BLIND TENNIS MANUAL Tennis for the blind and partially sighted

Transcription

1 BLIND TENNIS MANUAL Tennis for the blind and partially sighted I started teaching tennis to blind and partially sighted children to give them the opportunity to experience the following: - Freedom of movement - Independence - Health benefits of sport - The friendships associated with playing sports - The enjoyment of running, swinging and hitting balls Playing Blind Tennis in a three dimensional mode (bouncing rather than rolling balls) is very possible. All it needs is resolve and patience from both the student and the coach. I hope you will find this introductory guide to teaching Blind Tennis helpful. Ayako Matsui A teacher for special needs education Sports Instructor for the disabled Short tennis certified coach 1

2 Miyoshi Takei The inventor of Blind Tennis Mr. Takei passed away on the 16 th of January, 2011.He fell the platform of Mejiro station and was hit by a train. He was 42 years old. He wanted to go all over the would to spread blind tennis. He invented this sport and created a ball by himself. He was loved by many people and we all miss him. We have to work hard to accomplish his dream. His dream is that blind tennis will be played by both the disabled and the able bodied. And it will be played in the event of 2020 Palalympic games. 2

3 History Story of Miyoshi Takei Given the long history of tennis, Blind Tennis is a relatively new sport. It was originally created by Miyoshi Takei in 1984 in Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture, Japan. At the time, Miyoshi was a blind high school student at the Saitama School For The Blind & Visually Impaired and he had a dream to hit a tennis ball. Visually impaired versions of various other sports such as volleyball, table tennis and baseball already existed at the time. But, in these ball games, a ball was rolled on the floor rather than bounced. This was not what Miyoshi was looking for. He wanted to play tennis in three dimensions with a ball bouncing. He went to see his physical education teacher and asked for advice. The teacher was interested in his idea and they started to experiment together at the gymnasium in Saitama school for the blind and the visually impaired. The first and most important task was to make a special ball that would allow visually impaired players to locate its position by the sound it emitted as it bounced or was hit. At first, they tried to use a toy plastic ball, in which they put some lead balls. It rattled and the sound was good. But the height of the bounce was not appropriate. They continued to experiment with various other materials but it was proving very difficult to make the perfect Blind Tennis. After graduating from school, Miyoshi entered a special education course in Tokyo to learn physiotherapy. He took his original ball to the Tokyo Sports Centre For The Disabled. He asked an instructor to play tennis with him. At first, the instructor was uncertain about Miyoshi s idea, but he was deeply moved by his enthusiasm. At that time, short tennis came from Sweden. A sponge ball is used for short tennis. One day a man who works for the wheelchair tennis association showed a sponge ball to Miyoshi. He had an idea of using a sponge ball. Then he went to a shop to find a ball, and he got a larger sponge ball. He cut it in half and put a table tennis ball for the blind and visually impaired in the middle. It was very challenging for Miyoshi to make contact with the ball at first but it was also a huge step forward for three dimensional sports for the blind and visually impaired. With its sponge exterior and a rattling table tennis ball at its core the National Rehabilitation Centre For The Disabled (NRCT) in Tokorozawa in Saitama started a project to manufacture the special tennis ball for the blind and set the rules. Miyoshi's dream was coming true. The visually impaired people, who were studying there, lent good advice. Furthermore, with the help of The Japanese Disabled Sport Association, a yet-unknown sport was about to be born. It was on the 21st of October in 1990 that Miyoshi's dream was realized at last. The first national tournament was held in NRCT. Miyoshi stood on the court feeling very excited and happy. He had accomplished his goal. Japan is divided into 47 regions. Sound ball tennis is now played in over 30 of these regions. It is estimated that about 300 players are now enjoying it regularly. The racket, being short and light, everybody from infants to the elderly can play it. And best of all, both challenged and able-bodied can play Blind Tennis together, either as opponents or in a mixed-doubles format with visually impaired player partnering someone with normal eyesight. Our goal is to make Blind Tennis a Paralympics event and a sport which is played far and wide around the world. 3

4 Introduction to Blind Tennis The idea of Blind Tennis started in It was born out of Miyoshi Takei s, a blind student, wish to play tennis with fully ablebodied people. The invention of a special ball that makes a distinct sound when it is hit and bounces, has made tennis for the blind reality. The rules are essentially the same as normal tennis except for shorter rackets, smaller courts, more bounces allowed, and that players have to say Ready?" and Yes before they start playing each point. Blind Tennis in its present form started in Japan in The hope of Mr. Miyoshi Takei was that blind tennis would eventually become a Paralympics event and would allow blind players to travel internationally and broaden their freedom. Blind Tennis will hopefully further promote the integration of those with visual disabilities into the fully abled community and break down the barriers of discrimination. 4

