Clintonville girl plays tennis
By Greg Seubert
It’s easy to spot Shayna Wederath on Clintonville High School’s tennis courts.
She’s the one having the most fun.
She’s also the one that’s blind.
Wederath is a senior on this year’s girls’ tennis team and wasn’t about to let her visual impairment stand in her way.
“It’s my senior year and I haven’t been in a high school sport yet,” she said at a recent practice on the school courts on Green Tree Road.
“I was excited when my friend Emilee (Acevedo) brought up that they needed players,” she said. “She’s on the team and told me that (coach) Jesse (Lundt) was really open to different types of people. I came to the first practice, tried out a little and Jesse said I could join.”
Lundt is more than happy to have Wederath join a team that is low on numbers this year.
“Just having her on the team shows that anyone can try this,” she said. “I think that’s what she’s going to show other people. You should be able to try it and go for it, even if you have something that might be holding you back or someone told you you can’t do it.
“I’m always up for the challenge,” she said. “I’m willing to work with anybody. I try to be very patient with everybody. It’s kind of an eye-opener because everybody needs to be taught a little differently. It helps me be a better, well-rounded coach.”
First match
It didn’t take long for Wederath to play in a match for the Truckers.
The team headed to Wisconsin Rapids Sept. 1 to face Assumption in the season opener. Clintonville had to forfeit one of its singles matches and all three of its doubles matches to the Royals.
Lundt and Assumption coach Phil Hartley decided to team Wederath with Assumption’s Madelyn Staffon for an exhibition doubles match against two Assumption players.
“It was really nice to not only be able to play, but play with other members,” Wederath said. “They might not have a visually impaired person at their school. It brings awareness that kids with disabilities can do sports.”
Lundt expects Wederath to have other opportunities this season, especially at home matches.
“We’re going to try every match to have someone willing to play her,” she said. “We’re going to get one of our courts here ready for her. I looked online for what we can do to the courts to help her so she can feel the boundaries and everything.
“I was hoping to get some girls to come out because I thought she’s be good with doubles and would have someone to help her out on the court,” she added. “That didn’t happen, so she’s going to be doing singles. We’ll see how it goes. She’s willing to try. I’ve played with her a little bit, so I think she can do it.”
Wederath took Acevedo’s advice and joined the team despite never playing the sport except in gym class.
“I still have to learn how scoring goes and all that stuff, but Emilee told me this would be a great sport because they are really open and have fun with it,” she said. “That’s kind of my thing. I like to live the experiences of a sighted person. I don’t like to set limits for myself. I like to go beyond and above. That’s why I joined tennis.”
Back in Clintonville
Wederath grew up in Clintonville and is back in town after spending her junior year at the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Janesville.
“I have a genetic disease where the back of my retinas are deteriorating, so my sight is only going to get worse,” she said. “I went to the School for the Blind to be with people with more service for the blind. I found a love for adaptive sports there. It’s a sport that’s adapted to whatever disability you have. We played baseball and our gym teacher, Dustin Andrews, taught us that there really isn’t anything we can’t do. There are always ways around it. He had us all roller skating. That kind of stuck with me.”
Wederath relies on her other senses while on the tennis court.
“I rely on my hearing to hear where the ball bounces,” she said. “As far as serving and that kind of stuff, I practice so many times so that I have muscle memory of what I need to do. I cannot see the lines, so they’ve been telling me if it’s in or out.”
“She can tell when they hit something good or had a good practice,” Lundt said. “She’s always upbeat and keeps everybody’s spirits up. They all take turns warming up with her and having her be on their side of the net for practice and warm-ups.”
Girls’ tennis usually takes a backseat to other fall sports, including football, volleyball, cross country and boys’ soccer.
“I want everyone to play,” Lundt said. “I played in high school. As someone who probably wasn’t the best player on the team, I still liked being able to play. You don’t need a lot of people to go out and play tennis. You can find one other person to hit with you. That’s tennis.”
Wederath attends classes with other students.
“I have my own TVI, which is a teacher for the visually impaired,” she said. “I started losing my vision in seventh and eighth grade. I went to the School for the Blind and came back, so now we know my level of Braille is and where I need to be at.”
Braille is a system of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or who have low vision.
“I also listen to audio books,” Wederath said. “When I sit in classrooms with other kids, I use my earbuds. Whatever they’re reading is already on my laptop. It’s especially important for me to be in school for oral and verbal answers and discussion. That’s what I really enjoy.”
Big plans
Wederath’s future plans include attending the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to study social work.
“I applied, but I haven’t gotten accepted yet,” she said. “I’m waiting with my fingers crossed.”
If Wederath has her way, tennis won’t be her only sport.
“I’m planning to try out for track,” she said. “At the School for Blind, I was really good at long-distance running. I’m looking into seeing if I could just have a runner with me where we would have a tether and they would run behind me.”
Wederath was asked if she sees herself as an inspiration to other kids.
“I’d like to say so,” she said. “I’d like to see more students with disabilities in any sport. Being an advocate for other students that have disabilities is a big thing that I took away from the School for the Blind.”