About Us

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Hi.  I'm Charles Hinckley.  I'm currently a student at Lyme-Old Lyme High School in Old Lyme, Connecticut.  I have been playing tennis since the age of five and now play year round at local clubs and on my high school varsity tennis team.  My younger sister is an equestrian and she and my mom volunteer at a local therapeutic riding center for people with special needs.  This gave me the idea to combine my passion for tennis with the satisfaction and reward that comes with helping others.  My parents encouraged me to volunteer at a tennis program for people with special needs as part of my long term community service project.  Although our area offers soccer, baseball, and basketball, there was not a tennis program for our special pals.  This was the beginning of Tennis Pals Foundation.

Seeing a need for an adaptive tennis program in this area, we formed our organization to provide a fun and inclusive solution.  Through Chantal Roche of USTA's Adaptive Tennis Program of New England, we were introduced to Jerry Weil.  Jerry has over thirty years of professional tennis experience and currently runs the tennis program at New Haven's Chapel Haven Center for adults with physical and mental challenges.  He graciously agreed to work with us to develop a program to bring the joy of tennis to our pals on the Connecticut Shoreline.  Without his invaluable knowledge, guidance, and compassion, Tennis Pals would still simply be just a great idea.

Tennis Pals has been awarded multiple grants from the United States Tennis Association and raised funds through community involvement and donations from organizations within the tennis community, including the US Open, to help provide equipment, t-shirts, water bottles, and most importantly, a visit from the ice cream truck. 

We have also been so fortunate to have Lymes' Youth Service Bureau and East Lyme Park and Recreation join our team to make this program happen.  

Thank you to everyone that has helped and participated along the way!

It is all about FUN!  Our mission is to provide tennis-based instruction in a fun, adaptive, and inclusive environment for area youth with special needs in order to encourage physical, emotional, and social well-being.  Anyone that has ever played tennis knows that it offers a lifetime of physical recreation and socialization.  We utilize shorter racquets, softer balls, and modified rules to help all participants quickly get in the swing of things.  We rely on local student athletes and tennis enthusiasts as volunteers to help run our program.  It is truly a win-win for everyone involved.  We hope you will join us!