Tennis shines at Special Olympics Kansas Summer Games with USTA support

The Special Olympics Kansas State Summer Games recently took place, and the event was a great time for participants, coaches and attendees alike. The Summer Games, which occurred June 6-8 in Maize, Kansas, were the culmination of the Special Olympics state competition season, which kicked off in mid-March this year.

This year’s Summer Games held at Maize High School included friendly competition for Kansas athletes in tennis, track and field, bocce and soccer. Competitors from both USTA Kansas and USTA Heart of America participated.

About 50 athletes in total participated in tennis, with 30 in the more advanced match play competition, 10 in the Level 1 skills competition and 10 in the Level 2 skills competition. Skills play is limited to players who are still honing their tennis talent, and many of these athletes graduate into match play.

Tim Rehder has been part of the Special Olympics Kansas staff for 27 years and has seen a lot of positive change in the Summer Games, most notably in the tennis competition.

“Tennis has had a little bit of growth each year,” Rehder said. “A lot of athletes are starting to move towards tennis as they get a little older, and we’re looking to expand the tennis program and trying to transition athletes from skills play to match play following USTA guidelines. We hope it may increase participation even more.”

As part of the program services department, Rehder serves as a liaison between Special Olympics staff and participants and coaches. He keeps his finger on the pulse of what’s taking place at competitions and works with Special Olympics staff to ensure the Summer Games and other events offer a safe, fun and competitive atmosphere where athletes can grow and thrive.

“We’ve made a more concerted effort to strengthen our regional competition,” Rehder said. “We got everyone together (to discuss how to assess athlete skill levels) and said, ‘We need to start following USTA guidelines.’ And I think it’s really helped. It’s a little easier now, and we have a better understanding of our athletes and their skill levels. Strengthening regional events will strengthen state tournaments.

“Right now, we have about 40 athletes who do regular competition but not the state (games). I hope this will be more of an impetus to bring those athletes to the state competitions as well. I think that will help increase our numbers.”

This year’s Summer Games had some changes meant to encourage more players to build confidence on the court so they can advance from skills play to match play.

“(A lot of the change) came from splitting our individual skills competition into Level 1 and Level 2,” Rehder said. “Athletes who need to stand closer to the net can do that, while others may be able to handle being at the baseline. By splitting, it helped players know what to expect.

“We’re really trying to push athletes to try moving from skills to match play. We allowed athletes at the Kansas City event (that took place earlier this year) to try both skills and match play. So after they tried match play, they realized that while they may not be at the top of the division, there’s still competition to be had.”

Rehder credited these positive changes to the USTA.

“Thank you to the USTA for their help with our levels,” Rehder said. “I talked to a few different people on staff there, and they gave me great suggestions. They have been incredibly helpful to us.”

Learn more about the Special Olympics Kansas Summer Games by clicking here.