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Making a positive difference through Inclusive, Active, Social Tennis in communities, clubs, centres and schools.

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Our sessions focus on everyones Ability and what they can achieve.

Inclusive

All our award winning sessions are inclusive, and everyone is welcome. This mindset is key to the success of everything we do, putting everyones abilities first.

Get Active

Regular activity is proven to be beneficial to physical and mental health. We encourage people to be active and stay active.

Social

The social side of sport is so important we understand this and encourage participants to get to know one another to build bonds and feel apart of our community.

Our award winning PROGRAMME and team of coaches run sessions for people with physical, learning and sensory disabilities.

We also deliver sessions for people with long term health implications and social and economic inequalities.

  • 83% 83%

83% of disabled people say that playing tennis has improved their sense of self-confidence.

Individuals coached in 2024 by Ability Tennis

Venues reached by Ability Tennis

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Coaching Team

Ben Howarth

Founder and Master Coach

Yorkshire Open Court Disability and Inclusion Lead

Ben is passionate about Inclusive Tennis.

He is able to build positive relationships

with people from all walks of life and

ensures he brings the best out of everyone.

Bradley Stoneham

Coach

Brad brings great energy and enthusiasm to

every session he delivers.

He has a positive mental mindset that gives

people the belief that they can succeed.

Jordan Hayles

Champion of Sheffield and District visually impaired tennis tournament

 

Jordan brings a passionate attitude with an ambition for all to succeed. 

“I don’t believe a disability is a disability, I believe we do things differently”

Janiece Wallace

 Visually impaired ambassador for Ability Tennis

Janiece is passionate about visually impaired tennis and the positive impact it has on a players life; socially, mentally, and physically.

Janiece is an advocate for furthering the diversity in visually impaired tennis and increasing representation to attract players of all ages and backgrounds.

Venues

Ability Tennis 
Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club

716 Ecclesall Rd,
Sheffield
S11 8TA

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South Yorkshire open court LEAD VENUE

Brentwood Tennis Club

Brentwood Rd, Nether Edge,
Sheffield
S11 9BU

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ability tennis

graves tennis centre

64 Hazlebarrow Dr, Jordanthorpe, Sheffield S8 8AS

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SESSION INFO

Tennis Inclusive for Adults

This is a session for adults with additional needs. The course is designed to build adults confidence in their movement, co-ordination and fitness. Sessions are adult centred and inclusive to give opportunities to play and make new friends through learning new skills and games in a social and positive atmosphere.

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Tennis Inclusive for Kids

This is a session for children with additional needs. The course is designed to build children’s confidence in their movement, co-ordination and fitness. Sessions are child centred and inclusive to give opportunities to play and make new friends through learning new skills and games in a social and positive atmosphere.

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Serving Autism for Adults 16+

This session is for people who are Autistic and wanting to stay active while playing Tennis. The 45 mins session comprises a warm up, tennis drills followed by a game at the end. Adaptive equipment is used where necessary and coaches run the sessions centred around each individual’s needs.

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Visually Impaired Tennis

Ability Tennis works closely with South Yorkshire Visually Impaired Tennis Club (SYVITC) to provide coaching for the club. These sessions use audible tennis balls and varied size rackets and courts to cater for each player’s visual impairment. The sport is one of the fastest growing disability sports and is a great way to stay fit and active in friendly and sociable atmosphere.

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Walking Tennis

Walking Tennis is a slower version of the game; it is tennis, but at a walking pace. The game has been designed so that anyone can play it regardless of age or fitness level. Adaptive tennis balls and rules make this game slower and easier to pick up.

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Wheelchair Tennis

Learn how to play tennis in a friendly, sociable and inclusive group at Graves Tennis Centre in Sheffield. The course of 6 weekly sessions takes you through the movement skills you need, how to hit the ball and how to score and play for singles and doubles. The main focus is to get people active, through tennis.

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Organisations we have worked with

Steve Martinez

“Ability Tennis provides the opportunity for autistic adults to engage in functional exercise  while learning important cognitive skills”

Sports Therapist and Special Needs fitness coach from Rotherham

Max Clark

“I like to do Tennis and being with my friends”

Tennis Inclusive Particpant

Natalie Shaw

“The group are getting to try new skills and putting them into practice, you can tell from the smiles on their faces how much they are enjoying it”

Sheffield Mencap and Gateway

Dr Liz Martinez

“The benefits are that it is a free drop in open to all. We hope that means it is more inclusive when often tennis is one of the more exclusive sports. The Coach is extremely kind and friendly and has nurtured a group of parents and their children who have been coming regularly. He is very good with the children and has helped children who would maybe never have played not just learn but become very good at it.

