Rotary Club of Alpharetta Sponsors Special Pops Tennis Round Robin
 
The Rotary Club of Alpharetta donated $2,000 to sponsor the Special Pops Tennis Round Robin tournament which will be held on Saturday, March 5, 2016 at the Country Club of the South.  The Rotary Club members and the Special Pops Tennis Athletes will come together on the courts in an Up-the river-Down-the river No-ad scoring format, playing in 30 minute intervals. Each participating Rotary member will be paired with a Pops Athlete.  
 
Alpharetta Rotarian, Jack Hausmann said, “I find it humbling to be on the same tennis court with young people and adults who are so dedicated, talented and competitive given the challenges they have to deal with.” Heather Demis, Alpharetta Rotarian said,” This is my favorite Alpharetta Rotary event! Partnering with a special needs athlete on the court creates an instant bond and unique friendship. Working together as a team to play and win points is a fun and heart-warming experience.”
Special Populations Tennis Program, Inc. (Special Pops) is a 501(c)(3) organization which offers an adaptive tennis program specifically designed to share the sport of tennis with children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Programs are offered free of charge to all skill levels, including those who have never played, and include year-round tennis instruction, league play and tournament competition. Based in the metro-Atlanta area, Special Pops is a registered Community Tennis Association (CTA) of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and is recognized by USTA Georgia as the primary CTA in Georgia for teaching tennis and training coaches to teach tennis to players with special needs. It is also an accredited agency of Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA) and the only tennis training arm for many local SOGA-accredited agencies.
 
 “Alpharetta Rotary is proud to support Special Pops which offers a program that teaches and shares the lifetime sport of tennis while providing these special athletes the opportunity to build their self-confidence as well as life skills through social interaction,” said Kirk Driskell, President of Rotary Club of Alpharetta.