Special Pops Tennis hosts 16th annual Fall Classic

Special Pops Tennis, the primary community tennis association for adaptive tennis in the state of Georgia, recently hosted its 16th annual Fall Classic at the world-class Lifetime Athletics and Tennis venue in Peachtree Corners.

This competitive, adaptive tennis event ran from Sept. 24-25, featured nearly 100 athletes from Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Massachusetts and Georgia, and was made possible by the efforts of more than 200 volunteers, plus local sponsors and supporters. Especially supportive were the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) Foundation and USTA Georgia, which helped fund the event and spread the word of the volunteer opportunities to their respective members.

Owing to local guidelines for crowd restrictions, the event was condensed from its usual three days into two days, in nonetheless perfect weather conditions. Friday's singles play and Saturday's doubles play featured a total of 96 athletes, and each round of competition included an awards ceremony for all the competitors. In addition to the joy of playing the game on full display, the renewal of friendships that have been made through the years was often heard and observed.

"Our motto is 'play tennis, make friends, live life,'" says Jim Hamm, executive director of Special Pops Tennis. "The unconditional love that comes so naturally to the population we serve includes seeing the athletes give their best effort both on and off the court.”

To see more photos from the event, scroll through the photo gallery below.