Congratulations to this year’s winners of the Anne Krupp Memorial Scholarship! This scholarship is presented to tennis players of any age who need additional training or assistance with travel to participate in Adaptive Tennis, Special Olympics or Wheelchair Tennis events; recipients also display excellent sportsmanship on and off the court.
Emily Hartman, from Mechanicsburg, Ohio, started playing wheelchair tennis in 2014 and enjoys competing in tournaments. She participated in three USTA/Midwest Section Wheelchair tournaments during 2016 and finished as runner-up in two of the tournaments. Hartman plans to use her $1,000 scholarship to cover the costs of attending various tournaments and participating in weekly classes to improve her tennis skills.
Mayleah Koop, from Grand Rapids, Mich., has been playing wheelchair tennis for one year and has already started competing in tournaments. She participated in three USTA/Midwest Section Wheelchair tournaments during 2016. Koop plans to use her $750 scholarship to cover the costs of attending various tournaments as well as for training outside of her regular practices. She intends to give back to the sport of tennis and increase awareness for wheelchair tennis throughout the USTA/Midwest Section.
Piotr Pasik, from East Lansing, Mich., has been playing wheelchair tennis since 2014 and is becoming an avid player and advocate for the sport. He coordinates the Michigan State University Adaptive Sports and Recreation Club, and is completing his master’s degree in psychology with a focus on disability sports. Pasik used his $1,000 scholarship to attend the 2017 Collegiate Wheelchair Tennis National Championships in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, last month.
This $2,500 scholarship was started in memory of long-time volunteer Anne Krupp who was a passionate tennis fan and teaching professional who dedicated much of efforts into working with Special Olympics tennis, wheelchair tennis or adaptive tennis programs.