Tennis for Fun returns on Longboat Key

Wherever Bryanna Schmidt went to chase down a tennis ball at Tennis for Fun on Nov. 3, at least two coaches followed. The beginning of the second season of the local Special Olympics program began as an unexpected private lesson for Schmidt, but everyone was in high spirits as Schmidt ran for shots and lobbed them across the court. 

“Once it takes off, it takes off … I think that we might have more people next Wednesday,” coach Brenda Terihay said. 

The story of Tennis for Fun is one with “build it and they will come” at its heart. The program started in Brandon in 2000 with just one athlete.

Now, more than 100 are involved and the program has merged with Special Olympics. Terihay started the Sarasota chapter on Longboat Key in early 2021 and garnered a group of several athletes. 

“I had to get certified (by Special Olympics) to make me the head coach and the director,” Terihay said. “But I'm lucky because my fiance is actually a tennis pro and he comes to help coach … I know that Nico (Moschini, an athlete from the first season) is going to be back next week because his mom reached out and they did some beautiful flyers, and they're getting those out to everywhere too. They already had a couple people that have reached out to them saying that they're interested.”

Terihay is working on finding places where future athletes might be, and she and fiance, fellow coach and tennis pro Ron Shields have sent out flyers to the Boys and Girls Club in Sarasota and local groups for children with disabilities.

She’s retained all her volunteers from the previous season and even had others approach her wanting to join. 

“I have more and more people wanting to volunteer, I just need the athletes at this point,” Terihay said. “Like I said, that's a part that takes a bit.”

The athlete of the day, Bryanna, was surrounded by coaches.

Shields, a pro at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center, started to work with her on moving in lanes on the court and even on her backhand. After a while, Bryanna’s tennis memory started to come back, and Terihay, Chris Goodwin, Susie Singer and Tamara Wright moved around the court to match their athletic charge as she returned more and more balls.

Goodwin and another coach, Molly Gleason, are getting certified by Special Olympics so they could run the program in case of Terihay’s absence. 

“These ladies are so wonderful for everything they do and they’re so encouraging,” said Rosanna Schmidt, Bryanna’s mom. “She’s been looking forward to it for weeks. Other than (ballroom) dance, this is her exercise. It’s good for her coordination, social skills. It’s definitely good for her self-confidence.”

Bryanna and her covey of coaches practiced for about 40 minutes before breaking to stretch and cool down after the first practice back. Though it's been several months, Bryanna was excited to be back. 

“I learned now that I love tennis,” Bryanna said. “First I found a racket in my favorite color, and my sister plays and she taught me some because I said I was interested. I had a ton of fun so I decided to come back.”