Causing a spin at the inaugural Play Tennis Twilight Festival was professional wheelchair athlete, Wayne Arnott, who was on court at the State Tennis Centre on Friday 9 April to showcase wheelchair tennis at the free community engagement event.
Joining WA’s No.1 wheelchair athlete on court and supporting the come and try activities at the family-friendly event, were members of the Manning Tennis Club where Arnott trains and plays weekly alongside wheelchair tennis group, WA Top Spinners.
Dedicated to ensuring playing opportunities for players of all abilities, Manning Tennis Club and Club Coach Mike Gill of Tennis Academy Perth, continue to drive inclusive tennis opportunities across a variety of skill levels.
‘Since Mike joined the club in 2019, we’ve been focussed on creating sustainable and adaptive tennis programs which break down as many barriers as possible so that everyone who wants to play tennis is able to do so,’ said Manning Club Captain Dwayne Augustin.
‘When Mike joined the team we spent considerable time exploring the barriers to providing inclusive playing opportunities and have since worked at combating these as best we can,’
‘In January 2020 we held our first official wheelchair tennis session with the club and since then we’ve become home to the WA Top Spinners playing group,
‘Supported by regular coaches, hitting partners assistance the group has slowly grown to boast eleven participants who train at Manning Tennis Club either on a Monday evening or Wednesday mornings,’
‘With the WA Top Spinners playing group still in its infancy, showcasing wheelchair tennis at the Play Tennis Twilight Festival was a great opportunity to promote the inclusive playing options available in WA,’
The WA Top Spinners playing group and program will host the first of its series of wheelchair tennis events on Saturday 19 June at the Manning Tennis Club. This event will feature match play and player challenges open to wheelchair and able-bodied players. To find out more about the event, please contact the club at: www.manningtennisclub.com.au/contact-us
The State government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries is a major supporter of the WA Top Spinners Wheelchair Tennis program coordinated by Manning Tennis Club and Tennis Academy Perth in Western Australia. Sport and recreation builds stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities. The WA Top Spinners is also grateful for the kind and generous support from Paralympics Australia through their para-sport equipment fund and Lucky Nickel Media.
Tennis West’s Play Tennis Twilight Festival served as a celebration of all things tennis with attendees on court for ANZ Tennis Hot Shots, Cardio Tennis and Open Court Sessions; alongside the opportunity to try the all-new Swing Vision app and enjoy free court use throughout the festival.
Tennis West wishes to acknowledge the ongoing support of tennis in WA by Healthway and thanks the SunSmart activation team for the giveaways throughout the event.
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