About Adaptive Tennis

Tennis can be adapted so that everyone can participate in the sport. People of any age, environment, social, intellectual or physical ability are invited to enjoy the game.

 

The USTA can lead you in the process to start a new program or to grow your current program. Several curricula for teaching adaptive tennis can be found here. Learn more about adaptive tennis curricula.

 

In addition, each USTA section has a designated contact person to help you. They can effectively answer questions on a wide range of topics, including financing and procuring educational materials and equipment. 

Register Your Program

Connecting players with programs to meet their needs is a top priority, and registering your program with the USTA will enable those with similar needs in your area to find you. It is easy to do and free of charge. To register, programs must have at least three athletes and be actively ongoing. Register here.

 

Benefits of being a USTA-registered program include:

  • Listing, with link to your website or email, on the USTA National Adaptive Tennis webpage.
  • Being a member of a larger tennis community.
  • Opportunity to network with other programs.
  • Opportunity to apply for national grants when available
  • Access to Adaptive Tennis curricula.
  • Receipt of quarterly Adapt It! newsletter highlighting upcoming events, interesting programs, educational materials and funding resources. 
  • Opportunity to have a story about your program featured in the newsletter.
  • Opportunity to share stories for the newsletter about other adaptive programs.
  • Access to other USTA newsletters.
  • Opportunity to register with USTA Net Generation if your program serves youth (18 and under).
  • Opportunity for consideration of the USTA National Adaptive Tennis Award.

 

Learn more about existing programs.

Grants

The USTA's Adaptive Tennis grants are offered to USTA-registered programs to assist in the promotion, implementation and growth of adaptive tennis programs at the community level. Criteria for selection include: clear use of grant funds in an itemized budget; a plan for program sustainability, program growth and expansion, which can include the number of athletes and/or play opportunities; and success stories.

 

In December 2023, our committee awarded grants to 25 programs representing 10 sections and 17 states were awarded funding of $35,000. Awards ranged from $500 to $4,000 per program. Traditionally, the grant cycle opens in mid-September with a deadline to apply of early November. Registered programs will receive notices by email, and announcements will be published in future issues of the Adapt It! Newsletter.

 

Adaptive Grant Application

National Adaptive Championship Tournament

The 2024 Adaptive Tennis Championships will be played at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla., from Oct. 4-6. Unified doubles teams—pairs composed of an athlete with a cognitive and/or developmental disability and their partner without a cognitive and/or developmental disability, called a unified partner—from USTA sections will be divided into five round-robin groups to compete.

 

Adaptive Play Facilitator Workshop

Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 11:00 AM–2:00 PM EDT

 

This interactive coaching workshop is for individuals who are eager to introduce tennis to young or novice adaptive players. The USTA workshop aims to equip attendees with the necessary skills to coach, manage, and make tennis learning enjoyable and interactive! Geared towards high school/college students, parents, volunteers, PE teachers, and experienced coaches looking for new ways to engage groups of varying skill levels, this session welcomes all enthusiasts keen on instilling a passion for tennis.  This Adaptive PFW is geared towards preparing coaches to facilitate tennis for athletes with blindness and/or visual Impairments, cognitive and/or developmental disabilities, and para-standing adaptive needs.

 

Register Here

Adaptive Tennis Award

The annual USTA National Adaptive Tennis Award recognizes a program that has demonstrated continued excellence, dedication and service in tennis for athletes with special needs. The program must be registered with the USTA and have three years of active involvement providing tennis to this population. Programs that have won the award in the last three years are not eligible.

Would you like to recognize a program for phenomenal work in the adaptive tennis area? Click here to nominate a program.

 A list of former recipients and additional information can also be found here.

 

The award cycle has ended for 2024 and will reopen next year.

Newsletter

To keep up with news and notes from the USTA Adaptive Tennis Committee, subscribe to the adaptive newsletter and other email communications. 

Find Adaptive Tennis Programs in Your State

Read on to find adaptive tennis programs where you live and how you and your family can take part. Looking to learn more? Click here to find your home USTA section and then connect with your sectional contact for adaptive tennis, found in the list below.

 

Looking for a program that serves a specific population? Follow the key below to learn more about the disabilities served by each program.

