Ability Tennis - COTM March 2024

Serving up a huge slice of inclusivity for March's Club of the Month are Ability Tennis. 

This Sheffield based club headed up by Ben Howarth are making quite a smash in the world of adaptive tennis, breaking down the barriers to participation with novel approaches and a 'yes we can' attitude that is seeing even more of the disabled community taking part in a range of ways that cater to the individual.

Ben told us "Ability Tennis... came about about eight years ago. It just started with the Down Syndrome
class and now we see wheelchair tennis, visually impaired tennis, learning disabilities, we go into SEN schools. It starts with saying, look, ‘Yeah, you can do this, here's your opportunity, I'm going to support you all the way.’"

The social and community aspect of the club is huge, a regular participant Barry (also a player with EBM's 2022 Club of the Year Sheffield Steel Kings) told us. 

"I've been on my own for the past six years now, since my wife died, but I just wanted to get back out there and talk to people and just mix with people, and that's what this does! 

"It's getting to know people and talking to them and things like that. This sport is my family."

With plans for expansion to new centres and training of new coaches and volunteers, the future looks bright for Ability Tennis and inclusive ways for everyone to take part in the sport from the greater Sheffield area.