Beyond Sight – How Blind Tennis Builds Confidence and Independence
For many athletes, the sound of a tennis ball striking the court is familiar. In blind and low vision tennis, it is also a guide.
Players use an audible ball, tactile court lines and modified rules based on their level of functional vision. Depending on their classification, they may play on a smaller court and allow the ball to bounce up to three times. The result is recognizably tennis – fast, technical and competitive – but built around how each athlete experiences space, sound and movement.
A Daughter’s Experience Changes the Game
Dana Squelch-Costa’s path into blind and low vision tennis began with her daughter, Domiana. When Domiana, who was born with a rare visual condition, participated in a blind hockey event at age 4, Costa and her husband, both tennis players, were struck by the possibilities. “We had no idea that you could adapt sports in that way,” Costa says.’
Costa began researching and discovered that blind tennis had been played internationally for decades. What was missing in the United States, she found, was consistent programming, trained coaches and clear opportunities for players to continue after an introductory clinic.
She helped launch a blind and visually impaired tennis clinic in Pittsburgh in 2019. When she watched her daughter make contact with the ball without extra guidance, the moment changed her understanding of what was possible. “It was exhilarating,” Costa says. “It showed us that the only boundaries were the ones she would set.
Listening, Moving and Learning Differently
Blind and low vision tennis is organized into four sight classifications, from B1 for athletes with little or no functional vision through B4 for athletes with the highest usable vision. B1 players compete with their eyes covered to ensure equal conditions. They use raised lines for court orientation and track the sound of the ball. Players in other classifications may use larger courts and fewer permitted bounces. Coaching must be precise, descriptive and tailored to the individual.
Costa asks every athlete a basic but essential question: How do you see the world? The answer influences everything from head position and movement to how a player tracks the ball. The Association of Coaching Excellence (ACE) in Blind Tennis, the organization Costa co-founded, uses simulation goggles developed with an ophthalmologist to help coaches experience common forms of vision loss.
That experience can create an immediate and often profound shift in perspective. “It adds an extra layer of understanding and respect for our athletes and what they are truly doing on the court,” Costa says.
“When athletes who had never played tennis before start playing, true joy and exhilaration are consistent. For those who played tennis in the past, lost vision and thought it was gone forever from their lives, a lot of those athletes experience lots of tears and just pure excitement.”
Dana Squelch-Costa
More Than a Return to Sport
For some participants, blind tennis offers a first opportunity to play. For others, it restores something they believed was lost.
Costa recalls working with two longtime tennis players whose progressive vision loss had made them think they would never play again. One of them felt stuck, unsure of his options and wasn’t leaving the house much. Then he found tennis, and now he’s active, he’s fit and he’s working again. The other takes regular lessons and she’s become one of the program’s standout athletes.
“When athletes who had never played tennis before start playing, true joy and exhilaration are consistent,” Costa says. “For those who played tennis in the past, lost vision and thought it was gone forever from their lives, a lot of those athletes experience lots of tears and just pure excitement.”
For some, discovering tennis can be life changing. Costa has seen players become significantly more active, independent and socially connected. On court, athletes can move freely without relying on a cane, guide dog or loved one, without concern about falling or getting hurt. “Giving them that freedom back is very rewarding,” Costa says.
Building Programs That Last
Costa created ACE in Blind Tennis to help communities move beyond one-time demonstrations. The organization trains coaches, provides practical curriculum and connects tennis providers with local blind and low vision communities. Her goal is to create the same range of choices available to sighted players: recreation, fitness, local competition and advanced play.
“At the end of the day, we’re just playing tennis,” Costa says. She describes the athletes she works with in three words: “Resilient, limitless and inspiring.”
For coaches considering a program, her message is direct: “It’s possible. You just have to dive in.”
