Wheelchair Tennis Group To Expand Its Scope

Written by: Staff on 16th May 2013

Wheelchair Tennis Package Australian Open 2013

Wheelchair Tennis Group To Expand Its Scope

epa03557714 WHEELCHAIR TENNIS PACKAGE AUSTRALIAN OPEN Sabine Ellerbrock of Germany in action during the women's singles wheelchair final at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 26 January 2013. Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands beat Sabine Ellerbrock of Germany in two sets. Wheelchair Tennis took place in the First Grand Slam of the Year In Melbourne Park from 23-28 January 2013, Australia. The top seven ranked players from the various countries plus a wirldcard entry participated from the men and women events. In the 1970s Brad Parks, an acrobatic skier who suffered an injury which leaves him paraplegic, and wheelchair athlete Jeff Minnenbraker started promoting wheelchair tennis. In 1977 the Los Angeles City Parks and Recreation Department hosted the first ever wheelchair tennis tournament with around 20 players. EPA/Narendra Shrestha |

Bob Waldman, president of the New York-based Baseline Wheelchair Tennis Foundation, reports the foundation is working on a fundraising mission to provide wheelchair tennis exhibitions to educate the public and increase the visibility of wheelchair tennis.

Up to now the foundation has been involved with introducing wheelchair tennis to adults, mostly injured military veterans. Now, Waldman, formerly an international tennis umpire, reports the organization has expanded its mission to provide scholarships to include young wheelchair players to help build the future of wheelchair tennis.

To date they have provided three scholarships and plan to double that this summer.

Information is available at waldmanbob@yahoo.com

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: BaseLine Wheelchair Tennis Foundation, Bob Waldman, New York tennis news, Tennis News, Wheelchair Tennis