The United States Blind Tennis Association (USBTA) will co-sponsor a training event in mid-December.
With the Olympics scheduled for Los Angeles in 2028, Southern California is set to become the global sports hub. The United States Blind Tennis Association (USBTA) is part of the action. The USBTA, founded in 2022, has been working to grow the sport of BVI tennis in the United States. In September, the organization hosted a “Come and Try BVI” event at the US Open, which allowed fans to experience BVI tennis firsthand. Now, it is primed to host another big event.
The organization will host a Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI) Tennis training event on December 13. Co-sponsored with the USTA Southern California Section and Wayfinder Family Services, the event will be held from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Wayfinder Family Services location at 5300 Angeles Vista Boulevard in Los Angeles.
BVI tennis is an adaptive sport that allows individuals with visual impairments to experience it. The sport uses modified equipment and rules to level the playing field, such as sound balls, smaller racquets, different court dimensions, and sight classifications. BVI tennis offers a recreational opportunity to a large population. According to the nonprofit Orbis, approximately 1.1 billion people globally have vision loss, including blindness, with 90% of it either preventable or treatable. In the United States, 50.18 million adults in 2022 reported some degree of vision loss, with 3.89 million having a lot of trouble seeing and 340,000 unable to see.
Dana Costa, USBTA president, said.”We are excited to partner with the USTA Southern California Section and Wayfinder Family Services to host this training event. This event is about training and showcasing the incredible potential of BVI tennis and its athletes. As Los Angeles prepares for the 2028 Olympics, we are positioning BVI tennis to be recognized and hopefully included in future Paralympic Games.”
The December training is an opportunity for tennis organizations, providers, and anyone interested in learning more about BVI tennis. Participants will gain insights from BVI tennis experts Costa and David Dilettuso from the USBTA. They will also learn how to implement BVI tennis programs in their communities and how to make existing tennis programs more inclusive.
“We believe that BVI tennis is a valuable sport that can provide individuals with visual impairments with the opportunity to participate in physical activity, socialize, and compete,” said Costa, and “we hope this training will help to grow the sport in Southern California and beyond and ultimately contribute to its inclusion in the Paralympic Games.”
For additional details on the training or to RSVP, contact Bryan Hudson (email), USTA Southern California Community Tennis Coordinator, or call 310-208-4101.
