Tennis Canada
National development coach for wheelchair tennis Kai Schrameyer held a 2 day
intro clinic in Halifax on June 4 and 5th. The clinic took place in
the spacious gym of the Canadian Forces
Base in Halifax. 8 players from the Maritimes were introduced to the
fundamentals of wheelchair tennis including basic groundstrokes, volley and
serve techniques as well as mobility.
“ It’s great to see how much fun the guys had on the court and how eager they were to improve. They caught on quickly given the short time span of just a few hours of exposure to a new sport. I was very impressed by the level of play!”
All participants expressed the interest of continuing to play on a regular basis.
Christophe Lambert, director of the Atlantic Tennis Alliance, came out to assist the clinic together with his son.
“What was exciting was seeing the group enjoying the challenges set by Kai. They now have a taste of the sport and we hope they will become the driving force behind the creation of a real wheelchair program in the Atlantics”, says Lambert. “This has been my second experience with wheelchair tennis. The biggest positive difference the use of the progressive tennis equipment in a gymnasium environment.”
Jeff Virgo, an Ontario based former Canadian Forces soldier and avid newcomer to the sport, was flown out by the “Soldier On” program to take part in the event.
“ It was great to connect with fellow wheelchair athletes. I appreciate the opportunity Soldier On has given me to advance the development of my game. The clinic has taught me skills that I can take back home and work into my training schedule”, says Virgo.
“ A special thanks goes out to the Canadian Armed Forces in Halifax for providing their state of the art facility to host the event. Our job now is to make sure we keep the momentum going and create regular playing opportunities for the guys in the Maritimes” said Schrameyer at the conclusion of the event.
