USTA Florida Hosts Innovative Blind-Visually Impaired Tennis Workshop

USTA Florida hosted its first Blind-Visually Impaired (BVI) Tennis Workshop, marking a major step toward expanding adaptive tennis opportunities across the state. The training, held at the USTA National Campus on October 4, focused on preparing coaches and tennis leaders in the community to deliver inclusive tennis experiences for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. 

BVI tennis is a modified version of the sport that relies on sound and feel. Key adaptations include a larger, softer ball embedded with bells or rattles, allowing athletes to hear where the ball is coming from. It also includes smaller courts with tactile lines, and a variable number of allowed bounces depending on the player’s visual classification. These adjustments make tennis accessible to players across a wide range of visual abilities, from totally blind (B1) to partially sighted (B4). 

The workshop was led by USTA Florida Adaptive & Wheelchair Play Coordinator John Russo, who emphasized the importance of building community through sport. “I feel that the BVI community is looking for sports and events that can create a community for them,” he said. “My goal with the BVI workshop was to get people trained. This will allow us to offer community coach trainings so we can start having providers host clinics in the near future.” 

USTA Florida previously did workshops with the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and hopes it can expand its reach of BVI tennis. The Organization plans to launch its BVI tennis program in Orlando, with the goal of expanding to other regions in the future. 

The training brought together a diverse group of participants, including five individuals with visual impairments who traveled from across the state, four certified coaches, and seven USTA Florida staff members. Russo credited Greg Lindberg for helping bring the workshop to Florida and for connecting him with Dana Costa as well as David Dilettuso, advocates and trainers for adaptive tennis. 

This marks a giant step in building a statewide BVI tennis network. By training coaches and raising awareness, USTA Florida is working to ensure that tennis is truly a sport for all, regardless of ability or background. To learn more about USTA Florida’s adaptive tennis programs, visit ustaflorida.com/adaptive.