A young wheelchair tennis player from Huddersfield has been rising through the ranks of the junior game to play at the Junior Wheelchair Nationals in Nottingham. Lucas Town, aged 10, last month had the opportunity to play in a fun doubles event for up and coming juniors which runs alongside the British Wheelchair Open event for the world’s best wheelchair tennis players.
Lucas, who has cerebral palsy, started playing tennis last year as a result of the Tennis Foundation's partnership with Give It Your Max, which aims to provide opportunities for disabled children in sport. Newsome High School linked up with Longley Tennis Club in Huddersfield to bring together a group of budding junior wheelchair tennis players.
‘Four of them started initially & Lucas really enjoys it’ explained mum, Gail. ‘Lucas has always been really active and his dad plays tennis so he was really keen to give it a go’.
Sporty Lucas, a year 6 pupil at Rowley Lane School in Huddersfield swims and plays football as well as tennis. He usually gets around using a walking frame but he now has a specially designed sports wheelchair especially for tennis.
The British Wheelchair Open, organised by the Tennis Foundation, took place at Nottingham Tennis Centre in early August. The event showcases the world’s best professional wheelchair tennis players and is one of the biggest tournaments in the calendar outside of the Grand Slams. Lucas entered the junior event after some encouragement from Matt Elkington, the Tennis Foundations Disability Development Manager for the North.
‘Lucas needed a bit of convincing along with his mum but it was a great opportunity for him. 2 years ago we only had 1 junior wheelchair tennis player but after a focused effort we had 24 young players at this year’s event’ said Matt.
Lucas was one of the younger players at the event with most of the participants being in their teens.
‘It was a really good opportunity for Lucas and the older players were really helpful, showing him the most efficient ways to move his wheelchair’ said mum, Gail. ‘He even got the chance to meet Gordon Reid & Alfie Hewett who won the men’s wheelchair doubles at Wimbledon this year’.
Anyone interested in getting involved in wheelchair tennis can visit the Tennis Foundation website for more information: www.tennisfoundation.org.uk. The Tennis Foundation is Britain’s leading tennis charity which aims to make tennis more accessible and inclusive.