2026 Richard & Anne Kruse Leadership Award

2026 Leadership Coaching Award

“I had a blast making connections with each and every individual that took part of the ECP program. The best part about the experience was seeing the interpersonal relationships between the players, coaches, and families develop and eventually flourish. Sunday practices quickly became my favorite time of the week, and our program quickly became a community.”

2025 Richard & Anne Kruse Leadership Award

2026 Leadership Recognition Award

“As the first Public Relations Officer for Every Child Plays at San Diego State University, I helped establish and grow the organization by recruiting our inaugural group of families through local Facebook communities and engaging pre-health and psychology students across campus to build our volunteer base, as well as recruiting our faculty advisor. I led social media outreach to promote information sessions and fundraising events, increasing campus visibility and support. I also developed a comprehensive coach training module on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to prepare volunteers to create adaptive and inclusive practices tailored to each child’s needs. Working closely with our president, I helped guide the transition from recruitment to implementation, resulting in the successful launch of our first practices in March 2025. Thank you to UC San Diego coaches whose mentorship supported the development of our practices, coaches, and children.”

2025 Richard & Anne Kruse Leadership Award

“ECP has been an incredible opportunity to grow as a leader and serve as a role model for the children we coach. One of the most rewarding aspects has been witnessing their growth and confidence over time. Creating the SDSU ECP chapter has allowed us to reach many more families throughout San Diego and make a meaningful impact within our community. Through this experience, I have strengthened my communication, leadership, and adaptability while learning how to work with neurodiverse children. I am forever grateful to Dr. Achar and Dr. Kundu for trusting me with the opportunity to establish the SDUS chapter.”

2025 Richard & Anne Kruse Leadership Award

“I served as the 2024-2025 Program Coordinator for Every Child Plays, where I strengthened program operations by establishing volunteer training and family outreach systems. I helped found a new branch location and also co-authored a research poster examining the impact of team sports on social communication in children with autism spectrum disorder. In recognition of my leadership and service, I received the 2025 Richard & Anne Kruse Leadership Award.”

2025 Richard & Anne Kruse Leadership Award

“Being a leader for Every Child Plays was one of the most valuable experiences I had as a college student. During my time at UCSD, I had the privilege of working in different roles as ECP grew from its infancy into the organization that it is today. As a program coordinator, I organized research with our physician leads. As a family coordinator, I contacted families about program involvement. And most importantly, I worked directly with our amazing athletes as they learned to dribble, pass, and play together on a team. I discovered that for as much as I fostered confidence in our players, they fostered my confidence in myself. Ultimately, the kids of ECP had as much of a positive impact on me as I had on them, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been involved in a program like Every Child Plays.”

2025 Leadership Award for Best High School Coach

“Every Child Plays is a program that has given back everything I’ve put into it and more. I began in the spring of 2024 after being introduced to the program by Dr. Achar’s son, Ravi, whom I ran cross country with at the time. The practices weren’t fully refined and the program was still growing when I arrived, but the environment was one that I unmistakably wanted to be a part of because of my fellow coaches, the amazing kids, and the overarching mission to ignite growth and friendship with the power of sports. In my time at ECP, I’ve steadily helped develop and run practices, working on making them more consistent and dynamic to ensure that the kids both had a blast and grew their skills with every practice. I’m extremely honored to be named Best High School Coach, an honor that will only inspire me to keep building this incredible program moving forward.”

2023 Founding Leadership Award

I was inspired to create this program during the COVID-19 pandemic while I was working as a virtual tutor for local families with children with ASD. As a former competitive soccer player myself, I recognized the potential that team-based sports could have as an early intervention modality for ASD as well as create as much needed community for families in the area. As the founder and former Program Coordinator of Every Child Plays, I wanted to develop a community-based program that uses team sports to promote social connection, confidence, and participation among children with autism spectrum disorder. I am so fortunate to have met and worked with our incredible team members who coordinate programming, work directly with participants and families, and help build the organizational framework for the program with the long-term goal of expanding its impact as a nonprofit. By far my favorite part of this role has been working with the kids and listening to our lovely participating parents who actively notice the benefits of our team’s work over time. A forever rewarding and memorable experience.