What roles does sport play in your life?
Frankie: Sport has always been a big part of my life, even from a young age. I was always active and played a lot of sport through school.
Sport is an even bigger element in my life now as it is the main focus of my work and a lot of my social activity. Having started playing VI tennis in 2017, after losing a lot of my sight, it has massively changed things for me positively, meeting a lot of new friends and giving me the experience within VI sport to be able to help others who are experiencing sight loss.
Louise: I have been very lucky to have played a variety of sports all my life, and have had a career in coaching and teaching sport, ensuring others have the opportunity to enjoy sport. My friends are all people whom I have met through sport, especially tennis and this is something I am very grateful for.
How long have you been a coach?
Frankie: I have been coaching since 2018 after becoming involved with VI tennis, as a player, and realising that I wanted to help others experience all of the benefits that I have after becoming involved in the sport.
Louise: I have been a coach for 30 years, coaching a variety of sports but my main focus is tennis. I got involved in university and then went to complete my PGCE to become a PE teacher. I first got involved in coaching VI tennis 10 years ago when I was approached to work with some players.
Could you provide us with a background of your coaching experience?
Frankie: When I first got into coaching it was all done as a volunteer. I tried to gain as much experience as possible, with the biggest range of players. I shadowed coaches and LTA tutors whenever I could trying to learn as much about disability tennis as possible.
I was helping coaching non-disability in the early stages, as my sight was better and I could still manage to coach children. As my sight deteriorated, I moved into coaching VI only. This led to becoming more involved in the regional and national programme, where I now coach the GB team.
Louise: Having coached for 30 years, I have coached in a variety of environments from clubs, parks to schools and universities. I have coached juniors and adults from beginners to international players. I am a LTA Level 4 coach and a LTA tutor. I write content for coach education courses. I am also the Team UK Manager for Invictus Games.
I am currently the GB Head Coach for the VI tennis team and have had the privilege of coaching the team at international tournaments including at the IBSA World Games this summer in Birmingham.
How long has the team/club been running?
Frankie: VI tennis as a whole has been around for about 12 years in the UK and an international programme was developed a few years later. GB players entered their first international tournament in 2016.
Louise: I have been coaching the GB VI tennis team for 10 years, coaching GB camps and at tournaments.
How do you get people involved in tennis?
Frankie: It is always difficult to increase participation in any VI sport. Often connections are made with people through other social activities and 'word of mouth'. I offer taster sessions at my local clubs and anyone can come along and try tennis. It is important to promote the social benefits of getting involved in activity, as well as the physical ones. I started playing tennis because of the fantastic people involved, as opposed to the sport itself. The confidence it gave me to be able to lead a normal life after sight loss was imperative and I don't know where I would be now with the VI tennis community.
Louise: Tennis is a great inclusive sport, providing opportunities for people with sight loss to play VI tennis or to play with sighted players using sound tennis balls.
Tell us more about future opportunities for blind and partially sighted people to get involved in tennis.
The LTA have a mapping tool that highlights any VI tennis opportunities that are currently available. The 'Activity Finder' on the BBS website can also help with this. The website features information about tennis itself, where people can find out how to play, and how to get involved.
