The eighth annual National Wounded Warrior Tennis Camp will take place May 6-9, 2019 at the Balboa Tennis Club located at 2221 Morley Field Dr, San Diego.
Over 50 wounded, ill, and injured service members and military veterans from across the country are expected to participate in the Tennis Camp, which is being hosted by the San Diego District Tennis Association (SDDTA), in collaboration with the United States Tennis Association, Naval Medical Center San Diego, VA Medical Center San Diego, and the Balboa Tennis Club.
The camp, which will offer on-court sessions from 10am to noon and from 1 to 3pm each day, will focus on helping participants improve their tennis skills through game-based clinics and instruction in an upbeat, fun-filled atmosphere. The camp also provides participants with emotional benefits and helps with community re-integration.
Fundraising efforts are currently underway to help cover all participants’ airfare, lodging, meals, transportation, tennis equipment and instruction. The San Diego District Tennis Association is accepting contributions through its 501(c)(3) fiscal agent, Tennis Lovers For Charity, which are tax deductible. Checks may be made to “Tennis Lovers for Charity” and mailed to SDDTA, 2221 Morley Field Dr., San Diego, CA 92104.
“The positive feedback we have received from past camp participants has been overwhelming. Many participants have told us that the sport of tennis has changed their lives for the better and in some cases, has saved their lives,” said Steve Kappes, Director of Military Outreach for the SDDTA.
“The fundraising that we do is so important in helping us to bring these service members and military veterans to San Diego,” Kappes added. “Over the years, this annual Tennis Camp has truly become a life-changing experience for many of the attendees.”
For additional information on the eighth annual National Wounded Warrior Tennis Camp, go to: www.sdwoundedwarriortennis.org and www.facebook.com/sdwoundedwarriorstennis.
The camp will be led by Balboa Tennis Club’s Tennis Director, Geoff Griffin, a USPTA-certified teaching professional for over 25 years, and other professional tennis instructors from the club. All have been involved in the club’s Wounded Warrior Tennis Program since its inception in 2009. Support staff from Naval Medical Center San Diego will assist, along with trained volunteers from the tennis community.
About the Wounded Warrior Tennis Program – Since 2009, the Balboa Tennis Club, in collaboration with Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) and the San Diego District Tennis Association, has provided over 400 free weekly tennis clinics to more than 1000 wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans from all the military services as part of NMCSD’s Wounded, Ill, and Injured Wellness Division, and the San Diego VA Medical Center’s Recreational Therapy Department.
These military tennis clinics and tennis camps have been recognized for their excellence and impact by Congressional and local representatives, senior officials from the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and the leadership of the United States Tennis Association. They have become the model for similar tennis programs for wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans that have been established at other major military medical centers, Warrior Transition Units, and VA hospitals across the country.
The Wounded Warrior Tennis Program has made a positive impact in the lives of wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans. Therapeutically, tennis has helped them work on eye-hand coordination, balance, ability to transfer weight, endurance, strength, and overall fitness. In addition to the physical benefits, tennis enables them to learn a new sport, promotes socialization, decreases stress and anxiety, and helps with re-integration into the community.
About The Balboa Tennis Club – The Balboa Tennis Club (BTC), which dates back to 1922, was rated as America’s Best Public Tennis Facility by the USTA in 1989. In 2000, the San Diego District Tennis Association named BTC as Club of the Year and in 2003, it received the Outstanding Tennis Facility award from the USTA for large facilities in the United States.
