United by their passion for tennis, the SUSS Tennis Competition Group (CG) collaborated with Soundball Singapore, an organization dedicated to passionate tennis players with visual impairment (VI), in July 2024 as part of their Sports for Good initiative. The engagement took place over two consecutive Saturdays, aimed at enhancing the training experience for players participating in a modified version of the sport, known as Blind Tennis.
Soundball players and SUSS Tennis CG members posing for a group photo at the MOE Evans Road Stadium.Players in the Soundball program, who have varying degrees of visual impairment, play tennis differently than sighted players. The rules of blind tennis are distinct: the court is smaller, multiple bounces are allowed, and softer, slower, brightly colored balls are used. Training is customized to meet each player’s needs; for instance, some players may require two bounces while others need three before they hit the ball. The balls are designed to rattle with each bounce, helping players with VI identify the ball’s location more easily.
During the two sessions with Soundball, volunteers from the Tennis CG facilitated ball retrieval, which can be challenging for players with VI. Doubles games became safer and more enjoyable because sighted volunteers paired with players with VI, providing real-time feedback and support to help them improve their skills. These sessions not only enhanced the training experience but also allowed players to focus on developing their tennis skills.
This engagement served as an eye-opener for Tennis CG, highlighting the remarkable abilities of players with VI and demonstrating that their condition does not limit their capacity to play tennis. It also underscored the importance of creating an inclusive environment where both sighted and visually impaired communities can interact, fostering a better understanding of the needs of the VI community.
Dennard, a tennis player with visual impairment from Soundball, remarked, “They put in effort to adapt to our games, and they were helpful and took the initiative to understand our preferences and needs.” This encourages the sighted community to continue creating opportunities for both groups to participate together in all aspects of tennis.
Tennis CG is extremely grateful for the opportunity to engage with different communities and learn from experiences that broaden their understanding of underserved groups. The Sports for Good initiative is a valuable platform for bridging gaps between communities and fostering meaningful interactions through a shared interest in sports.
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Sports for Good programme.