Tennis for Fun is a program Stein founded in high school with her brother, Peter Stein '09, in their hometown Rockport, Me. It uses tennis as a vehicle for interaction between people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities and people in the community without such disabilities. From six developmentally disabled adults, the program grew to encompass 25 youth and now, in its Amherst reincarnation, the Amherst College Dining Services employees from Riverside Industries with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
Stein approached Dining Services Manager Debbie Omasta-Mokrzecki about starting the program at Amherst at the end of her first year at Amherst. In the fall of 2005, Tennis for Fun became a reality on the Amherst campus. The Stein siblings and women's tennis team member Jennifer Murphy '08 continue to meet the group of dining services employees at 8:45 a.m. every Friday for an hour of tennis before their shift starts at Valentine at 11 p.m.
"I look forward to tennis every Friday. I set my alarm for 6 o'clock so I am not late. I think about it when I'm in bed Thursday night. I fall asleep thinking about it," explained program participant Peter Fulvi, who is always the first to show up for tennis Friday morning. Fulvi went from never having held a racket to being able to consistently hit his forehand shot over the net and maintain volley rallies with his instructors. Another program participant can rally from the baseline.
A typical session begins with a warm-up, in which the participants dribble the ball up and down on their racket to practice hand-eye coordination. Next, they hit a beach ball around in a circle and proceed to practice ground strokes. The walk to and from Valentine is as valuable as the tennis because it is a time for the participants and instructors to learn about each other's lives and connect on a personal level.
Walking through the dish-washing line at Valentine Tuesday afternoon, other employees raved about Tennis for Fun and how much they enjoy working at Amherst College. One employee rated her job a perfect 10. Another said he hopes to join a tennis team.
Omasta-Mokzecki envisioned employing people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities early in her 30-year career at the College. People from Community Enterprises in Northampton, Mass., began working for the College in 1987 and people from Riverside Industries in East Hampton started service in 1996. Growing up visiting an aunt with disabilities and who lived in an institution, Omasta-Mokzecki recalls believing these people should be better integrated into society and the mainstream work force, which has translated into the work program at Amherst that everyone believes is wildly successful. Omasta-Mokzecki says she has a "soft spot" for people with developmental disabilities.
Tennis for Fun has made the employees' experience at the College even better. "They absolutely look forward to Fridays," raved Omasta-Mokzecki, adding that the program has "enhanced the way they feel about Amherst College. They don't just work here, but they participate in sports with Amherst students, which is just so big," she said. "These folks love Amherst College. They're just so proud to wear their Amherst hats and sweatshirts. It's a great honor for them."
Aside from the awards Omasta-Mokzecki and Stein have accumulated from the Department of Mental Retardation for their service, the interaction has been an honor for them as well. "Jen and I both play competitive tennis at Amherst and spend a lot of time on the tennis court," Stein explained. "However, we can honestly say that we spend no time on the tennis court more valuable than the hour of Tennis for Fun each week."