Sports
Players From Across the Country Come Out for Clearwater Wheelchair Open Tennis Tournament
Players come from as far away as New York to participate in the tournament.
They came from all over the country to compete.
The only difference between this and other tennis tournaments?
The players compete from their wheelchairs and balls can bounce twice before a player lobs it back over the net.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In all, 22 players from Georgia, New York, North and South Carolinas, Arkansas and Florida took to the courts at the Henry McMullen Tennis Complex this weekend as part of the Clearwater Wheelchair Open.
The winners of the two day tournament, sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), could go on to play nationals, according to Dawn Lewellyn, a therapeutic recreation supervisor and tournament coordinator for the city.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The city of Clearwater offers wheelchair tennis clinics Friday evenings at 5 p.m. at the McMullen Tennis Center, 1000 Edenville Avenue. Chairs and rackets are available.
Clearwater’s Parks and Recreation department has other therapeutic recreation programs including baseball, golf, swim lessons, aquatic activities and other wheelchair sports.
In addition, the city has beach wheelchairs available, the Sunshine Limitless Playground for children of all ability levels and the Clearwater Adaptive Aquatic team, which competes in the Special Olympics.
Call (727) 793-2339, ext. 238 for more information.
