VI Tennis in SY!
Well, it has been quite a first year for South Yorkshire Visually Impaired Tennis Club (or as we love to say, SYVITC for short)! Lots to tell, so let’s tell you all about it!
When the idea of a VI tennis club for the region was in its inception, Janiece and Ben knew that there would be two things needed that would make a real difference to the local VI community’s physical and mental wellbeing. That was a good network of volunteers and a welcoming social atmosphere. They knew that without these, the new VI tennis club would likely struggle to gain ground.
So, it’s a BIG thank you to all who have managed to volunteer this year and a huge thank you to players for making this Club so welcoming and friendly!
Our members!
So, what about our first year? The year started with a few taster & give-it-a-go sessions through January, February and March, with help from Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB) and their tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF). In this period and behind scenes, work was afoot to create a member’s club by 1st April. The Club’s Constitution was prepared, policies were developed and a Facebook page created. On 1st April, the members Club launched! 5 players signed up straight away, with that number growing to 11 by the end of May! Janiece, now the Club Secretary within the newly formed Committee, roped in help from husband David, who took on the role of Club Treasurer, and volunteer bus driver, courtesy of the marvelous SRSB.
Summertime
The Club hosted a member’s welcome buffet in May and shortly afterwards, welcomed VI player, Nomaan, to the Club Committee as Club Captain. By mid-summer, the club had attracted 16 members. As summer ended and autumn was about to start, the Club hosted its first recreational tournament. The tournament introduced the Club to 3-new volunteer coaches, Jaggy, Jess and Freddie (from The Academy, Hallamshire), whose commitment and time to the Club is hugely appreciated.
Money, Money, Money!
Of course, there is another aspect that cannot be ignored. Money money money! The Club had a fundraising event in June and a mini raffle was held in December during our end of year party. But support by various charities and groups has been invaluable. Yorkshire Sport Foundation, whose grant helped our coach host taster sessions on the indoor courts at the Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club. The Hallamshire has become our spiritual home and with further support from The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust with a grant to fund coach led monthly sessions on 2 tennis courts for 2-hours, we were able to play here from April through to December. Further grants from British Blind Sports (via Sport England’s Together Fund) allowed weekly sessions to commence from October through to March 2023. The LTA and once again Yorkshire Sport Foundation were able to support our very first recreational tournament, with grants and sound-balls!
Networking...with Nystagmus
But hold on, not finished yet! The Club was invited to exhibit at the Nystagmus Network Open Day Event in Sheffield that unfortunately, turned into a virtual event due to the rail strikes. We were still able to promote the good work the club was doing via Zoom!
Committee News
Around this time, an enthusiastic volunteer was becoming eager to be more involved in the club, which, to be honest was absolutely needed. The workload was intense, but still enjoyable! So, Marie finally joined the Club as the Development & Volunteer Manager making herself the 22nd, and 2nd sighted member. Since then, our committee has welcomed Adrian, who accepted the role of Chair to help support the efficient running of the club. Ben, our head coach, joined the committee as the Coaching Development Manager.
‘Shout Out’!
Now, we’ve got to mention the Co-OP, who has welcomed us to their Community Fund initiative. Funds generated from this will support our Club to secure tennis courts, coaching and equipment from winter 2023 and through to spring 2024.
The partnership with Nuffield Health, Sheffield, has been one of the success stories. Nuffield Health has donated gifts for fundraising, bought sound-balls, donated t-shirts and rackets for our players and offered services to our players and volunteers. A really big heartfelt thank you to you guys at Nuffield.
Still more to tell……our coach, Ben and his fledgling program, Ability Tennis, now has a promising development for a SYVITC juniors arm, for budding under 16 VI tennis players!
And a big ‘shout out’ to Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club. Helen, her team and colleagues continue to be warm, friendly and accommodating hosts and supporters of our Club.
Look out for...
So, as we have a well-deserved festive break and to bring 2022 to a close, what exciting things do we have in-store for our VI players and volunteers through 2023. Firstly, our AGM in February will formerly set out the plans but watch this space for the Club’s involvement in the Sheffield and District Tennis Championship, recreational tournaments, attendance at the LTA regional VI tournaments, volunteering at the IBSA Games in August, our Captain’s Day, summer picnic, wellbeing Camps and much more. Now with 24 members, 2023 is looking promising!