13 July 2017 | Tennis Australia

Tennis Australia is expanding its wheelchair tennis development program to keep up with soaring participation numbers following the success of athletes like Dylan Alcott OAM last year.

The new measures have been developed to not just increase participation but to also ensure players are appropriately guided from a junior to elite level.

A major component of the Tennis Australia initiative is the Wheelchair Development Coach Program which is set to improve access to a network of passionate and specialised coaches who can deliver quality experiences for participants of all ages and abilities.

Three-time Paralympic champion and 2016 Paralympian of the Year Dylan Alcott believes the program will help boost numbers for the sport.

“Coaches play a critical role in promoting wheelchair tennis in their local communities,” Alcott said.

“Tennis Australia is equipping coaches to create engaging and dynamic environments for wheelchair tennis players.”

Fast facts: Wheelchair tennis in the past 12 months

• An increase of three to 33 weekly junior wheelchair tennis players since 2015/16
• Thirty-seven new wheelchair development coaches
• Two new state Wheelchair Development Hubs developed for wheelchair tennis players and their families to connect, socialise and play (one in Victoria and one in NSW)
• Eight new state based development camps focused on coach development, player development and parent information
• Twenty new sport wheelchairs have been purchased to be a part of the National Wheelchair Loan Program
• Through tournament and player development, Australia has risen from one to six junior players in the ITF Junior Wheelchair Tennis rankings
• Two Paralympic gold medals at the Rio Paralympic Games in 2016, Australia’s first Paralympic Gold medals in tennis since David Hall at Sydney 2000
• Australia has two World Team Cup 2016 gold medallists in Dylan Alcott and Heath Davidson
• Australian National Wheelchair Tennis Championships fielded players in all four divisions including Men’s, Women’s, Quads and Juniors for the first time in 2016
• Six new wheelchair tennis tournaments and competitions have been developed for the 2016/2017 year.

Tennis Australia’s National Wheelchair Tennis Pathway Manager Alex Jago believes a focus on coach delivery is pivotal to increasing opportunities for the sport.

“Identifying and supporting wheelchair tennis coaches is critical to providing engaging environments and positive experiences for participants of all abilities,” Jago said.

“Coaches are integral to ensuring the sport is being delivered successfully and efficiently.

“We believe introducing this new coach network will ensure players from all areas will have access to a qualified wheelchair tennis coach.

“In the past, players have found it can be challenging to find a tennis club or coach that provides an engaging and fun learning environment, one of our key priorities is to change this view and provide all eligible players with access to a Wheelchair Development Coach within 30 minutes of their home,” Jago added.

To coincide with the Wheelchair Development Coach launch, Tennis Australia has announced a National Wheelchair Loan Program to increase accessibility for players. Eligible players, coaches and clubs can now apply for the opportunity to access one of 20 sports wheelchairs for participants.

Full list of coaches involved in the Wheelchair Development Coach Program

For further information on Wheelchair Tennis please visit: tennis.com.au/wheelchair