Kansas City No Coast Wheelchair Tennis Program
The Kansas City No Coast (KCNC) wheelchair tennis program is an adaptive tennis program for adults with physical disabilities, who play the game of adaptive tennis at a competitive level, at United States Tennis Association (USTA) sanctioned tournaments throughout the Midwest region - including the US Open. The No Coasters adaptive tennis skills range from the beginner to the advanced. As players compete in tournaments they can accumulate points as they win matches which ultimately improves their national USTA rankings.
Below is the 2020 schedule for the No Coast program.
Practices at the Northland Racquet Club, 306 Tennis Ct., North Kansas City, MO:
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Wednesdays, Jan 8 - Feb 5
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm on Wednesdays, Feb 12 – Mar 18
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Wednesdays, Mar 25 – Apr 1
Practices at Macken Park, 1002 Clark Ferguson Dr, North Kansas City, MO 64116:
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm on Wednesdays, April 15 - Sept 9th
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm on Wednesdays, Sept 16 - Oct 7th
However, the KCNC wheelchair tennis program isn’t all about competition. This program is dedicated to empowering individuals lives through the game of tennis and the No Coast team looks to accomplish that goal by offering a Junior No Coast wheelchair tennis program for kids with physical disabilities and an All Abilities tennis program for individuals of any ability and of any age. All Abilities, if you can swing a racquet you can play!
Click here to learn more about the Junior No Coast program
Click here to learn more about the All Abilities program
These programs are currently being run by Rick Haith, a Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialist (CTRS), a Certified Adaptive Recreation & Sports Specialist II (CARSS-II) and the Recreation Outreach Coordinator at The Whole Person. Not only is Rick certified as a rec therapist & an adaptive sports coordinator, but Rick has also been trained by both Jason Harnett, current head coach of the US national wheelchair tennis team & Dan James former national manager of the USTA and former head coach for US wheelchair tennis team.
“I am not only passionate about developing world class adaptive tennis players, but I am just as passionate about utilizing adaptive tennis as a tool to provide those younger participants or those who are newly injured, with the necessary life skills needed to become a productive member of society. Research shows that participation in adaptive sports can improve one’s self image, increase confidence, promote independence, reduce health risks that are associated with one’s disability, and research shows that individuals who play adaptive sports are more than likely to seek employment. The future of adaptive tennis in Kansas City looks bright and I am very proud to call the Northland Racquet Club our home.” – Rick Haith
