NAPLES, Fla.-- When you learn to play tennis, an instructor may encourage you to keep your eye on the ball. They call it "hand-eye coordination". But what if you can't rely on your eyes?

"Tennis is kind of complicated when you're not seeing the ball," said Sarah Hardwig Wednesday at her very first tennis lesson. 
     
Sarah loves to sing and has a personality that demands attention. She's also blind. But don't rule her off the tennis team just yet. 

"I'm learning how to play the sport today," a smiling Sarah said at Cambier Park in Naples Tuesday. 

"It's the first time ever in Collier County that blind and visually impaired kids are able to play tennis," explained Kathleen Peck with Lighthouse of Collier, an organization which fosters independence and enhances the quality of life for the blind or visually impaired and their caregivers. "We researched the game to find out how we can bring that to the kids as part of the summer camp program."

The rules for the game are altered a bit. The net is lower and the court is smaller. 

"Totally blind people can let the ball bounce three times," said tennis instructor Steve Bogdanoff. "The visually impaired can let it bound twice."

Players may not see the ball, but they can hear it. They're using an audible foam tennis ball that makes a rattling noise when it moves. 

"Inside of it is a ping pong ball," Peck explains. "And then inside of that is a ball bearing. So anybody who's blind or has any kind of vision loss will actually be able to hear the ball coming towards them."

The alternate form of tennis, known as Soundball Tennis, was created in Japan, and introduced in the UK in 2007. Lighthouse of Collier got its audible tennis balls from England thanks to a generous donation. 

So while you may not hear the typical hollow bounce of a tennis ball on the court when these kids are playing, for Sarah, the rattle of the ball is the sweet sound of more fun to be had. 

"Tennis is really cool because sometimes you get to win and sometimes you lose. It's just a good sport for me"

Peck says you can't deny the kids are love it. "They're having a ball!"

For more information about Lighthouse of Collier, visit their website atwww.LighthouseofCollier.org.

The organization's free summer camp runs during the month of July, and they are still accepting children to the program.