* - Cognitive & Developmental (Autism, Down Syndrome, Cognitive Disability, Traumatic Brain Injury); 

^ - Physical & Recovery (Impairments of hearing, vision, orthopedic, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Stroke, Amputee, Spinal Cord Injury); 

% - Emotional & Social (Mental, Physical, Substance, Environmentally Disabled, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

 

Programs are updated monthly.

ACCESS*^% - Little Rock

ACE Tennis (Amazing Children Empowered Through Tennis)*^% - Conway 

ACE Tennis - Community Connections AR *^% - Fort Smith

Arkansas Cup Tennis Foundation* - Little Rock

Center Court Tennis% – Springdale

Love All Tennis*% - Jonesboro

NEATA SOAR Area 7* - Jonesboro

ACEing Autism* – Burbank, Burlingame, Carlsbad, Culver City, Downey, Elk Grove, Inglewood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Mission Viejo, Mountain View, Newport Beach, Pacific Palisades, Palm Springs, Pasadena, Rancho Mirage, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Sherman Oaks, Solana Beach, Yorba Linda

All Abilities Tennis*^% - Pittsburg

Badon Tennis Academy%  - Altadena

Beach City Tennis Academy*^% - Manhattan Beach

Biola University Challenger Tennis*^ – La Mirada

ICA Cristo Rey Academy – San Francisco

Long Beach Wounded Warrior Tennis Program^% - Long Beach

Marin County Special Olympics Tennis Program*% - Marin County

OPAF First Volley Tennis^  - Fresno

Operation Pride% - Berkeley 

Pasadena City College Adaptive Tennis^ (Contact: Cy Estabrook)– Pasadena

Pete Brown, Jr. Tennis Program% - Los Angeles

San Diego Wounded Warrior Tennis Program*^% - San Diego

Semurana Tennis Association^% - Carson

Serving Advantage* – Orange

Sloane Stephens Foundation - Love, Love Compton*^% - Compton

SMP Junior Tennis% -  Santa Monica

SoCal Adaptive Sports/Desert Recreation District Community Tennis Program*^% - Palm Desert

Special Need Group (SNG)% - San Diego 

Special Needs - Let's Teach* - South Pasadena 

Special Olympics* - Orange County  

ACEing Autism* - Parker

Special Olympics* - Centennial

Dare to Play Tennis* – Denver  

Highlands Ranch Therapeutic REC*^% - Highlands Ranch

Steamboat Tennis Association* – Steamboat Springs

Special Olympics Summit County* – Breckenridge

Delaware Special Olympics Tennis Program*^ – Bethany Beach, Dover, Newark, Wilmington

ACEing Autism* - Washington, D.C.

ThanksUSA Veterans Adaptive Tennis Clinic*^% – Washington, D.C.

ACE Program% - Atlantic Beach

ACEing Autism* – Coral Gables, Fort Myers, Fort Walkton Beach, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Stuart, Weston

Adaptive Physical Education – Melbourne

Buddy Up Tennis* - Lake Nona, Sarasota

Ernie Els: #GameONAutism* - Jupiter

Gilborim United* – Davie

Love Serving Autism* - Boca, Boynton Beach, Clearwater, Greenacres, Jupiter, Lake Worth, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Plantation, Sunrise, Wellington, West Palm Beach

Military Program (USTA Nat'l Campus)*^% - Orlando

Miracle Sports Tennis*^% - Tallahassee

North Miami Sr. High Special Olympics*% - North Miami 

Racquet Club of Cocoa Beach Adaptive Tennis* – Cocoa Beach     

Speak Through Sports Adaptive Tennis Clinics* - West Melbourne   

Special Olympics* - Palm Beach

Tennis for Fun* - Apollo Beach, Brandon, Davis Island, Deland, Lakeland, Okeechobee, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Petersburg, River Hills, Tampa, Tampa Palms    

