South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Love Serving Autism founder gets honored with national USTA award
Delray Beach’s Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix was the lone Floridian to earn a national award at the recent USTA annual meeting ’s “Celebration of Community Champions” luncheon at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort in Orlando.
Pugliese-LaCroix, who is the founder of Love Serving Autism, was selected as the recipient of the USTA Eve Kraft Community Service Award, which goes to individuals who best exemplify Kraft’s selfless mission to bring the sport of tennis to everyone who wants to play.
Kraft was a tennis pioneer whose ability to touch people’s lives exceeded the boundaries of the tennis court. As a teacher, coach, author, USTA staff member and volunteer, Kraft was a lifelong champion of recreational tennis in the U.S. until her death in 1999. She introduced thousands of young people to tennis, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
“I don’t think I have realized the significance of it yet,” Pugliese-LaCroix said. “The award is an achievement of a lifetime. It’s a huge honor to receive this award, and I know USTA Florida really was cheering for me to receive it, so I am thankful for the support.
“I didn’t have a chance to meet Eve Kraft, but I know she made a huge impact in the tennis community. It is a big honor and hopefully I can continue on with her legacy and continue doing what I am doing in tennis.”
Pugliese-LaCroix played college tennis at both Duke University and the University of Florida before competing on the WTA Tour.
After a back injury forced her off the tour, Pugliese-LaCroix attended graduate school and received a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from Florida Atlantic University and became a speech-language pathologist.
She decided to combine her tennis experience and speech therapy background to teach the sport she loved to children and adults with autism spectrum disorders. In August 2016, after working with children for six years as a program director for a national nonprofit for autism, Pugliese-LaCroix was inspired to be able to develop her own nonprofit, Love Serving Autism.
Love Serving Autism currently provides specialized therapeutic tennis instruction in Florida locations (schools, public and private tennis facilities, and parks) along with six out-ofstate locations (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, New York and New Jersey) serving 700 children and over 60 adults with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental challenges.
“When I started it, I knew deep down there was a potential for it [to grow],” Pugliese-LaCroix said. “I know my work ethic and I know my passion for it. It has probably grown faster than I envisioned in five years.
“I knew that there is a huge need for this. It has definitely grown and expanded quite quickly.
“It has definitely defined my life’s purpose. Every day I wake up I am motivated to do more.”
Pugliese-LaCroix organizes Love Serving Autism clinics at the Delray Open and Miami Open tournaments to advocate for inclusion in the tennis community. She also recently started a Love Serving Autism adaptive pickleball program at the USTA National Campus.
Perhaps her biggest accomplishment with her organization came when she brought 21 children with autism to the 2019 US Open for a USTA Net Generation on-court experience before matches taking place in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York.
“It keeps growing, so maybe I found my calling,” she said, smiling. “It doesn’t really feel like work to me. It is just a career path now.
“I love inspiring others and empowering others to make a difference. It is a therapeutic tool for a lot of these children and adults. I think on many levels this is something I will do throughout my lifetime and hopefully train others, coaches and staff, to continue to grow this mission and reach as many individuals with intellectual disabilities as possible.”