New York and London – The International Tennis Federation and Special Olympics today announced an agreement for long-term strategic, cooperative support.

“The ITF is very pleased to partner with Special Olympics and be a small part of the important work that they do every day around the world. We share common values with a strong focus on providing sporting opportunities for all and recognise the positive impact that sport can have on the lives of children and adults with intellectual disabilities,” said ITF President David Haggerty.  

“Special Olympics looks forward to a meaningful partnership with the International Tennis Federation and their 211 member nations, giving access to our athletes for coaching, training and other opportunities,” said Jon-Paul St. Germain, Special Olympics Sport Partnerships Senior Director. “It is also very important to us to have ITF support for the inclusion of tennis in Special Olympics.”

As part of the collaboration,

The ITF will:

·         Provide access to teaching and coaching resources, which support the delivery of a safe, fun and positive experience of tennis to children and adults with intellectual disabilities

·         Provide high quality training opportunities

·         Proclaim its support of Special Olympics and the inclusion of tennis as an official Special Olympics sport

Special Olympics will:

·         Recognise the ITF as an international partner of Special Olympics

·         Acknowledge the ITF Coach Education programs as examples of best practices in supporting the growth and development of inclusive sport for all

·         Use ITF’s Play and Stay/Tennis 10 campaigns as training and competition programs for people with intellectual disabilities

·         Increase the number of tennis schools and tennis players with intellectual disabilities around the world

The ITF is the world governing body of tennis and beach tennis, responsible for the rules of both sports and maintaining the integrity of tennis. The ITF is the owner and rightsholder of the two largest annual international team competitions in sport, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and manages the Olympic Tennis Event on behalf of the IOC. The ITF’s highly regarded Tennis Development Department oversees the development of tennis worldwide and, through its Science and Technical Department, monitors both equipment and technology. Its Officiating Department oversees the education and advancement of officials worldwide. The ITF organises over 1,000  weeks of men’s and women’s professional tournaments on the ITF Pro Circuit and manages the ITF Junior Circuit and team competitions, the ITF Beach Tennis Tour, the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour and the ITF Seniors Circuit. The ITF also manages the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme on behalf of the sport and is a partner in the Tennis Integrity Unit. Visit www. itftennis.com,www. twitter.com/ITF_Tennis, www. Facebook.com/Internat…

Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 5.3 million athletes and Unified partners in 169 countries. With the support of more than 1 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and over 108,000  games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by many individuals, foundations and partners.  To see a full list of partners click here. Engage with us on: Twitter@specialolympics, fb.com/specialolympics, youtube.com/specialolympicshq, Instagram.com/specialolympics andspecialolympicsblog. wordpress. com.