6th Annual Jana Hunsaker Tennis Tourney
WHAT: The 6th Annual Jana Hunsaker Memorial Wheelchair Tennis Tournament sponsored by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in conjunction with the United Spinal Association, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour. The tournament will have men’s, women’s, quadriplegics,’ juniors,’ and masters’ divisions, a total of $7,500 in prize money will be awarded.
WHEN & WHERE: The tournament will take place at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Corona Park in Queens, New York, from Thursday, June 8 through Sunday, June 11, 2006.
WHO: Over fifty athletes are expected to compete in the four-day tournament from the Eastern United States, Canada and Europe along with some of United Spinal Association’s premiere tennis athletes.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Jennifer M. Rodriguez; work: (718) 803-3782, ext. 282; cell: (917) 734-6032
ABOUT WHEELCHAIR TENNIS: Jana Hunsaker, who passed away in 2000, was a tennis instructor at the USTA National Tennis Center. She was a major advocate for wheelchair tennis and was instrumental in launching a wheelchair program at the center.
In wheelchair tennis, rules and regulations are basically the same as in traditional tennis, except that the wheelchair player is allowed two bounces of the ball. The sport allows individuals with disabilities the opportunity to play tennis with their family and friends regardless if they have a disability or not. Proficient wheelchair users are capable of playing and actively competing against standup players.
ABOUT USTA: The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. It owns and operates the US Open, the largest annually attended sporting event in the world, and launched the US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. A not-for-profit organization with 680,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. For more information on the USTA, log on to www.usta.com.
Other sponsors include the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour; BNP Paribas; Wilson Sporting Goods Company; Gatorade; International Tennis Federation; United States Professional Tennis Association; USA Tennis Wheelchair; Pepsi, Quickie Wheelchair; and McDonald’s owners and operators, Bill & Elaine Diekmann.
ABOUT UNITED SPINAL: United Spinal Association is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with spinal cord injury or disease by assuring quality health care, promoting research, advocating for civil rights and independence, educating the public about these issues and enlisting its help to achieve these fundamental goals. The Association sponsors a wide variety of wheelchair recreational and adaptive sports programs, guided by the belief that the benefits from participating in sports are not any different for athletes with disabilities than for able-bodied athletes.