Special Olympics Kansas State Games highlight athletes, growing tennis community

The Kansas State Games—part of Special Olympics Kansas—kicks off May 31 at Maize High School in Maize, Kan. with some of the state’s top athletes vying for medals and ribbons in sports including tennis, soccer, track and field, cornhole and bocce. The Kansas State Games are the exciting conclusion of these summer sports’ seasons.

Beyond the competition, the Kansas State Games are also packed with fun for athletes and their friends and families. Games, music, vendor booths and a dance are all slated to be part of the festivities, as are free health screenings.

The tennis component of the Kansas State Games is slated to begin at noon on Friday, May 31. At the outset of the tennis competition, a state proclamation declaring May as National Tennis Month will be read. The proclamation will likewise be read during the Kansas State Games opening ceremony and torch run, which takes place at 6:00 p.m. on May 31.

Jaren Glaser—USTA Kansas and USTA Heart of America tennis service representative as well as USTA Missouri Valley diversity & inclusion manager—is looking forward to the Kansas State Games and the opportunities the event brings to help grow the sport of tennis in the state.

“We are very excited for the Special Olympics Kansas State Games,” Glaser said. “These games are a rallying point for tennis in communities across the state, and we are very excited to announce that the city of Maize, where the state games will be held, has officially declared May as National Tennis Month for 2024.

“It is our hope to work with Special Olympics Kansas and the City of Maize to present this proclamation at the state games May 31 to further celebrate and culminate a targeted month of tennis activity and health/wellness that will hopefully continue through the rest of the year.”

The Kansas State Games also help prepare athletes for future competitions, some on the national stage.

“Athletes, coaches, families and tennis aficionados will travel to these games to cheer for the athletes who have been working hard to prepare for them,” Glaser said. “Numerous athletes who participate in these games will also go on to participate in the Fred Johnson ALL-Stars event and USTA Missouri Valley Adaptive Tennis National Qualifier event at the end of June in Iowa.”

For more information on the Kansas State Games as well as Special Olympics Kansas, click here.