2026 Special Olympics Texas Tennis

USTA Texas is proud to be continuing its relationship of 30+ years with Special Olympics Texas by directing the tennis portion of many of this year’s Area and Regional Games across the state, as well as its 2026 Summer Games in Melissa. 

Special Olympics Tennis includes skills for new athletes and match play in singles, doubles and unified doubles. 

USTA Texas Adaptive & Wheelchair Tennis Coordinator, Cindy Benzon said it is an honor spending time with the athletes at these events and helping share tennis across the state. 

“You get a lot of hugs and high-fives … and a lot of personal stories,” Benzon said. “To me, the best part is the number of matches where the players complete their match, shake hands at the net, and then ask ‘so who won?’”

She added that there are many opportunities for volunteers to experience the games as ball persons, cheerleaders, court escorts, runners, scorekeepers and more.

“When people finish volunteering at a Special Olympics Texas tennis event,” Benzon said, “they always say to me, ‘that was the most fun I’ve ever had, when is the next one?’”