Post covid many children are more socially anxious and sport like this helps hugely their confidence, fitness and mental health.”

GP Partner at Burngreave Surgery in Sheffield and Honorary Lecturer at Sheffield University

Sheffield Celebration of Disability Sport

“Ability Tennis has delivered inclusive sessions for the last 10 years. Hundreds of disabled people with profound, multiple and complex disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, autism, social emotional and mental health issues have benefitted from their first class coaching methods.
The coaches understand the power of sport, demonstrating a real empathy towards everyones needs and requirements, adapting and overcoming any challenges to meet every individuals needs”

Paul Sheard

“Ben is an outstanding community tennis coach, with a genuine commitment to engaging under represented groups and making tennis more accessible and inclusive in a safe and welcoming environment”

Regional participation development partner at LTA

Sheffield Mencap & Gateway

Both coaches were warm and friendly and quick
to get to know our members. Their warmth and
enthusiasm made our members feel comfortable
and confident trying new skills and games. The
sessions were always light hearted and with an
emphasis on individual development for each
student despite very different abilities and
learning needs. The sessions were always fully inclusive.

Jack Kirby

Mencap Group Leader

 

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Coaching Consultancy 

Ability Tennis Activator Training Course

Duration: 2 Hours. 

Price: £250 Up to 12 attendees with 1 Ability Tennis Tutor

A practical course, designed specifically for tennis coaches. Our course shows coaches how to adapt and develop their coaching skills so they feel confident coaching people with varied disabilities in a fully inclusive way.

  • Understand how to embed inclusion in your programmes and venues
  • Gain more ideas to make your sessions fully inclusive, fun, exciting and colourful
  • Build on existing coaching knowledge to coach players who have a physical or learning disability
  • Understand pathways – schools / community to club / club to competition

Inclusive Tennis Leaders Training

Duration: 4 Hours. 

Price: Given on application

This leadership course has been designed by the Lawn Tennis Association and Ability Tennis have put an inclusive spin on it. The course is perfect for College students and also volunteers at venues who are wanting to support inclusive coaches and sessions in their local area.

  • Gives participants a first step towards a career in tennis or another sport, e.g. becoming a Coach, Official or a Teacher in the future
  • Supports applications for jobs or further education opportunities
  • Connects you to your local community and make new friends
  • Offers new skills that you can use both on and off the court
  • Builds confidence in supporting people with disabilities into sport
  • Offers pathways to local inclusive sports club in the area

Open Court Inclusive Consultancy

Duration: 1 Hour online . 

Price: LTA funded

 We are proud to be the Yorkshire Open Court Inclusive lead in the county. With this role we can offer advice on how to become an LTA Open Court venue so your venue can offer sessions to people with disabilities in your local club, park, community or educational setting. If you are based in South Yorkshire you are also welcome to attend a Abilty session where you can learn from our coaches and get experience working with people with physical or learning disabilities.

If you are based in North or East Yorkshire we can put you in touch with the lead venues in your area.

 

Mentoring

If you are looking to develop skills, expand your knowledge and increase your confidence, why not gain valuable advice and guidance from Ability Tennis. We offer a bespoke learning opportunity, tailored to your needs, helping you set personalised goals and providing insight from our many years working in inclusive Tennis.
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Outreach

Schools

We have been into lots of SEN Schools across Sheffield either for a one off visit/ monthly or a 6 week block of visits.

Club visits

We can arrange visits to our clubs so you can enjoy the full Tennis experience.

Parks

We run a park programme in Meersbrook park where local children and their families can come along and take part in fun, active Tennis sessions.

Community

We provide bespoke sessions for community groups sessions we cover are Men’s, Women’s and Girls active health groups, Dementia groups and kids camps.

Events

We have been invited to British Blind Sports “Give it a Go” days, British Paralympic days and Move More Inclusive Sport day’s. These are brilliant events that give adults and children the opportunity to take part in lots of inclusive sports and find out how they can get involved in sport in their local communities.

HAF Kids Camps

We have run sessions at Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) . This is run by the Department for Education (DfE) initiative that provides activity and food provision for children aged 4-16 during the Easter, Summer and Christmas Holidays.

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