ACIng The Mission

ACEing Autism is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children with autism grow through the sport of tennis. It was founded in the summer of 2008 in Boston, Mass., as a family-run organization that relies on the invaluable efforts of its volunteers and supporters.   Count Notre Dame Prep freshman Marisa Bitonti as both…

Meet Jessica Wenzell

Meet Jessica Wenzell, a 17 year old volunteer at our Monroe, NC program, who has been dedicating her time for 4 years now. “I always loved working with kids, I used to tutor kindergarten through middle school students and I loved sharing my passion for tennis so this was a great match,” the senior at…

The ITA Partners With ACEing Autism To Encourage More Inclusive Tennis Communities On College Campuses

Tempe, AZ – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (“ITA”) is proud to announce today a newly formed partnership between the association and ACEing Autism.   As the 2014 recipient of the USTA National Adaptive Tennis Community Service Award, ACEing Autism has served communities across the country for over 15 years. Their mission includes, “helping children with…

Meet Hayden Smith

Meet Hayden Smith, a 7-year-old athlete from our Atlanta, GA program. Hayden tried soccer but his mother, LeKeshia Smith, didn’t feel like he quite fit in. So, she was thrilled to find a program her son felt he belonged to when they started at ACEing Autism.  “Hayden loves spinning and the volunteers spinned with him,…

Meet Connor W and Noah Short

Meet Connor W, a 14-year-old player from our Evanston, IL program. He loves Spider-Man, Star Wars, and now tennis. As Connor’s mom, Suzanne Jakstavich, said: “I love ACEing Autism because of the community we’ve created. It’s a community for my son but it’s also a community for me because of the friendships I’ve built and…

Jane Kim – Tennis, Expanded

As a child, I played racket sports. I have memories of badminton battles amongst fall foliage in suburban NC, church tennis tournaments in the summer, and epic ping pong matches. In the winter, my sister and I would don puffer jackets and head to the garage – each of us swinging with a bit more…