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Adaptive sports, wheelchair tennis gives opportunity for competition, camaraderie

April 12, 2017
Graduate student Piotr Pasik swings at the ball during a wheelchair tennis practice on April 5, 2017 at the Indoor Tennis Facility at 3571 East Mount Hope Ave in Lansing. The MSU men's tennis head coach Gene Orlando was honored with the U.S. Tennis Association's Brad Parks award for his contributions to wheelchair tennis at MSU.
Graduate student Piotr Pasik swings at the ball during a wheelchair tennis practice on April 5, 2017 at the Indoor Tennis Facility at 3571 East Mount Hope Ave in Lansing. The MSU men's tennis head coach Gene Orlando was honored with the U.S. Tennis Association's Brad Parks award for his contributions to wheelchair tennis at MSU. —
Photo by Jon Famurewa | and Jon Famurewa The State News

​On April 5, 33-year-old doctoral student Piotr Pasik was working feverishly with MSU men’s tennis head coach Gene Orlando on a number of drills. It was Pasik’s last chance to work with Orlando to perfect his serve or master his backhand before he left for the Collegiate Nationals hosted by the University of Alabama.

But Pasik isn’t like many other pupils Orlando has had.

He isn’t sanctioned to play by the NCAA, but still brings the bare essentials with him to the court: his racquet, an undying passion to be on the floor and — most importantly — his wheelchair.

Pasik has cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder caused by a malformation in the brain that affects body movement and muscle coordination, according to cerebralpalsy.org. He can use his legs to walk short distances but is mainly bound to his wheelchair or scooter. Pasik is also the founder and coordinator of the MSU Adaptive Sports and Recreation Club — a university sponsored program available to anyone with a disability looking to get active and make friends.

Pasik said the club handles all the costs of equipment and transportation to topple any barriers to entry.

“For me and the disabled population in general, it’s a very good outlet,” Pasik said. “It’s a social outlet and physical outlet that has a lot of physical health and psychological wellness benefits. I think by human nature everybody is competitive on the inside. We just don’t have a lot of opportunities to express that in a positive way. Tennis was just perfect for that. I tried it and stuck with it and here I am today.”

Pasik first met Orlando in 2010 and participated in the MSU wheelchair tennis program at the advice of his disability specialist. After taking a hiatus, Pasik created the club three years ago and asked Orlando to incorporate the wheelchair tennis program.

Since then, Orlando and Pasik have met for tennis practice on the first and third Wednesday of each month. The turnout differs from year-to-year, but Orlando said this year the attendance has been great.

“My goal is to have them get the opportunity to recreate, play some tennis, have some fun and share some friendships,” Orlando said. “It doesn't matter how much ability they have. We have people in the electric chair, we have people in a regular chair, and people with all different disabilities.”

Orlando jumped on the opportunity to help out with the wheelchair tennis program when he arrived at MSU 26 seasons ago. On March 27, he was named by the United States Tennis Association, or USTA, as the recipient of the Brad Parks Award for his longstanding contribution to growing wheelchair tennis at the local level.

“One thing coach does really, really well is include everybody,” Pasik said. “He kind of plays on people's’ strengths and keeps them involved and coming back. This is by no means a program for your elite athlete, but you don’t get to that level if you don’t start somewhere.”

Orlando has created tournaments through the USTA Wheelchair Tennis Link and has gained the support from the university administration in the form of grant proposals and other expansions of wheelchair tennis opportunities on campus.

When Orlando accepted the award, he was adamant in his speech that he didn’t accept the award on his behalf, but for everyone else who continues to help grow the program.

“To be honest, I treat them like I would treat any other athlete. Obviously, quickness and mobility is a factor, and we work on that,” Orlando said. “I’ve learned a lot from these guys and I’ve found out that they really don’t want help. They do it on their own. In fact, if you help they’ll probably be upset. It’s something unique.”

Pasik has been able to grow the adaptive sports club with outreach from members all over the state and play other sports like hockey and rugby. One of the club's greatest contributors is Bryan Wilkinson, 35, of Hartland, Mich., who oversees a similar program at the University of Michigan with the help of head coach Adam Steinberg. Practices at U-M are held the opposite weeks to allow the same players a chance to practice every week.

Wilkinson is a regular at Orlando’s practices and has been for years. After becoming paralyzed in 2000 after a motorbike accident, Wilkinson worked one-on-one with Orlando at expanding a statewide wheelchair tennis program.

As the program continues to grow, Wilkinson said the experience Orlando has worked to create is unlike any other.

“The experience to come into a facility with his talent and the time he’s been a coach is a very cool and exciting experience for us,” Wilkinson said. “And that’s what really makes the practices, just being here with coach.”

Pasik and Orlando’s program has been able to strengthen friendships and establish new ones through the years as well. One of Wilkinson’s best friends, 53-year-old Tom Hoatlin from South Lyon, Mich., has been attending practices with Wilkinson whenever he’s available.

Wilkinson and Hoatlin have been friends for nearly a decade after previously working together. Hoatlin has been in a wheelchair for nearly 25 years after he was shot at the base of the neck during an armed robbery while working as a general manager at a hotel in Livonia, Mich.

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Hoatlin said he loves how the program brings people together and create lifelong bonds, even when they’re new to the sport.

“Everybody has value here,” Hoatlin said. “It’s a great feeling at night knowing you’ve played a match and the camaraderie of other folks in chairs creates peer mentoring. People say, ‘Yeah, my racket works when I do this,’ or ‘This is is the kind of chair I like,’ or things that have nothing to do with tennis."

And for Pasik, the hardest part of it all isn’t finding a way to motivate his fellow players or staying committed to the program, it’s orchestrating a way to get so many people involved. From volunteers to athletes, and practices for the club’s other activities nearly every day, finding time for himself and improving his game can be the biggest issue.

Admittedly, Pasik knows it’s a good problem to have.

“I’m glad we have options for different people with disabilities that they can take advantage of,” Pasik said. “As frustrating as it can be sometimes I’m happy to do it, and to be honest it gets easier every week. At the end of the day, I love what I do.”

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