together and he manages to hit the ball over the net, he has moments when he forgets he can't see.
I can honestly say that no other words about tennis have ever moved me quite so much.
The power that this sport has for people is amazing – and it really is for everybody. Steve’s words remind me that anyone can and should have the opportunity to play the game of tennis; to have the chance to find purpose, meaning, and even a pure happiness that they might never have imagined.
About Visually Impaired Tennis
Visually Impaired tennis (VI tennis) is one of the most popular sports for blind and partially sighted people in the UK - and internationally.
It has essentially the same as tennis but with an audible tennis ball (aka a ‘sound ball’) a smaller court (sometimes with tactile lines), a lower net and some specially adapted rules, including multiple ball bounces.
There are different categories of VI competition, depending on the degree of sight loss:
B1 – No sight, players are allowed three bounces of the ball and nets are lowered
B2 – Partial sight and players are allowed three bounces of the ball
B3 – Partial sight and two bounces of the ball
B4 and B5 – Partial sight and one bounce of the ball
Near side: Karen, Thomas and Mitchell practise groundstrokes
A VI tennis session at Coombe Dingle
When players first try VI tennis, it’s extremely challenging and there is a steep learning curve, particularly for those classed as B1. So it was fascinating to see the exercises and games that Ben and his team do with the players to help them develop their individual tennis skills. Constant communication, creativity and enthusiasm are key for a successful session and luckily for Bristol Ben has all that in abundance.
There are some games that the whole group can do together but for others, they split up according to their classification.
For the session warm-up, Ben gathered all the players in a wide circle, and they struck a ball to each other in a random order, calling out the name of the next receiver as they hit.
The players then divided into two groups, with Karen, Mitchell and Thomas working on their groundstrokes in increasingly competitive games with Ben; while Jenny and Steve worked with (the ever-amazing) Helen Abbott. Using a sound-ball and announcing before each shot, Helen fed the pair balls to return.
The whole session is designed to improve their tennis skills, introduce an element of competition and to give the players a sense of satisfaction and progression, and above all it’s lots of fun. The proof of its success is that the players keep coming back week after week, some travelling from miles away, to enjoy their hour of tennis.
Ben works with Mitchell on returns
More info:
The LTA Visually Impaired tennis page - including a competition calendar
Metro Blind Sport - VI tennis events and more
Photo top: The Coombe Dingle VI tennis club, including (back row from left) Karen with Molly the dog, Thomas, coach Ben, Jenny and Steve and volunteer Roland. Kneeling centre are Helen Abbott and Mitchell.