Tennis-4-Everyone* - Escambia County Special Olympics

ACEing Autism* – Norcross, Powder Springs

ACSquared Tennis*^% – Lithia Springs

Adaptive Tennis League (ATL)*^% – Norcross

Ad In Special Needs Tennis*% - Columbus

Net Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum*^% - Macon

Rockdale Special Olympics*^% – Conyers

Sign1U Deaf Youth Tennis Camp - Atlanta

South Atlanta CTA*^% – College Park, Fulton

Southeast Clarke Park Tennis Center Adaptive Tennis Program*^% - Athens

Special Olympics Georgia* - Norcross 

Special Populations Tennis* - Atlanta, Savannah

Tennis People, Inc.*% - McDonough

TVI Atlanta^ - Atlanta 

Windy Hill Community Center*% – Austell

ACEing Autism* – Evanston, Moline

Adaptive Tennis at Marquette Park*^ - Chicago

Buddy Up Tennis* – Evanston, Naperville

iCan Dream Tennis*^% – Homewood 

Lincoln Way Area Tennis*^ - Mokena

Tennis Buddies at Evergreen*^% – Bloomington

Tennis for Veterans - Chicago

Tiebreaks*^% – Park Forest

Midwest Unified Doubles Showdown*^ - Homewood 

Buddy Up Tennis* - South Bend

Love Serving Autism Central Indiana* – Franklin

RHI Adaptive Sports Program/Wheelchair Tennis of Indiana^ - Indianapolis

Special Olympics Indiana* – Boone County, Hamilton County, Washington Township, Zionsville

Stand Up Tennis for Amputees^ - Muncie

Turnstone Center - Tennis*^ – Fort Wayne

ACEing Autism* – Des Moines

Can Play Adapted*^% – West Des Moines

Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation*^% – Cedar Rapids

Independent North, Algona-Dyson Special Olympics Tennis* - Algona

Iowa City Recreation*^ - Iowa City

Nancy's Stars* - Bluegrass

North Dodge Athletic Club*^ - Iowa City

Scott County Masters*^% - Riverdale

Smart DMS*^% - Des Moines

Special Olympics Iowa* - Grimes

Special Olympics Tennis Program* - Cedar Rapids

West Enders and Scott County Adults* - Davenport, Moline

ACEing Autism* – Lexington

Binet Special Populations Tennis Team*^ - Louisville

Buddy Up Tennis* - Louisville

FEAT: Autism Camp* - Louisville

FEST: Fun Easter Seal Tennis*^% - Paducah

Special Populations, FEAT*^ - Louisville

ACEing Autism* – Damariscotta

Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation^ - New Gloucester

Special Olympics Maine* - South Portland

Tennis for Fun* - Belfast, Camden

ACEing Autism* – Boston, Charlestown, Martha's Vineyard, Sandwich, Wayland, Worcester

Adaptive Tennis Lessons*% - Lexington

EMARC Adaptive Tennis* – Wakefield

Handi-Racket Tennis*^% - Wayland

Harvard Recreation - Tennis*^ - Boston

Lexington Recreation and Community*^% – Lexington

Lobstars Inclusive Tennis* - Hanover

Love Serving Autism* – Cambridge

Special Olympics Massachusetts* - Marlborough

ACEing Autism* – Ann Arbor, Bloomfield, Northville, Novi

Adaptive Tennis Camp* – Mt. Pleasant

Adaptive Play Day* - Holland

Autastic Athletics* - Hazel Park

Bay City Unified Adaptive Tennis*^% - Bay City

Buddy Up Tennis* – Grand Rapids

Central Michigan University Recreational Therapy and Rehabilitation Program* - Mount Pleasant

Dearborn Public Schools* – Dearborn

Got Ability Sports Tennis*^% – Brighton    

Kids on the Go Tennis – Grosse Pointe

Mary Free Bed Adaptive Tennis*^ – Grand Rapids

Michigan Victory Games (One-Day Try-It Clinic)*^% - East Lansing

Michigan Wheelchair and Adaptive Tennis*^% – Brighton 

TennisTEC - Novi

Thunder in the Valley Games (One-Day Try-It Clinic)^ - Saginaw

Adaptive Tennis*^ - Golden Valley

Hibbing Chisholm Rangers S.O. Tennis* - Hibbing

InnerCity Tennis' Kidspeed Stations for Children with ASD* – Minneapolis 

St. Paul Urban Tennis Adaptive Tennis Program (Highland Friendship Club and St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) Adaptive)*^  - St. Paul

Tennis for Fun* - Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities

ACEing Autism* – Ladue

All Abilities Tennis Program*% – Kansas City  

Buddy Up Tennis* – St. Louis

Goals Adaptive Tennis* - Joplin

Jensen-Schmidt Tennis Academy for Down Syndrome*^% - St. Louis

One Love Tennis – Behavioral Health Pilot Program% – Kansas City

Special Olympics Missouri* – Cape, Columbia, Fulton, Jefferson City, Kansas City, St. Joe, St. Louis, Sikeston

