The joy was palpable and the laughter contagious. Some of the world’s top-ranked professional tennis players, Special Olympians, and volunteers from Morgan Stanley came together at the Barnes Tennis Center to experience an afternoon of tennis at the San Diego Open Women’s Tennis Tournament on Sat., Feb. 25. See the joy for yourself in this 1-minute video about the event.
Scheduled so that it aligned with the first day of qualifying rounds, Come Play‘s Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) initiative presented by Morgan Stanley teamed up with Special Olympics to bring tennis to youth with intellectual disabilities. Come Play’s goal is to reach communities and groups that traditionally have little access to the sport. The initiative encourages youth and especially girls to lead healthy and productive lives on and off the court.
More Than One and Done
Through Come Play, the WTA has hosted events around the world including in Melbourne, London, New York, and Beijing. In addition to showcasing the beauty of tennis for an afternoon, Come Play provides experiences designed to increase the likelihood that tennis will continue in the communities it engages long after the one-day event ends.
On Saturday, for example, in addition to the event for Special Olympians, the WTA hosted a clinic for coaches and volunteers. During the clinic, attendees learned games and strategies to use when playing tennis with the athletes from Special Olympics. Judy Murray, Come Play’s ambassador who has been described as an “edutainer,” led Saturday’s coaches clinic.
“If you can help them (the coaches and volunteers) to do a better job and motivate them to keep doing what they’re doing, then you’re going to make your sport go further,” said Murray, who believes that too much verbal instruction and technical work too early can kill the joy of the game. “A good demonstration and a fun game will get the job done,” she said. Murray shared that an investment in the coaches and volunteers may be the lynchpin that keeps the momentum for tennis alive within the community.
In addition to clinics for coaches, the WTA and Morgan Stanley provide donations to organizations to support their community’s continued tennis engagement. As an example, on Saturday, WTA’s Come Play presented by Morgan Stanley donated $25,000 to Special Olympics so that the organization can continue to break down barriers to the game of tennis.
Top-Ranked Players Give Their Time and Learn Lessons Too
Not only were volunteers from Morgan Stanley involved with the event, so too were Leylah Fernandez, Donna Vekic, and Caroline Dolehide, three of the world’s top-ranked players. “I’m a big believer that if you are bringing the world’s top players into an event in the city, then you should use the opportunity to showcase the sport to the wider public,” said Murray. All three players shared the joy that they experienced during the event, and the reminders from the Special Olympians that the game was supposed to be about having fun.
“My partner was amazing. She was always willing to learn and she never gave up when she missed, which was totally awesome,” said Fernandez, the top Canadian player. “I kind of learned a lot from that, too, because tennis brings a lot of lost points but my partner … never got down on herself. (She) always loved doing fist bumps.”
“We invite anyone and everyone to come and play and this initiative helps us do that a little more easily,” said Fernandez.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your racket and get out there and play! Learn more here about Come Play presented by Morgan Stanley.
