ON most days throughout autumn and spring, at Rutgers Preparatory School, Delbarton School and Newark Academy – all top girls and boys schools in New Jersey, United States – the tennis courts are defined by high-level competition, where every point carries weight and each match matters. But for a few hours on select days each…
Riki Koshimizu was a typical high school student in Dallas, focused on his studies, social life and burgeoning tennis career. But he started to take notice of his fellow students with autism. He didn’t have a personal connection with autism — there was nobody in his family or among his close friends with autism —…
ACEing Autism is a nationwide nonprofit program that offers tennis group lessons to children on the autism spectrum. For five weeks every spring and fall, weekly package lessons give autistic children access to an otherwise expensive sport. “I’m a speech language pathologist,” said regional director Eileen Horgan. “I kind of see this as an extension…
In recognition of Autism Acceptance Month this April, members of the ITA Student-Athlete Council met with Bowdoin College women’s tennis juniors Zoe Sun and Caroline Stuhlfaut, plus head coach Ben Lamanna, to highlight their involvement, passion and tireless work with the ACEing Autism program. Designed to help children with autism grow, develop and benefit through…
Teddy’s parents shared how meaningful the experience had been: “Before this program, he was afraid to even try sports. Now he asks every week when tennis is, and seeing him serve the ball by himself filled me with pride.” A unique opportunity for children with autism and other neurodivergent conditions is making a meaningful impact…
On most days throughout the fall and spring, at Rutgers Prep, Delbarton and Newark Academy – all top girls and boys tennis programs in New Jersey – the tennis courts are defined by high-level competition, where every point carries weight and each match matters. But for a few hours on select days each year, the…
For more than a decade, ACEing Autism has made the Delray Beach Open more than just a professional tennis tournament. It has also been a platform for inclusion, adaptive programming, and opportunity. “We’ve been here at the Delray Beach Open for over 10 years. I think our first clinic here was in 2014,” said Justin…
Tonight, on the eve of the 2026 Nexo Dallas Open, The Nimoy Knight Foundation is uniting the worlds of professional tennis and advocacy to honor those reshaping the future for the autism community. At a special ceremony, the Foundation presented its prestigious “Live Long and Prosper” (LLAP) Tribute to three groundbreaking recipients: professional tennis player…
In the fall of 2021, when longtime Maplewood resident Sandy LoPiccolo first discovered ACEing Autism through family friends, she had no idea of the impact it would have on her family’s life and the lives of so many others. ACEing Autism is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to help children with autism grow,…
Tennis is for everyone, and Justin is making sure of it. See how he champions adaptive tennis to empower players of all abilities to compete and thrive on their own terms. Justin’s connection to USTA spans both lifelong participation and national leadership. He has served for 10 years, across five terms, as a volunteer on…
