Blind Tennis is a relatively new para-sport in Australia and South Australia. The Sport itself was conceived in Japan in 1984 and has progressed around the world from here. Blind Tennis is played on a badminton sized court or half court with junior rackets and a soft audible ball. Wherever possible the court lines are tactile to support orientation and spatial awareness on the court. Like most blind sports blind tennis athletes play under a classification, however, unlike most blind sports blind tennis allows for 4 classifications instead of just 3 classifications (see below for full classification explanation). Depending on your classification the ball is allowed to bounce a certain number of times. B4 athletes are only allowed 1 bounce of the audible ball, while B3 athletes are allowed 2 bounces. B2 athletes are allowed up to 3 bounces and finally B1 athletes are allowed 4 bounces before they return the ball.
To be able to compete in official blind tennis tournaments athletes must have a B1, B2, B3 or B4 classification.
In South Australia it is possible to get a classification by booking time with the Royal Society for the Blind or Health2Go at Flinders University.
Below are the classifications set out by the International Blind Tennis Association.
Visual acuity poorer than LogMAR 2.60 which is equivalent to poorer than 6/600 (no functional vision for sport)
Visual acuity ranging from LogMAR 1.50 to 2.60 (inclusive) or 6/160 to 6/600 (inclusive)
Visual acuity ranging from LogMAR 1.0 to 1.40 (inclusive) or 6/60 to 6/160 (inclusive) OR visual fields less than 10 degrees diameter and visual acuity better than 0.5 or 6/19 (B4)
Visual acuity ranging from LogMAR 0.5 to 0.9 (inclusive) or 6/19 to 6/48 OR visual fields less than 40 degrees diameter and visual acuity better than 0.5 or 6/19.
SASSVI have been lucky enough to work with Tennis SA and Somerton Park Tennis Club to create South Australia's first blind tennis club and program. From this program SASSVI has twice been the finalist in the Tennis SA's Most Outstanding School. The program itself has won many awards including Tennis SA's Most Outstanding Inclusion Program in 2018-2019. The club has grown beyond school aged children and is now the strongest blind tennis club in Australia, with 8 members being selected for the Australian Blind Tennis team. Of these 8 players South Australia received 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze and 1 4th place at the 2019 Blind Tennis World Championships.
During Term 1 and Term 4 SASSVI offers an afterschool program that links with the Somerton Park Tennis Club on a Wednesday afternoon from 15:30-16:45 at Somerton Park Tennis Club. The school provides transport for the students to the tennis club where the students gain coaching from the Australian National Team Coach, Nicholas Bradley.
Blind Tennis is an amazing sport for all students with a vision impairment. It is one of a few sports that athletes classified as a B4 can compete against other athletes with similar vision.
For more information please contact SASVI, Somerton Park Tennis Club or Tennis SA.
If you would like more information on the blind tennis program at SASSVI or in South Australia please contact:
Andrew Whisson (PE Teacher at the SA School and Services for Vision Impaired)
Phone Number: +61882775255
If you would like more information on the Somerton Park Tennis Club's blind tennis program please contact:
Nicholas Bradley
Phone Number: +61438801967
If you would like more information on tennis programs available please contact:
Shane Leatham (School Development Coordinator | Tennis SA)
Phone Number: +61 8 7224 8105
Email: Shane.Leathem@Tennis.com.au
Or follow the links below: