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 pop of tennis balls and the squeak of sneakers signal something different — opportunity, empathy, inclusion and above all, fun.
Members of the boys and girls tennis teams at several New Jersey high schools have launched ACEing Autism chapters in recent years, opening their courts to children and teenagers on the autism spectrum. Founded in 2008, ACEing Autism is a national nonprofit and volunteer-driven organization that uses tennis to help children and teenagers ages 5 to 18 grow, develop and benefit from social connections and fitness through affordable tennis programming.
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These chapters are not just full of high school players helping out. These chapters are actually founded and organized by students — not their coaches, not their parents, not some outside organization.
ACEing Autism currently operates 227 programs across 32 states, serving more than 7,000 children. There are 13 total chapters throughout New Jersey.
Hudson Bonetti brought ACEing Autism to Delbarton as a sophomore in 2023, Raghavi Aiyer held her first session at Rutgers Prep as a freshman in early 2024 and Evan Lai and Sebastian Topor began the program at Newark Academy in the fall of 2025.
Tenafly’s Sam and Eli Zausner and Ridge’s Amina Rachidi also have programs.
Participants learn tennis in an encouraging, supportive environment while also building confidence and life skills. Volunteers gain leadership experience and develop meaningful relationships with the athletes.
“To me, it’s like a community, and it has become a family and a place where we create bonds and have fun and learn about tennis,” Bonetti said.
“Our goals for our athletes are to have fun, socialize and to be active and just play a great sport,” Topor said. “The community is like the heartbeat of every ACEing Autism program.”
Bonetti, now a freshman at Georgetown, remains one of the Delbarton program directors alongside his younger brother Brayden, his mom Kirstyn and grandfather Robert Perkins. Their father, Jim, and grandmother also assist at the clinics. The Bonetti family was named the 2024 USTA Eastern Family of the Year for its community service, largely due to its involvement with ACEing Autism.
Hudson first volunteered with ACEing Autism in South Orange as a freshman in high school. The idea to launch a chapter of his own stemmed from a middle school field trip to P.G. Chambers School, a school for students with disabilities in Cedar Knolls.
“That was my first time experiencing kids with disabilities,” Hudson said. “It was very simple. We played board games and just hung out with the kids. But seeing them smile really brought a lot of joy to me, and I’m happy that I was able to hopefully bring them joy for one day.”
Autism hits home for Aiyer who has a younger brother and other family members on the spectrum. Her brother, now 11 years old, was nonverbal until he was 8. Aiyer, who has played tennis since she was in preschool, has seen firsthand how the condition affects her brother and others. After volunteering at the Delbarton program, Aiyer wanted to create her own program and ACEing Autism was a perfect match.
“It was just a thought at first,” she said. “I always knew I wanted to do something related to autism to help the community. That is important to me. As someone just entering into high school, I knew I needed to make myself grow. I was a very timid freshman, and this was a perfect opportunity. I can play tennis, I know how to deal with special-needs kids, so this is something for me that I should start.”
Before launching the Newark Academy chapter, Lai and Topor both volunteered with ACEing Autism programs in their communities and worked with the Special Olympics. Wanting to bring the program to their Livingston-based school, they teamed up to establish a chapter together.
“You kind of get to understand how they function and what they may struggle with and what they may be good at,” Lai said. “Seeing that for the first time also helps develop your sense of empathy and wanting to help them build the best lives for them.”
Delbarton, Rutgers Prep and Newark Academy each host double-digit sessions per year.
Each hour-long session follows a similar structure nationwide. Participants start with a warmup, then they do racket skills, movement and hand-eye coordination work before transitioning into tennis skills, such as volleys, forehands, backhands and serves.
Athletes are typically paired with the same volunteers each week to build rapport and better understand communication styles.
“These connections are as important to the athletes as they are to the volunteers and with us,” Brayden said.
“When the volunteers and the athletes are being paired up every session, they create a bond and that is one of the main goals for them to take out of this experience,” Topor said.
Progress is evident both on and off the court.
“It’s amazing because there’s kids who have been going to the program since I started it,” Aiyer said. “I’ve kind of grown up with them. They’ve all grown a lot and they’ve become so much better at tennis. They’ve become so much more confident. Their parents are really happy. Everyone has fun and it is worth the work.”
One athlete who attended sessions at Delbarton is now a junior varsity tennis player at Madison High School as a senior. Another arrived not knowing how to shuffle on the court and now uses the movement regularly to show excitement and appreciation.
“A lot of these kids have become my friends,” Brayden said. “We always have a party at the end of our sixth session and we’ll play tag. I enjoy those moments. I enjoy seeing our work pay off and seeing how happy they get.”
No prior tennis experience — or experience working with individuals with disabilities — is required to volunteer. Program directors train volunteers and provide guidance on how to best support and connect with athletes.
“We really focus on training the volunteers to be able to work and adapt to the athlete that they’re paired up with and they support in their tennis lessons,” Topor said.
Mandy Tin, a parent of an athlete who attends the Newark Academy program, praised the experience.
“It was truly inspiring to see the kids’ smiles, their energy, and how quickly they engaged with the activities,” she said. “I’m grateful that there is a space where every child feels supported, encouraged, and celebrated. I’m truly grateful for the chance for my son to be part of this program. The staff have such big hearts, and I hope life brings every one of you great things and countless blessings.”
ACEing Autism has partnered with the USTA Eastern Junior Council and the USTA New Jersey Junior Council to create the ACEing for Impact fundraiser. Participants raise money through match play, receiving donations either as a one-time contribution or per game won between April 1 and June 15.
“I’m hoping for around $25,000 this year,” Brayden said. “It would be great to double what we got last year, and I think we could blow that out of the water. I hope that more teams can sign up because it’s really easy and it could be super impactful for ACEing Autism.”
Each of the program directors encourage other high school tennis players across the state to open up their own chapters at their schools or in their towns.
“I really hope it grows to a lot more locations in New Jersey,” Hudson said. “I just hope that everybody who wants to do it is able to do it. New Jersey is probably now one of the hot spots, and I hope it grows around the country too.”
To find an ACEing Autism program near you at other parks and tennis facilities, click here.
“It takes one volunteer at a time,” Aiyer said. “Starting these programs young can have an influence on so many other young people. They want to do what they see others do and it’s great to share that impact. Like I said, it’s given me a purpose, and I’m sure it’ll give a lot other people a sense of purpose as well.”
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