USTA Missouri Valley had the honor of sending two highly accomplished adaptive tennis teams with players from Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas to the 2019 USTA Adaptive National Championship at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida on October 12-13.

 

The teams included partnerships of one adaptive player and one unified partner. Both teams advanced on to this national event by qualifying at the 2019 USTA Missouri Valley Adaptive Championship held this June in Maize, Kansas. The first-place team included Hayley Waggoner and partner Nancy Samson of Nebraska, and the second place team was made up by Daxton Miller and partner Marty Rothwell of Missouri and Kansas. 

 

This notable accomplishment was fully celebrated in Wichita, Kansas, with a send-off party full of food, themed cakes and a tennis practice and exhibition matches held the evening before the teams would head down to Florida. ADVERTISEMENT Friends, family, fans and USTA Missouri Valley representatives attended this jubilant celebration. 

 

Laughter and chatter filled the air the night of the send-off event at Ralph Wulz Riverside Tennis Center; most noticeably, though, a sense of overwhelming pride permeated the atmosphere as this accomplishment was no small feat. The honor of competing at a national level had been strived toward for many years, one small victory at a time, as these athletes practiced with their teams multiple times a week, participated in Special Olympics events, Fred Johnson All Stars Events and any other tennis opportunities they could join to develop into the players they are today.

 

The adaptive athletes were not alone in their journey; they have been built up by parents, coaches, teammates, volunteers, organizations and supporters who saw their potential and believed in what tennis could do for their lives. These supporters worked tirelessly to provide these opportunities for them.

 

Teams from USTA Florida and USTA Midwest took the top spots at the two-day round robin Adaptive National Championship, but the USTA Missouri Valley teams competed hard, had a great time building camaraderie with the other teams, and enjoyed exploring the wonderful atmosphere Florida offered.

 

Congratulations again to athletes Haley Waggoner and Daxton Miller for earning a place to compete in the national championship. USTA Missouri Valley is extremely proud of their play and look forward to what these athletes accomplish in the future.

 

Read more about the 2019 USTA Adaptive National Championship.

 

If you have an interest in becoming a unified partner or have an adaptive athlete interested in competing in future adaptive tennis events, contact Jaren Glaser at glaser@movalley.usta.com.