Tennis for a Cause

Note:  Matt's Point's guest contributor is Chad Campbell.

This summer marked the fifth anniversary of IJP Tennis, and this fall, we'll celebrate our first year running our own program (if you haven't heard the story of IJP Tennis yet, Elana wrote about it here).  With these milestones to observe, and some other exciting news to share, the time was right for me to make an appearance on Matt's Point.

​As most of the IJP Tennis families know, my daughters, Niamh and Zara, are heavily involved in the programs:  Orange Ball group, Green/Yellow Ball group, match play days, etc.  Aside from an occasional few minutes out on the court, our son, Euan, hasn't really been involved in tennis.  Euan is on the autism spectrum, and until last year, we hadn't found the right formula for getting a racquet in his hands.  We were introduced to a nonprofit in Los Angeles called ACEing Autism, which was founded by Richard Spurling (a former teaching pro) and his wife, Dr. Shafali Jeste (an autism researcher).  ACEing Autism operates internationally, running tennis lessons with a specialized curriculum for children on the spectrum.  I met with Richard at the USTA Pro Circuit event in Fountain Hills, and we discussed launching an ACEing Autism program here in Phoenix.  After several months of planning, we have our start date:  October 14th.  

We are working on some exciting activities related to our inaugural session of ACEing Autism, and we'd love it if you join us in whatever way you can.  We have created an ACEing Autism page on our website that covers everything we are doing, but here is a summary:

1. ACEing Autism Tennis Clinics
   1. If you know a family with a child (age 5-18) with autism that would like a specialized tennis program, please let them know about ACEing Autism in Phoenix.
   2. If you would like to join us as a volunteer, we could certainly use the help with the children in the clinics.  Volunteers will receive training from ACEing Autism before the first session.  There is no age limit for volunteers, so if you know of any high schoolers, especially those who love tennis or are thinking about college applications, please let them know about this fun volunteering opportunity.  Volunteers can sign up here. 
2. Climbing Kilimanjaro For ACEing Autism
   1. Elana's sister, Nicole, and her partner, Fred, are traveling to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to support ACEing Autism.  All money raised will go directly to ACEing Autism, and as ACEing Autism is a 501(c)(3), donations are tax-deductible.  The fundraising page has more information about Nicole and Fred's journey and ways to donate.
3. Autism Speaks Walk 2017
   1. We have formed a team (Team ACEing Autism) for this year's Autism Speaks Walk at Tempe Beach Park on October 29.  It would be great if you would join us.
   2. If you can't make it to the Walk, but would like to support us, you can donate here.

If you have any questions about any of these efforts, please let me know.  I look forward to seeing everyone back at the courts as our fall schedule resumes. 

Sincerely,
Chad