Working in collaboration with the ITA Student-Athlete Council, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (“ITA”) is proud to spotlight another student-athlete in our monthly spotlights that aim to highlight the many diverse backgrounds and communities that make up the sport of college tennis. With April being Autism Acceptance Month, the ITA is continuing to spotlight student-athletes who have…
In a continuing effort to recognize the accomplishments of student-athletes beyond the field of competition, the SEC once again highlighted a Community Service Team for women’s tennis for the 2024-25 season. This year, the Kentucky women’s tennis team is represented by fifth-year Lizzy Stevens. Read More
Now that spring is here, the nonprofit organization ACEing Autism begins their 2025 tennis sessions. ACEing Autism is a program dedicated to helping children with autism improve their fitness through affordable tennis programming. Read More
Finding her Voice Through tennis: How Rebecca Falkner Axelrod’s story Rebecca’s journey with tennis began when she was just six years old. Growing up, she was considered largely non-verbal, “I pretty much got kicked to the curb in other sports because coaches didn’t understand nor wanted to deal with me,” she recalls. But everything changed…
For many, tennis is just a game. For Paul Armitage, 19 years old, it’s a transformation. What started as a way for him to have fun and engage with peers has turned into something much more—a journey of confidence, skill-building, and leadership. Through ACEing Autism, a program dedicated to providing tennis opportunities for individuals with…
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…
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, 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…
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…
Meet Elizabeth (Lizzie) Fear, a 13-year old athlete from our Lexington, KY program, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome and then autism. “The biggest gift for me is to see her grow, seeing her go from playing a child’s game to playing tennis and seeing a smile on her face when she reaches a new…
