Wheelchair Tennis Clinic

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS CLINIC
PRESENTED BY SPORTABLE
Saturday, October 28th, 2006

with PARALYMPIAN KARIN KORB

Richmond's Sportable, a not for profit organization focusing on providing recreation and sports activities for individuals with physical disabilities, hosted a Wheelchair Tennis Clinic at VCU's Thalhimer Tennis Center on Saturday, October 28th.

LEFT: Karin Korb. Karin plays in USTA Leagues in her hometown of Atlanta.

Paralympian Karin Korb was the special guest and clinic director. Karin has participated in seven USA World Teams, and represented the US in both wheelchair singles and doubles during the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games and the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games. She is ranked second among wheelchair players in the US by the USTA and holds a #15 ranking by the International Tennis Federation.

"The event was a great success," said Kristen Lessig, CEO of Sportable. "Beyond the numbers we were able to raise awareness within the community about wheelchair sports as a viable service to our community.

"Having Karin Korb run the clinic seemed to bring our mission full circle. Karin has so much to offer...surely more than just being a celebrity, a world recognized tennis player... but an inspiration to so many."

As to the future of wheelchair tennis in Richmond, Kristen says she has discussed holding open practices twice a month. Phil Thacker, a pro at Raintree, has volunteered to help with the program, and the two are looking into training to become wheelchair tennis "coaches", for players who might desire a higher level of play.

Kristen Lessig (left) says that "just as you and I deserve options, so does this population."

Support from the community is greatly appreciated, said Kristen. The Richmond Tennis Association donated the adult racquets for door prizes and Raintree pros donated the youth raquets that were part of a raffle. Virginia Tennis donated t-shirts that were given away as souvenirs.

"We are always looking for donated (used) racquets for use in future/ongoing programs, as well as any monetary support so that we can purchase tennis specific wheelchairs to be used at practices."

Andy Lewandowski of Rehab Health Care, one of the sponsors of the event, said that most players start off with their regular day-to-day chairs when taking up the sport. Later, if the player becomes interested in pursuing tennis, custom fit sport chairs come into play. "They need a dedicated chair that is more agile, stable and can get beat up a bit more."

Karin Korb instructs on how to hold the racquet in a ready position.

Tennis specific wheelchairs have a much more angled wheel or "camber", and straps so a player can turn more quickly and push off more easily. Chairs offering the desired mobility run about $2,800 and up new, according to Lewandowski.

Wheelchair tennis is just like 'regular' tennis, but players are allowed to let the ball bounce twice before hitting it. It sounds and looks hard, but players in Saturday's clinic seemed to catch on quickly.

"It's fun!" said Chase Throckmorton, who says he also plays wheelchair baseball and basketball. This was Chase's first time trying tennis.

While a few struggled to get their chairs in place in order to hit- "You have to go to the ball!" advised Karin - there were plenty of solid groundstrokes on display. "Push, push, push, recover.... turn!"

Ronald Richardson (left) drove from North Carolina to participate in the clinic. Players had the opportunity to try out sport specific wheelchairs offering them greater mobility.

Ronald Richardson said he drove all the way up from North Carolina to participate. He heard about the clinic from his therapists at McGuire Veteran's Hospital.

Ron said he played a little tennis when he was a teenager so he had an idea how to hit a forehand already. When he was injured in a motorcycle accident in 2004, he decided he was going to be active in all the sports when given the opportunity.

"Once I get used to it (playing tennis in a wheelchair), I'm gonna be pretty good," he said. "Everybody needs to watch out....I'm comin'!"

Raintree pro Phil Thacker with Karin Korb kept participants moving.

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About Kristen Lessig:
Kristen graduated from VCU with a degree in Recreation, Park, and Sports Management and a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation. Sports and recreation have always played a major role in Kristen's life from her early days in high school and college sports teams to her current position as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at The Virginia Home. Through her first volunteer efforts at The Virginia Home, Kristen began to see the benefits of sports and recreation come to life, enhancing the physical, social, and psychological wellbeing of individuals with physical disabilities. Her passion is to expand into the community providing the same benefits to the many children and adults that lack the resources to do so independently.

Kristen and Jenny Yocco, the Chief Operating Officer of Sportable were recently featured in Style Weekly's 40 Under 40, which profiles Richmond's most remarkable young men and women.