5 Skills for students SAFETY FIRST: It is essential to create an environment / space in which the blind student can run freely without worry of falling or bumping into somebody / something. Tennis, unlike many other blind sports, is a good exercise for the visually impaired to keep fit and have a healthy life. The following are some of the skills that a blind person will develop whilst learning to play tennis. Spatial awareness (the ability of the student to move towards the sound of an oncoming ball and recovering back to the court s centre position) is fundamental. Tactile skills are also important. The player will need to touch the lines to check his/her position around the court. These skills develop a blind person s orientation and mobility which are essential for their every-day lives. Learning these skills through a sport like tennis accelerates the process and makes it enjoyable. There are three important elements essential to hitting a ball. They are Spatial Awareness (awareness of where the player is in relation to the court,ball & net ) (the position of the ball in three dimensions, right or left, forward or backward, high or low), Technique (appropriate form & coordination to effectively hit forehands and backhands) and Timing (the ability to time when to start the swing according to how close the ball is to the hitting zone). ( professor Sato from Senshu University) Physical coordination skills also have to be developed as the player will be called upon the move his whole body in order to play tennis. Independence: unlike team sports, a tennis player needs to be able to make decisions for themselves in the heat of a match. It will develop a blind person s self-confidence and independence. Social Skills: Blind players will meet a lot of people and improve their communication skills. Understanding: Blind tennis players are able to play & compete with the able-bodied. It allows both groups to mix, socialize and exchange the joys and challenges of their sport and lives. Furthermore, blind children can share a sport with their parents, sisters, brothers and grand parents. Rehabilitation: Some visually impaired people have other disabilities. Tennis is a good sport for rehabilitation and recreation. 5

6 Skills for coaches Instructors need to learn the psychological aspects of being blind and visually impaired. As visually impaired cannot reach their hands out to objects or follow the path of a moving object, they are entirely dependent on external help. Hence their lifestyles tend to be passive. To play blind tennis effectively, they will need to hit the ball very close to their bodies. It is therefore important to teach them to run towards a ball. Blind people are often completely dependent on others to guide them and describe what is in front of them. They therefore have gotten used to move cautiously and slowly. Blind Tennis reverses this process and they will need some time and help to adapt to this new freedom. For their safety, players who are waiting for their turn have to stay well away from the hitting area and court. Encourage them to always first check if anyone is close by before swinging a racket. They will learn by listening and feeling. Give them accurate feedback and let them feel a motion by guiding their hands and feet. It is particularly difficult for a blind person to change their body movement & technique after learning one thing, so you have to be very careful to teach good form. Movement is the most challenging part for blind tennis players because their joints are not flexible and Tennis requires smooth transitions. Particular emphasis on coordination is necessary by the coach. They do not understand terms such as just missed or a little bit". Give them specific and detailed information in details. Ball in Net, one ball 50cm, side-out A good Warm-up and Cool-down is very important to prevent injuries, improve coordination, balance, loosen joints and as an aerobic exercise. Teach them not only technique but also sportsmanship, good manners, and fair play. The sound of the ball is important for Blind Tennis. 6 Encourage spectators to remain quiet.

7 Racket A shorter junior-sized racket is used for adults. The length of the racket should be under 22inches(about 56cm). For small kids, 19 inch racquet is recommended. As the racket is short and light, they are easy to handle, control and swing for all age groups. 7

8 An Old Ball A special type of sponge ball is used. Being soft and light, it is will not hurt if the ball strikes the body of a player. It also travels slower than normal tennis balls and allows more reaction time for the player. The ball is 9cm in diameter. In the middle of the ball, is a table tennis ball which contains four iron pellets. It produces a nice, audible sound when it bounces and allows a blind player to judge the approximate height, direction and speed of the incoming ball. Each ball is specially manufactured and costs 1000yen (just under US$10) For the partially sighted, the color of the ball is important. The color will depend the level of their impairment as well as the color of the floor and background walls. The color of the ball can be varied with spray paint. The yellow ball is used for B1 visually impaired. Both yellow and black balls are used for B2,B3 and B4. The server has the choice. But once the game has started, they cannot change their choice. The balls can break if hit too hard or stepped on. You can replace the broken table tennis ball with a new one. One table tennis ball costs about 250 yen. The old ball was used from 1990 to After 20 years, we now have a new official ball from April,