ACEing Autism* – Las Vegas, South Las Vegas

Inspiring Children Foundation*% -  Las Vegas

Tennis Buddies of Reno* - Reno

Buddy Up Tennis* - Lebanon

Count Me In, Inc.*% – Exeter, Hampton

15-Love* – Albany, Rennsalaer, Schenectady, Troy

ACEing Autism* – Buffalo, Cooperstown, Flushing, Great Neck, Ithaca, Port Washington, Syracuse

Adaptive Recreation*^% – Hamburg

Adaptive Tennis for Students with Autism* - Jamaica

Backyard Sports Cares*^% - Purchase

Backyard Sports Plus Tennis* - Eastchester, Purchase, Rye, Yorktown, White Plains

Batavia Challenger Tennis Program*^ - Batavia

Brooklyn Youth Tennis Association, Inc.* - Brooklyn

Camp Abilities SUNY Brockport^ – Brockport

Cerebral Palsy Association*^ – Rye Brook

EDD Memorial Fund Adaptive Tennis Clinics - Oneonta

Hero, Inc.*^% - Scarsdale

Highland Park Tennis Association^ – Brooklyn  

Jawonio - Adaptive Tennis*^% - New Hempstead

Love Serving Autism* - Farmingdale

Mingo Tennis Inclusion* - Bronx

Orange County Aces*^% – Montgomery, Newburgh

RCTA Adaptive Tennis Programs*^% - Riverside Park, New York City

Rockland Hospital Guild% - Orangeburg

Serve and Return, Inc.*^% – Farmingdale

Serving Heroes^% - Kings Park, Northport

Sound of Tennis^ - Brooklyn, Long Island City

SPARC, Inc.*^ - Briarcliff Manor

Special Aces*^ - Brooklyn  

Special Olympics - New York* – Schenectady, across the state

Special Olympics - Long Island (Tennis Program)* - East Setauket 

Special Olympics Broome Tioga Tennis* – Binghamton

SPIRIT Tennis*% - Blauvelt

STRIDE Adaptive Sports* - Schenectady

Tennis Serving Vets*^% - Yonkers 

Tennis for Life^% – Orangeburg

Westside Challenger Tennis*^ - Brockport

Abilities Tennis Association of North Carolina* – Albermarle, Apex, Asheville, Belmont, Brunswick County, Cary, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Clayton, Concord,  Dare County, Greensboro, Hendersonville, Hickory, Kinston, Monroe, Pinehurst, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, 

Wake Forest, Wilmington, Winston-Salem

ACEing Autism* – Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Mooresville, Winston-Salem

CAST: Carolinas Adaptive Standing Tennis^ - Greensboro

Pegasus - Brunswick County 

Tennis for Life - Western Wake Tennis Assn.^% - Cary

ACEing Autism* – Akron, Columbus, Toledo

Buddy Up Tennis* – Akron, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Youngstown

Cincinnati Tennis Foundation*^% - Cincinnati

Love Serving Autism* – Toledo

NLA Superstar Tennis - Lancaster

Thrive Through Tennis Foundation*^% – Broadview Heights

Walnut Hills Outreach% - Cincinnati

ACEing Autism* - Drexel Hill, Manheim, Pittsburgh, Radnor, Wallingford

Athletes with Disabilities Network Northeast^ – North Wales 

All In-Adaptive Tennis!*^% - Lititz  

Buddy Up Tennis* - Pittsburgh, Scranton

Cheltenham Youth Tennis* - Wyncote 

Fred Perrin's USA Tennis* - Feasterville

Greater Pottstown Tennis & Learning*^% - Pottstown

Highland Park Free Blind/VI Tennis^ - Pittsburgh

Lebanon County Special Olympics* - Myerstown

Legacy Youth Tennis and Education*^% - Philadelphia

Love Serving Autism* – Allentown

Northampton County*^% – Easton   

Special Olympics Pennsylvania* – Chester County

Special Olympics Tennis Lancaster - Lancaster

Philadelphia Sunchasers^ - Philadelphia

Project Elijah Empowering Autism-PEEA* – Philadelphia  

Slippery Rock University Recreational Therapy Program*^% - Slippery Rock

Special Olympics Pennsylvania Montgomery County Tennis Program*^ – Gwynedd Valley

