Following a referral from the Horsham District Wellbeing team for a client with MS, the Sports Development team at Horsham District Council has helped launch a walking tennis session.
The first session was held on Thursday 9 November at The Holbrook Club. The group, for any adults wanting to give low impact accessible tennis a try, will be running term-time on Thursdays from 12 to 1pm up until Christmas, under the guidance of local tennis coach Mike Costa. The sessions cost just £5 and are pay-as-you-go.
Cassie attended the first session and borrowed a sports wheelchair from the Sports Development team which meant she was able to play alongside her mother and other participants. She commented:
“The wheelchair worked really well, the session was really good fun and good exercise too. I really enjoyed it!”
Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Communities and Wellbeing Cllr Sam Raby said:
“This is a great example of our teams working together to create fantastic opportunities in our communities which truly make a difference to our residents. Sport is for everyone and walking tennis is designed to be very inclusive. I encourage anyone who is interested in walking tennis to come along and try a session.”
Walking tennis is a version of the game that's designed to be accessible for all. Game play is modified with slightly different balls and additional allowances for the ball to bounce twice which means it can be played without running or jumping. Walking tennis uses the same rules as wheelchair tennis.
For more information on walking tennis please visit the Council's Sports Session's webpage.