SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
Thirty years ago, on July 30, 1979, 73 people gathered in El Dorado from four other communities to participate in the Big Mac Classic, the first ever tennis tournament for persons with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities.
El Dorado is hosting a tennis tournament on the city waterworks courts, east of downtown (Levels 2,3,4), and the community college courts (Level 1) on Saturday, June 27. It al starts at 8 a.m.
The Arc of Butler Blazer tennis team started practices the first week of May and is now tourney-ready.
A luncheon will follow the tourney at the United Methodist Church. Next will be the trophy awards program.
“One might question how individuals with disabilities can play tennis. The tennis program we follow was adopted in 1983 by the United States Tennis Association as the ideal one for training and competition for people with disabilities,” according to Sandi Simkulet.
Anyone from age 8 and up is eligible to participate. If you can bounce a ball or swing a racquet, the tennis tournament is for you.
Simkulet said 125 players are expected Saturday along with 30 to 40 helpers. Teams from Butler County, Wichita, Salina, and Hutchinson are entered.
There are tennis exercises as part of the tournament that anyone can do and have a lot of fun doing during the day.
The El Dorado tourney is the first of five local tournaments during the summer of 2009.
In order to participate in the state tournament held in mid September you must attend two local tournaments.
The criteria used are the skills required for the game of tennis. There are four levels, Level 1 being match play, and the other Levels 2-4 deal with increasing levels of tennis skills. As the athlete becomes proficient, he advances through the levels, starting at Level 4. Point totals are used to determine the level you participate in. Events are as follows:
z Hand bounce for 2 minutes
z Racquet bounce for 2 minutes
z Air volley for 2 minutes
z Forehand and backhand strokes (1 minute each) against a wall or bang board (Level 4 )
z Total points for either 5 to 10 serves
z Total returns either 5 or for 2 minutes. The ball is thrown to the athlete by a volunteer across the net (Levels 3&4). At Level 2, the athlete volleys back and forth with a volunteer for 2 minutes.
For more information or to sign up call Sandi Simkulet in Andover at 733-8192 or contact her by email at: msimkulet@cox.net. In El Dorado contact Rick Stephens at 321-5439.
Augusta, Kan. —
