However, Stuart is a little bit different to most Tennis players, because Stuart is blind.
Born with the sight loss condition, ‘Leber Congenitial Amaurosis’, Stuart could only make out vague shapes and now, at the age of 30, this debilitating condition means Stuart is now registered as completely blind.
So, when the ball is served, Stuart must rely on his other senses to play the game, and this he does with aplomb.
Over the past number of years Stuart’s senses have been honed to perfection, to such an extent that he now competes with and very often beats, some of the world’s best Blind Tennis players.
Supported by his parents Majella and Richard, it all started when Stuart was introduced to the game through Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership’s (SSRP) Sports Inclusion Disability Programme, in collaboration with Tennis Ireland under their Enjoy Tennis programme.
With the help of Sligo Tennis Club, who provided the indoor tennis court at the club, SSRP and Tennis Ireland ran a Blind Tennis Demonstration Day back in 2017 which Stuart attended.
Almost immediately, he was hooked, as in his own words Stuart felt “unlike any other blind sports I have tried in the past, I feel that blind and visually impaired Tennis gives me the biggest sense of achievement as I am alone on that court.
“I am not tethered to anyone else, I am not guided by anyone else”.
Given the individual nature of the sport and the skills needed to play the game successfully, one would imagine that playing Tennis, literally blind, would be all but impossible.
Well, it pretty much is, just ask any of the local tennis coaches and players who have tried playing the game using the regulated black out blind masks. Hitting a serve successfully is ridiculously difficult, even to the most experienced players, and as for making a return, forgot about it.
Local Tennis coaches and players who have been practicing with Stuart explained the difficulty and that they experienced when trying to play the game blindfolded, ‘I couldn’t hit the ball at all, I literally don’t know how he does it, he is amazing” said local Tennis coach John Conlon.
But Stuart does the amazing every time he steps onto the court.
Stuart has an incredibly friendly and polite manner, but don’t be fooled, because when Stuart is playing Blind Tennis, he’s playing to win, although he readily acknowledges the sport has given him significantly more than just success on the court.
“This sport means so much to me, it has allowed me to become more confident in myself and, it has also allowed me to meet so many fantastic people from so many different walks of life”.
Although the sport has brought Stuart to many new places and countries around the world, it is here in Sligo that he has developed and refined his Tennis skills, initially under Tennis Ireland’s Development Officer Olwyn O Toole and subsequently under the expert eye of local Tennis coach and current Tennis Development Officer Jean Barr.
Since then, Jean has had to develop and hone her own coaching skills and knowledge of the game to help Stuart become the player he is today.
Jean and Stuart have spent countless hours on court in Sligo Tennis Club, developing his court awareness, his movement, his reaction time, and of course his serving and returning, to such an extent that Stuart now travels to the European Championships in Poland (September 14-20) followed by the World Championships (September 25-29) in Italy later this month with a real opportunity to make an impression.
Stuart is building a reputation as one of the top names in Blind Tennis and he is currently the number one blind tennis player in the country in his category B1 (fully Blind).
Jean has talked about the strong bond that has developed between herself and Stuart over the years, and the level of trust that is required for them to continue develop and progress together.
The most pleasing thing for Jean is to witness first hand “the sense of empowerment, freedom and control Stuart gets from playing the game”, echoing Stuart’s own feelings about what the sport gives him and demonstrating the strong connection that has been established between player and coach. A special mention also goes to local Tennis player Brain McGuire who, when Jean was looking for new players to practice some ‘hitting’ with Stuart, stepped forward and has been tremendously generous with his time and energy, playing weekly with Stuart and even traveling to a number of Blind Tennis events, supporting him as he makes his way in the game. And it’s a game that’s growing, rapidly.
Having started in Japan back in 1984, Blind Tennis is now played in over 30 countries worldwide, including giants like India, Pakistan, Great Britian and Italy, where the world Championships are to be held at the end of September, and there is real ambition for the game to become a Paralympic sport in the near future.
For now though, the focus for Stuart is Poland (Europeans) and then Italy (Worlds), and, as he goes to face players from around the globe, Stuart goes they’re ready, able, and capable of anything. Shane Hayes, Sports Inclusion Officer with SSRP, who has supported Stuart to get involved in sport since they first met back when Stuart was just 15 said: “Stuart is such a positive person, always willing to give anything a go and a role model for anyone with a disability thinking about taking up sport.
“He’s going to these European and World championships with real confidence, and we are so excited to see how he can do.
“But whatever happens, Stuart is already a star, you only have to spend 5 minutes in his company to realise that”.