13 May 2026

Vision Support Barrow’s Successful Visually Impaired Tennis Coaching Session

The visually impaired tennis session for employees and clients of Vision Support Barrow was a fantastic success.

Led by tennis coach Josef for Cumbrian Tennis, the session was filled with energy, enthusiasm, and inspiration. It marked another important step towards forming a dedicated Vision Support Barrow tennis team, creating opportunities for growth, inclusion, and community through sport.

During the session, Josef used a variety of techniques to introduce the group to tennis and help players build confidence and awareness on the court. Different balls were rolled along the ground so participants could recognise the differences in sound. Telescopic cones were also used to hold the balls in place, allowing players to become more comfortable with hitting the ball successfully.

Players practised allowing the ball to bounce twice before returning it, an important adaptation within visually impaired tennis. Each participant then had the opportunity to practise hitting the ball over the net, before enjoying several doubles games together.

To finish the session, a fun location exercise brought plenty of laughter and teamwork. All but one player stood in a line, and one person at a time would call out their name while the remaining player attempted to hit the ball towards the voice.

To support this initiative, Mark Bullock, representing Bright Ideas for Tennis, kindly provided a £600 grant. This generous contribution will help fund current and future tennis lessons, as well as provide essential tennis equipment, enabling Vision Support Barrow to continue developing visually impaired tennis opportunities in the region.

This support is a significant step forward for visually impaired tennis locally, and we are incredibly grateful for the continued commitment to making the sport more accessible and inclusive.

If you would like to get involved, please get in touch by phone or email.

Exciting times ahead!

https://brightideasfortennis.org/

South Yorkshire Visually Impaired Tennis Club

South Yorkshire Visually Impaired Tennis Club

info@vsbd.org.uk

Tel: 01229 440556

a visually impaired tennis player can be seen just about to strike the ball. he is deep in concentration and the racket is showing motion blur whilst the rest of the photo is sharp
the photograph shows a tennis target which comprises of a metal frame work with brightly coloured material that has three different sized round holes that allow for the tennis ball to pass through. it stands on one half of the tennis court with the net in the foreground. a bucket of tennis balls is on the ground next to the target.
the photograph shows a tennis target which comprises of a metal frame work with brightly coloured material that has three different sized round holes that allow for the tennis ball to pass through. it stands on one half of the tennis court with the net in the foreground. a bucket of tennis balls is on the ground next to the target. the back ground shows the green of a cricket field
three people and a guide dog are centre of the photo. from left to right there is a male tennis coach who is reaching down to stroke the dog. the male tennis player in the middle is wearing a bright yellow and red top and is holding an orange tennis racket. he is talking the the female tennis player on the far right who is also holding a tennis racket and the guide dog via a lead. they are all standing in front of the tennis court net and the background is a green cricket pitch
a female tennis player looks toward the camera smiling whilst holding up an orange tennis racket in front of the tennis court net
a male visually impaired tennis player is holding a tennis racket whilst being guided by a female employee of Vision Support Barrow. They are both smiling. the background shows the side view of a sporting grandstand and a small amount of the tennis court
a group photo that shows all of the tennis players standing and sitting in a line along with the coach, a guide and a guide dog. they are in front of the tennis court net and are all smiling at the camera. one of the tennis players is also stroking the guide dog
A tennis coach helps a visually impaired man serve the ball. the man is dressed in a bright yellow jacket and the male tennis coach is in blue and is holding a bucket of tennis balls. the back ground shows a sports facility building
A tennis coach helps a visually impaired lady serve the ball. the lady is dressed in blue sports wear with a sun viser and the male tennis coach is also in blue and is holding a bucket of tennis balls. the back ground shows a sports facility building
All but one player stand in a line, as one person at a time would call out their name while the remaining player attempted to hit the ball towards the voice, the photo shows this. the ball can be seen sailing overe the net and towards the person who shouted out their name.
6 players are all stood in a line whilst listening to the tennis coach. one of the players daughters has her arms around his shoulders in a warm embrace. everyone is deep in concentration after the session has ended.
one of the players daughters has her arms around his shoulders in a warm embrace. they are both holding their tennis rackets and listening to the coach speak
a tennis visually impaired tennis player can be seen just before he returns the ball over the net. the net can be seen in the foreground and he is in a stylistic tennis pose with legs crossing and both arms out wide
a visually impaired tennis player celebrates with his arm in the air after he scores a winning point.
a tennis visually impaired tennis player can be seen just before he returns the ball over the net. he is in a stylistic tennis pose with legs crossing and both arms out wide as he is just about to strike the ball
a tennis visually impaired tennis player can be seen just before he returns the ball over the net. he is in a stylistic tennis pose with legs crossing and both arms out wide as he is just about to strike the ball
a player can be seen just after hitting the ball back toward the net. he is deep in concentration and looking toward the moving ball. the coach can be seen in the background also watching the ball as it heads toward the net
a female visually impaired tennis player is smiling as she has just scored a point during a doubles match . her teammate can bee seen in the background also smiling at the point won
two lady's are chatting after the tennis session . the lady facing the camera is smiling and happy whilt talking. the background shows the tennis courts