All Comers Camp leaves lasting impact on wheelchair tennis player and family

In connection with Disability Pride Month, which takes place annually in July in the U.S., USTA Heart of America is highlighting wheelchair tennis player J.D. Horbelt.

USTA Missouri Valley partnered with Adaptive Sports Iowa and Drake University for the 2025 All Comers Camp, a two-day opportunity for wheelchair tennis players of all ages and skill levels to learn more about the sport.

Adults and juniors spent quality time on the courts on June 7-8 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, learning from pros like USTA National Manager of Wheelchair Tennis Evan Enquist and growing their skills in tennis.

Ana Horbelt, mom of camp attendee J.D. Horbelt, shared how much fun her son had at the camp.

“J.D. loved the All Comers Camp at Drake,” Ana Horbelt said. “The coaches and staff were exceptional, and he loved getting to know the other adult and youth players. I really appreciated that he got a lot of individualized opportunities to work on many different tennis skills. He also loved a weekend away with just mom.”

During the camp, J.D. Horbelt was able to grow his skills with the help of Enquist, Calvin Song and Chris Kelley, all of whom earned high praise from Ana Horbelt. Song is the head coach of the Drake University women’s tennis team, and Kelley is a member of the USTA wheelchair national development team.

“They were all wonderful,” Ana Horbelt said. “We especially enjoyed watching Chris do some demos in his wheelchair. He is such an amazing player and a great role model for J.D.”

Finding Tennis Close to Home

Ana, her husband, Chris, and J.D. live in Overland Park, Kansas. J.D. Horbelt was diagnosed with spina bifida at around 20 weeks gestation and underwent fetal surgery to repair a lesion in his back. Now 11 years old, he has found a love for sports this past year, including tennis. The Horbelts live just down the road from Elite Tennis and Wellness, and it’s there J.D. Horbelt decided to give tennis a try.

“We have a couple of active adult wheelchair tennis players, Matt Fritzie and Jeff Walker, who are working hard to bring more youth tennis opportunities to our area,” Ana Horbelt said. “Since we live so close to Elite Tennis, we decided to give tennis a try, and J.D. has really enjoyed learning the game.”

As the parent of a wheelchair athlete, Ana Horbelt has found the community in USTA Heart of America to be welcoming and positive.

“I feel so incredibly blessed that we have such a wonderful adaptive youth sports community here in Kansas City,” she said. “I am thrilled that J.D. has met some great friends through his sports programs, and I love that I have made some wonderful connections with other parents of adaptive athletes.