9 A New Ball This is an official ball from April A tape is not used, so it has less irregular. And you can hear the better sound. It is stronger and a little bit cheaper than the old one. Shoei Industry Co.,Ltd HILLCREST 7F HIGASHIMUKOJIMA SUMIDA-KU TOKYO JAPAN How to order to Ayako Matsui matsui-tennis@hanno.jp One ball costs 945 yen including the tax and the freight. One box contains 12 balls. If you buy more than 60 balls, one ball costs 900 yen. If you buy more than 300 balls, one ball costs 845 yen. colors yellow and black (You can t mix two colors in one box) Send the money through bank transfer. You need to pay the freight and 1,500 yen as a commission charge for a bank in Japan. Shoei Industry Co., Ltd The Higashi-Nippon Bank,ltd. (swift: HNPBJPJT) Koga Branch For further credit to Shoei Industry Co.,Ltd. Account Number: Bank Address The Higashi-Nippon Bank,Ltd. Koga Branch Chuocho Koga-shiI IbarakiI Japan post code Koga Branch No.209 9

10 Net The height of the net is 80cm at the center and 85cm at the sides. This is the standard net used for short tennis. It costs about 40,000yen. You can also use badminton net instead. Shoes The sole of the shoes should be thin enough for the players to feel the line with their feet. 10

11 court The court dimensions are the same is those of a badminton court. The total playing area outside the lines of the court should provide enough space to take consideration of the safety of players. Hence, there should be at least 3m of free space behind the baseline and 2m on both sidelines. The height of the roof (if applicable) should be a minimum of 8m. For those who are partially sighted, the color of the lines should stand in clear contrast to the color of the floor. Blind players will need to feel rather than see the lines. That is done by laying a piece of thick string (2mm) under duct tape. Players will either use the tips of their feet or fingers to feel the lines. The sidelines are tactile (duct tape & string) for the first 50cm from the baselines (please see diagram above) The center mark is tactile for the first 50cm from the tactile baselines and outside for another 3m (please see diagram above) For the center mark (outside), the different type of the tape should be used. 11

12 Racket skills Grip the racket like shaking hands (called the Continental Grip) Touch the strings with the other hand to check. Hold the racket in front of the body. Check that nobody is around before swinging the racket. Roll or bounce the ball on the racket. Bounce the ball with the racket. 12

13 Ball Coordination - Progressions & Exercises Touch a ball. Throw up and bounce the ball. The coach throws a ball to the body to show that it doesn t hurt at all. Roll or throw a ball against the wall and catch it. Try to follow the ball if you miss catching it. Drop a ball and catch it after 3, 2 and 1 bounces. If you can not catch it, try to touch it. Listen to the different sound very carefully. 3 bounces: toon ton t 2 bounces: toon ton Feel and remember the rhythm of the ball. The coach throws a ball and the player catches it. Gradually throw the ball from further away. Good footwork makes it easier to catch the ball. Roll a ball, follow it and catch it. Throw a ball to a partner and catch it in return Finally throw & catch over the net in the court. 13

14 Court / Spatial Awareness Exercises The full court dimensions are 13.40m 6.1m. Walk on the line tape, feeling the tactile lines with feet and hands. Touch the center of the baseline, where the lines are crossed. Walk from the baseline to the net. Then go back to the baseline moving backwards. Count how many steps you need to reach the net. Gradually do this faster and faster. Run to the net and come back to the baseline. Sidestep from sideline to the other sideline. At first, hold hands with a coach or a friend. Try various types of footwork. 14

15 Forehand and Backhand Bend your knees lightly. Hold the racket in the Ready Position in front of your body. Forehands: For right-handers the left foot is in front. Backhands: The right foot is in front for both the one- and double-handed backhand. Home position Forehand Backhand Single hand Backhand Double hand 15

16 Swing Forehand Backhand Introduce them to the concepts of Preparation, Contact and Follow Through. Put a ball on the floor Place a larger ball (such as volley ball or football) on the floor and roll it with the racket Put a tennis ball and roll it with a racket. Finish the swing with the racket to the other side of the shoulder. Teach the path of the racket and good form Put a cone on the floor as a target (put a bell on the top of the cone). Roll a ball to the cone. Roll a ball against a wall and attempt to continue the rally as many times as you can. Try to follow a ball that has rolled behind you. 16

17 The Serve Throw a hose The ability to serve seems to be most difficult movement for the blind to master. Serving is a similar motion to throwing an item. Cut a piece of hose approximately the length of a racket and have the student throw it from the baseline to the other side of the court, over the net. It is a good excise for them to use the whole body, so encourage them to make the weight transfer from back to front. After throwing, remind them to stay upright rather than crouch over. Teach them the right form, from the starting point (preparation) all the way to releasing the hose (contact) and the finish (followthrough) Teach them how to use a loose wrist, which is the fundamental of serving. Mr. Horiuchi, from Asia university, introduced this exercise. 17

