Adaptive Tennis for Special Ed kids
Nonprofit Mary’s Family offered its first tennis lessons for Special Education students from the Julius Sprauve School on Tuesday, thanks to a Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands mini-grant.
Caneel Bay tennis pro Eric Gessner was among Tuesday’s volunteers.
Why tennis?
“It crosses the midline of your brain, allowing the brain to communicate properly and is considered one of the most successful adaptive physical education activities for kids with neuro challenges, says Martha Toomey, who spearheaded the idea for weekly lessons, and who has worked with disability groups in the past.
“I started adaptive sports programs in Virginia where our kids were in a ski program, but there’s not a lot of snow on St. John.”
Wanna help out? They’re looking for volunteers to play, tennis balls, rackets and cold water for starters.
May 10th, 2012 09:31
Are we back to our original scheduled programming ?!
May 10th, 2012 14:20
Congratulations, Martha! Mary’s Family sounds like a wonderful advantage for St John’s Special Education students, thanks to you, Eric, and all the other volunteers.
May 10th, 2012 15:04
Thank you, Linda, It was a lot of fun and we will offer tennis every Tuesday am at the public courts til end of school year. and then start up with new school year.
Volunteers need to sign up with me first – privacy issues and working with children. Our non profit motto is “The greatest thing you can give someone with disAbilities is friendship.” We hope tennis will lead to other activities, and that STJ children with differing abilities have just as much opportunity to enjoy our community as anyone else.
May 14th, 2012 13:34
Bummer, I will be there for carnival but you won’t be doing it. Maybe if I can get back on island in oct.
May 17th, 2012 17:01
Sounds so awesome-hope it was as brilliant as I envision it!