South Yorkshire Visually Impaired Tennis Club (SYVITC), based in Sheffield was established in early 2022. The club currently has 23 members, supported by two coaches and approximately 10 volunteers.
Janice and David on behalf of SYVITC said: "Skill development is a crucial area of focus, particularly for those who wish to play competitively. Coaches support players to improve and reach their goals by designing sessions and activities that, when each player is comfortable with, will push their abilities in a structured manner. The social side of sport is encouraged throughout the club too, to help bring about positive mental wellbeing. These focuses help individuals feel part of a community that leads to loyalty and commitment to SYVITC's success, as such, we are now seeing the signs of organic growth through word of mouth."
"Being a small, grassroots club, our biggest challenge is long-term planning, retaining players, attracting new players and to maintain a pool of volunteers. The SYVITC committee members continue to work towards growing visually impaired tennis in the region, connecting with the visually impaired community, and delivering positive outcomes. Support from local organisations, such as Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB) and inclusive tennis clubs, such as Brentwood Tennis Club, as well as funding help hugely with short to medium-term planning. However, long-term planning is more challenging."
We asked the club what their biggest achievement was so far, they said: "We were delighted to win the Tennis for All award at the 2023 County Awards, awarded to the club by Yorkshire Tennis Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). Our club Secretary was named Volunteer of the Year."
"We are extremely grateful to British Blind Sport (BBS) and Together Fund for helping us to start up and run a club that continues to create positive impacts on the local visually impaired community. The impact we have made on local sighted tennis players has been great, with some becoming volunteers for SYVITC. They are more aware of visually impaired sport and what visually impaired athletes can achieve."
"BBS facilitated the Together Fund application, provided access to educational resources and delivered VI Awareness workshops to our volunteers and committee members. The Communications team has continued to promote our sessions via the Activity Finder and social media platforms. Ahead of competitions, BBS have supported members to obtain classification."
The club added: "If we could give any advice to an inactive person living with a visual impairment we'd say come along, see what you can achieve! It's a chance to meet our community of players who have lived experiences."
Throughout the spring and summer months SYVITC deliver weekly outdoor sessions at the Brentwood Tennis Club. From end September to end November sessions then move indoors and are delivered weekly at the Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club. From November to February, sessions are delivered monthly.
For more information about the club and how you can get involved, go to: https://www.hallamshire.net/classes
To find out more about tennis, go to: https://britishblindsport.org.uk/az/tennis
To search for VI-friendly tennis opportunities near you, go to: https://britishblindsport.org.uk/activity-finder
Receiving funding has enabled our club to secure court time and to pay for high-quality inclusive tennis coaches. It means that we have been able to confidently engage with the local visually impaired community and provide regular sessions.
A training session at South Yorkshire VI Tennis Club.