18 Throwing Throwing underarm is a great way to demonstrate the motion necessary to swing at a forehand and backhand. Encourage the student to use the whole body. Use different kinds of balls, such as a blind soccer ball, a ball which contains a bell inside, a big rubber ball and a tennis ball for the blind. The coach rolls or throws the ball. The student catches the ball underarm. 18

19 Hitting Progressions The student stands at the center mark of the baseline. The student hits the ball on a paper cup like a tee shot in golf. Or the coach ties the ball to a string and hangs it. The student will gain the feeling of a good contact with the ball. The coach rolls a ball to the student and, using the following progression, the student hits the ball. 1. just make a contact with a ball (freeze on impact) 2. make a contact with the ball and do a follow-through 3. preparation, contact, and follow through 4. move the feet, then hit a ball A coach drops a ball at the side of the player. After 2 or 3 bounces, hit the ball. Give them precise feedback on the height of a ball. Feed the ball by hand then progress to feeding with a racket. At first, feed the ball from close to the student. Gradually increase the distance: from the service line, the net, the other side of the court, the service line of the opposite court, and finally the opposite baseline. Make sure that the student practices both forehand and backhand. 19

20 Rally Progression Rally rolling a ball on the floor. Rally a ball over the net. The student stands at the center of the baseline. After hitting the ball, he / she comes back to the center and touches the line with a foot or hand. Set a target. Rally 5 times, then 10 times. Saitama School for the Blind The center court in Ariake The demonstration in Taiwan 20

21 Game / Competition The service must be hit diagonally, same as normal tennis. Whole sets are not played. Instead a full Blind Tennis match consists of the first player to win 4 games. If the score is 40 all, it is called deuce. To win a game, a player must win the next point (ie: no ad scoring). The receiver can decide from which side he returns the ball - the deuce side or the advantage side. If the score is 3 games all, a tie-break is played. To win the match, a player must get 5 points first. There is no switching the ends of the court. The court is divided 12 smaller non-marked boxes and the player is allowed to ask the umpire where the serve landed in order to make adjustments for the next serve. net Service line Service box Service box

22 The rules for Blind Tennis Tennis for the blind and partially sighted (By The Japan Blind Tennis Federation) General Notes (1)Blind Tennis is played using a short tennis racket and a special sponge ball which rattles (a table tennis ball with a pellet is placed at the core of the sponge ball.) (2)Singles and doubles matches can be played, with doubles pairings usually consisting of visually impaired and ablebodied player. (3)The rules of singles game are described below. An organizer of each event decides the rules for doubles. (4)Please refer to the rules published by the Japan Tennis Association for any rules not mentioned here forth. Rules Article 1: COURT DIMENSIONS (1)The court dimensions are the same as that of a badmington court. (2)Length: 13.40m. Width: 6.1m Divided into two halves by a net halfway up the length of the court. (3)The total playing area outside the lines of the court should provide enough space to take consideration of the safety of players. Hence, there should be at least 3m of free space behind the baseline and 2m on both sidelines. The height of the roof (if applicable) should be a minimum of 8m. (4)The service line is parallel with the baseline. It is 1.98m from the baseline and joins both sidelines. (5)The sidelines and the service line surround the service boxes. The centre line divides the area in two. (6)The width of all lines is 5 cm. It is included within the dimensions of the court. (7)Sticky tape stuck down on the playing surface is to be used to make out the lines. Any color (apart from transparent or a color which is similar to that of the court surface) can be used (8)To enable visually impaired to feel the lines, string is placed under the line. The string is placed in the middle of the line tape. The diameter of the string is 2mm. (In Japan, string for kite-flying is used) (9)Short Tennis nets are to be used with a height not exceeding 0.80m at the centre. (0.85m at the both sides) Article 2 THE BALLS (1)JTAV official balls are used. It is foam-coated ball with a table tennis ball at its centre that emits a rattling sound when hit or bounced and a piece of tape on the outside that binds both halves of the foam together. (2)The color of the balls is yellow and black. Article 3 RACKETS (1)A Short Tennis or junior racket is used. The length of the racket should be less than 56 cm. The use of an altered full-sized adult racket is not permitted. (2)There is no regulation determining the surface area of the racket. Article 4 SERVICE The procedure of starting a point by serving is as follows: (1)Before a player serves, he calls out Ikimasu ( ready?). The receiver responds with Hai. (Yes.) After saying Yes, the server has 5 seconds to hit his serve. If the server does not say Ready or the receiver does not say Yes, and the server hits his serve, the service is a let. (2)Both a server and a receiver can ask a judge and a ball person their own positions on-court. Article 5 SERVICE FAULT A service is a fault when (1) the ball does not bounce within the boundaries of the service court on its first bounce (2) the server fails to make contact with the ball after having started his swing (3) the server foot-faults by stepping over the baseline before he makes contact with the ball (4) a ball hits a receiver directly without first bouncing in the service box (the feet of the receiver should be placed back behind the service line). (5) the server hits a ball on the run or whilst walking. 22

