Wheelchair Tennis

Wheelchair tennis is a sport for people with physical disabilities that affect mobility at or below the waist. The only difference between wheelchair tennis and able-bodied tennis is that wheelchair tennis players get up to two bounces of the ball before hitting it back over the net, whereas able-bodied tennis players only get one. With this simple rule modification, wheelchair tennis is the most integrative adaptive sport for people with disabilities to play with people without disabilities. The wheelchair tennis pathway is parallel to the able-bodied side of tennis, with opportunities for junior, adult, collegiate, and professional players to compete at all levels of the sport.

JTCC is proud to have served more than 100 wheelchair tennis players in the DMV area since 2021. JTCC’s program in partnership with MedStar NRH is the most popular, having reached 45 players in the 2022-2023 program year. If you are interested in being on our contact list, please click the button in the bottom right hand corner of the page. Please contact Head of Wheelchair & Adaptive Tennis Gabby Hesse with any questions at ghesse@jtcc.org.

Coach Education

JTCC will offer a Wheelchair Tennis Coach Training on Thursday, May 23 from 9am-4pm. This course is designed for tennis coaches to learn the different aspects of wheelchair tennis, including disability, the chair, and mobility patterns. However, all backgrounds are welcome to attend. Participants will complete a Net Generation lesson in tennis wheelchairs, learn basics of how to move the chair, and get the opportunity to learn advanced strokes and tactics. The course will also cover starting a program, best practices, and the history and pathway of the sport.

The class will be held at JTCC (5200 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20740). The course will be in the classroom and on the court. There is some prework required that will be sent out after registration. The cost of the course is $30, and lunch is included.

Register for the JTCC Wheelchair Tennis Coach Training

2024 JTCC Event Calendar

Free Weekly JTCC Wheelchair Tennis Clinics with MedStar NRH

JTCC partners with MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital’s Adaptive Sports and Recreation program to provide free weekly wheelchair tennis clinics year-round  at JTCC (5200 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20740).   

Tennis wheelchairs are available upon request and are dependent on size and availability. Tennis wheelchairs are assigned first come, first served based on order of registration submission.

Session IV runs Monday, April 1 – Sunday, June 9 and clinics are held at JTCC (5200 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20740). Class offerings are listed below.

Click Here to Register for Spring Session IV

JTCC Integrated Junior & Adult Programs

Wheelchair tennis players, along with all adaptive players and veterans at JTCC, are eligible to receive financial aid to participate in junior and adult paid programming including clinics and special events. These classes mainly serve tennis players without disabilities, but due to the integrative design of tennis and JTCC’s entire staff trained in wheelchair and adaptive tennis, the classes are available to all players with and without disabilities.

Players who are eligible and have completed at least one session of adaptive tennis programming will receive an invitation to apply for financial aid at the end of their session.

Please contact ghesse@jtcc.org with any questions.

Baltimore Wheelchair Tennis Clinics

JTCC offers free seasonal wheelchair tennis clinics in the spring, summer, and fall in partnership with University of Maryland Medical and Baltimore City Parks & Rec. Clinics run in five week sessions and sports chairs are provided on a first come, first served basis.

All sessions for 2023 have been completed, please check back soon for more information on 2024 Baltimore clinics or contact Mike Henley at mhenley@umm.edu.

L4 JTCC Wheelchair Championships Tennis Tournament

JTCC hosts an annual sectional wheelchair tennis tournament in October. In 2021, the event attracted 17 players, in 2022 the tournament grew to 24 players, and 2023 the tournament hosted 32 players in all divisions. As the home tournament for players in JTCC and MedStar NRH’s wheelchair tennis clinics, the 2023 tournament attracted 16 of JTCC’s home players.

Save the date for the 2024 L4 JTCC Wheelchair Championships held October 18-20. You can check out last year’s tournament results and player list by viewing the link below.

Mid-Atlantic Wheelchair Team Tennis Series

The team-based format allows the otherwise individual sport of tennis to be modified into a collegiate-style of play with coaching and cheering allowed and players working on teams to win games. The team tennis concept exists on the able-bodied side of the sport at the junior and collegiate levels, and bringing it to wheelchair tennis attracts many of our multi-sport athletes who play team sports like wheelchair basketball and sled hockey. It also has served as an effective entry point into matchplay for intermediate players who have not competed in a sanctioned tennis tournament to develop confidence in their play with the added support from coaches. JTCC and Sportable Adaptive Sports and Recreation based in Richmond initiated the series in spring of 2022 to test out the format and provide players with a new way to engage with wheelchair tennis, hosting two team tennis competitions. 

Volunteer

Volunteering opportunities are available for clinics and special events in wheelchair tennis and other adaptive tennis programs at JTCC. To sign up for volunteering, create a POINT account and request to join the organization “JTCC”. All adult volunteers (18+) are required to complete USTA Safe Play certification before volunteering. Upon completion, volunteers can email ghesse@jtcc.org a screenshot of the completion. 

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