SportAbility Day*^% – Philadelphia  

Tennis Central*% - Lancaster

Tennis for Fun* - Easton

The Tennis Buddies Squad* - Montgomery County

Arecibo Adaptive Tennis*^% - Arecibo

Barceloneta Tennis Academy*^% – Barceloneta

PRTA Tennis Initiative*^% - San Juan

ACEing Autism* - East Providence, Newport

Adaptive Tennis*^% – Greenville

Advantage Tennis Foundation*^% – Columbia

Area 14, Anderson County Special Olympics*% – Anderson 

City of Charleston Therapeutic Recreation Unified Tennis*^ - Charleston

Public Tennis Inc. Special Needs & Special Olympics Tennis*^% – Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head                                                        

Rockin’ Rackets Tennis* – Daniel Island

Saluda Slammers* – Columbia

SPUD (Special Populations Unified Doubles)*^ - Belton

Team Nettie’s Fault (Special Olympics Group)* - Columbia

Unified Tennis*^% - Charleston

ACEing Autism* – Nashville

Buddy Up Tennis* - Nashville

Cookeville Adaptive Tennis*^ - Cookeville

Currey Ingram Academy*^% - Brentwood

Love Tennis*% – Nashville 

Noms*^% - Noms Middle School

Smashing Aces Tennis* - Germantown

Special Olympics* - Nashville, around the state

SPUD Tennis* - Nashville

ACEing Autism* – Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, McKinney

Buddy Up Tennis* - Dallas

Camp Discovery Adaptive Tennis Program*^ - Texas Lions Camp - San Antonio

DAB's Independents Tennis Aces Special Olympics - Region 20 – San Antonio

Dallas Tennis Assn. Adaptive Tennis*^% – Dallas

DTEA Deaf Program^ - Dallas

Houston Stand Up Adaptive^% – Houston  

Kinetic Kids*^ - San Antonio

Laredo Tennis Association Stroke Survivor Tennis Club*^ - Laredo

Missouri City Adaptive Tennis* - Missouri City 

Racquets Up!* - San Antonio

Special Olympics Texas* – Pflugerville 

Special Strokes for Special Folks*^% - Addison, Dallas

Tennis Success Inc.* - Corpus Christi

Texas Lions Camp - Camp Discovery - Children with Cancer^ - Kerrville

The Christina Grillo Sullivan Foundation*^ – Galveston

Waco Tennis Association*^ - Waco

Bennington Aces*^ - Bennington

ACEing Autism* - Huntington

Grayhound Youth Sports* – Northfork

I Play Tennis, Inc.*^% - Huntington, Ona

Jensen-Schmidt Tennis Academy*^ - Wheeling

Tennis for Fun* - Charleston

ACEing Autism* – Milwaukee, Sussex

Buddy Up Tennis* - Green Bay

First Service Doubles% – Verona

Lakeland Area Special Olympics* - Minocqua

Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association*^% - Mequon

Contact Your Local Representative 

 

If you're looking to create an adaptive tennis program in your neighborhood but don't know where to start, don't worry.  Each USTA section has a representative dedicated to helping you start or grow your program, whether you're looking for advice with grants and scholarships or ways to connect players with local programming in your area.

USTA Caribbean - Monica Carrasquillo (787) 726-8782

 

USTA Eastern - David Williams (914) 697-2273

 

USTA Florida - Will Speed (407) 634-6017

 

USTA Hawaii - Madeleine Dreith (808) 585-9528

 

USTA Intermountain - Adele Sobieski (303) 695-4117 ext. 235

 

USTA Mid Atlantic - Tara Fitzpatrick Navarro (703) 556-6120 ext. 7001

 

USTA Middle States - Renee Bridges (484) 302-0752

 

USTA Midwest - Greg Boyd (317) 669-0448

 

USTA Missouri Valley - Jaren Glaser (913) 967-9929

 

USTA New England - Mavi Sanchez-Skakle (508) 366-3450 ext.115

 

USTA Northern California - Charrisha Watkins (301) 335-9870

 

USTA Northern - Katie Bergmann (952) 358-3289

 

USTA Pacific Northwest - Valerie Weaks (503) 718-3334 ext.3334

 

USTA Southern California - Kevin Finkelberg (310) 567-7531

 

USTA Southern - Cee Jai Jones (770) 368-8200 ext. 116

 

USTA Southwest - Kelsey Richman (602) 412-3618

 

USTA Texas - Cindy Benzon (832) 264-7773