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B.C. Wheelchair Sports Association
#224 - 1367 West Broadway
Vancouver
V6H 4A9
Phone: (604) 737-3090
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The Club
Originating in the United States in 1976, tennis is the most rapidly growing wheelchair sport in the world. An athlete wishing to play wheelchair tennis must be medically diagnosed as having a mobility related disability that requires use of a wheelchair. Currently, the International Wheelchair Tennis Federation has 48 member nations and has been a Paralympic sport since 1992. The sport of wheelchair tennis follows the same rules as able bodied tennis except wheelchair tennis players are allowed two bounces of the ball. The wheelchair is part of the body and all rules that apply to a player's body also apply to a player's wheelchair. For the beginner and intermediate player, local tournaments are offered progressing to regional, national and international competition including the World Cup and Paralympic Games. The B.C. Wheelchair Tennis Association is a provincial non-profit organization responsible for the development and support of wheelchair tennis in B.C. |
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Facility
The B.C. Wheelchair Tennis Association supports the following facilities located throughout the province which provide ongoing wheelchair tennis programs: Grant Connell Tennis Centre (North Vancouver), YY Tennis Club (Richmond), Newton Athletic Park (Surrey), Cedar Hill Recreation Centre (Victoria), Kamloops Tennis Association (Kamloops), Nelson Tennis Club (Nelson) and the Great West Fitness and Racquets Club (Abbotsford). If you are interested in attending one of these programs or starting a program in your own community, please contact the B.C. Wheelchair Sports Association. |
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Programs
The B.C. Wheelchair Sports Association and B.C. Wheelchair Tennis Association offer a variety of wheelchair tennis programs and services throughout the year. Players of all levels are welcome to attend the lessons, clinics and workshops offered. Junior programs are provided to encourage children and youth to get involved. Junior tennis camps are held on an annual basis together with other events and programs throughout the year to help junior players (under 19) get started. There is a Wheelchair Loan Program that makes sport specific wheelchairs (designed for increased mobility) available to participants not having the means to purchase their own. The B.C. Wheelchair Sports Association runs a Demo Team program designed to promote wheelchair sports and increase public awareness of the abilities of disabled athletes. Demo Team members are available to visit schools, sports camps, sporting events, community events and clubs etc. Have a Go Days are offered, where participants can learn about all of the opportunities available in wheelchair sports, give the sport a try, meet current B.C.W.S.A. and B.C.W.T.A. athletes and staff and meet other participants interested in wheelchair tennis. Awards, Bursaries and Funding programs are available to wheelchair athletes. Resource programs can be accessed by B.C. Wheelchair Sports Association members, these include videos and photos, sport wheelchairs, training materials and teacher resource guides. A wide variety of competitive opportunities are provided throughout the province. There is a national and international ranking system and provincial and national team programs for those individuals who wish to pursue wheelchair tennis at the highest level. B.C. currently hosts three International Wheelchair Tennis Federation sanctioned Wheelchair Tennis Tour events: B.C. Open Championships in Richmond, Telus Open at Stanley Park and the B.C. International Tennis Festival in Coquitlam. |
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