23 Article 6 LOOSING POINTS A player loses a point when: (1) he fails to make contact with a ball before it bounces for the fourth time (B1), for the third time(b2.b3), for the second time(b4) (2) he serves a double fault. (3) he is coached during the course of a match. (4) a ball hits him directly. Note that if a player is outside the boundaries of the court and is directly touched by a ball hit by an opponent prior to it bouncing, the opponent who hit the ball looses the point. (5) a ball hits the racket twice (a double-hit ). (6) he reaches over the net and makes contact with the ball on the opponent s side. (7) the racket or any part of the body touches the net whilst the ball is still in play. (8) a ball hits a judge. Article 7 SCORING (1) 6 regular games, best of 3 sets: whoever wins 2 sets first is the winner. If the organizer of the event would like to change the scoring system, it must be announced in the program prior to the commencement of the tournament / match. (NOTE: In Japan, most tournaments run a 4-games set. When the game is tied 3 to 3, tiebreak is played in most games) (2) The tiebreak is recommended for the B1(totally blind). Article 8 OTHER RULES (1) When both players are partially sighted, the server may choose a yellow or black ball. They keep that color of ball for every game that they serve thereafter in that match. A yellow ball is used for the totally blind. (2) A player is not allowed to be coached during play and looses a point if observed to be breaking this rule. (3) A player can ask the judge the nature of his service fault (ie: how far out, wide, etc) so that they can adjust their next attempt. (4) When a ball breaks in the course of a rally, the point is replayed. (5) When a ball hits a net post and bounces in the court, it is in. But when a service hits a net post and bounces in the service court, it is a fault. Article 9 VISUAL IMPAIRMENT CLASSIFICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE ALLOWANCE OF BOUNCES B1: totally blind (feels brightness and darkness: to be blindfolded) 3 bounces B2,B3, B4 are partially sighted. B2 Can see the movement of a hand. The eye level is under 0.03, The view is less than 5 degrees. 2 bounces B3 The eye level is over The view is over 5 degrees. 2 bounces B4 visually impaired 1 bounce NOTES: 1The eyesight and the view take precedence in determining the visual impairment classification of a player. 2B2, B3 B4 players can play in B1 game with blindfolds. 3A player can compete in an upper eye leveled class. Appendix RULES FOR A MIXED DOUBLES GAME. (1)A visually impaired player is paired up with the normal sighted player. (2)Court size is same as a singles game. (3)Classification and the rules D1 class: B1 player (up to 3 bounces) with a full-sighted player (2 bounces) D2 class: a partially sighted player (up to 2 bounces) and the sighted.(1bounce) 23

24 Notes: 1The visually impaired and the sighted must take turns to hit a ball., including the service. 2When a ball directly hits the sighted, he loses a point. When a ball touches a visually impaired whose both feet are outside the boundaries of the court, the opponent who hit the ball looses the point 3When no-advantage scoring is used (40-all, the next point wins the game), a sighted player is to serve to the opposing sighted player, and a visually impaired serves to the opposing visually impaired player. 4Coaching is not allowed except from the partner. (4)Please refer to the roles of Japan Blind Tennis Federation and the rules published by the Japan Tennis Association for any rules not mentioned here forth. (Translated by Ayako Matsui Proofreader Philippe Azar) 24

25 England January 2007 Korea September 2007 Taiwan September 2008 Tianjin China October 2009 Shanghai China September 2010 Ayako Matsui (teacher Wako school for special needs education) Kuritsubo Hidaka Saitama, Japan Shuhei Sato ( Research Associate Aoyama Gakuin University) 1117 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan E-mai:tsvkrv7q@jcom.home.ne.jp Masayuki Sato ( Professor Senshu University) 2-1-1, Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa , Japan E-mai;qzu04642@nifty.com Philippe Azer proofreader Copyright(c) 2012 Ayako Matsui. Shuhei Sato & Masayuki Sato 25