This feature originally appeared in the 2025 Spring edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.
 

The skills that Peter Wright Director of Men's Tennis Kris Kwinta is teaching his student-athletes go well beyond forehands and backhands.
 
Kwinta, whose sister, Kasia, was born with cerebral palsy and passed away in 2023 at the age of 40, is set on making sure the perspective he gained from the experience rubs off on his pupils. That's one of the reasons he jumped at the chance to have his Golden Bears partner with Team Impact – an organization that pairs children facing serious illness or disabilities with college sports teams.
 
The team was matched with 12-year-old Kayden, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder called TUBB3 and also has a mild case of cerebral palsy and autism. Kayden regularly visits the team's practices and interacts with Kwinta and the players with the hopes of providing him with impactful memories to last a lifetime.
 
"I tell the team that I am the fortunate one to have the perspective that I do," Kwinta said. "I use my sister as an example to give them a little kick in the butt; a reality check. I've had a different perspective my whole life, so whenever I complain about something there is a pretty quick pinch on my shoulder like, 'What am I complaining about?' I'm not sure they all love that perspective, but they know where I am coming from."
 
Kasia's cerebral palsy was a result of an accident that occurred at birth due to a lack of oxygen that caused brain damage. She spent her life in a wheelchair and underwent multiple medical procedures. She required care 24 hours a day.
 
Kwinta didn't only use his sister's plight to gain a healthy perspective, but it also taught him the skills to effectively interact with those less fortunate – an important mission of the team's partnership with Kayden and Team Impact.
 
"Disabled kids are a little marginalized," Kwinta said. "Not everyone feels comfortable around them, and I don't blame them. So, the more you get exposed to those people, the more you kind of learn about them and how to help them. I think the guys are learning that. You never know what you are going to do in life, and how much of an impact they might make in the future."
 
Kayden was predictably shy and unsure of the team during his first couple visits but now can be seen swinging a racquet or playing Pokémon with Cal's players. It's given Kayden a chance to strengthen his social skills while also providing him with a group of role models.
 
"The players are super nice and courteous," said Kayden's mom, Amelia Ott. "They hang out with him. Even though he was really hesitant at first, they spent a lot of time just sitting there pointing things out to him. Kayden kind of struggles to connect with people his own age, so having an understanding of an older kid really helps him be able to get that social interaction and gain those skills."
 
There are a few players on the team that have led the effort to engage with Kayden, including sophomore Alex Aney, who has endured some family health challenges of his own. Aney's sister, Arielle, passed away at the age of 21 in 2023 after a bout with cancer.
 
"My sister went through a lot," Aney said. "I know what it's like and how tough it can be. Obviously, Kayden is a completely different story, but I know the importance of comfort and having someone to just talk to. I think it definitely gives me a different perspective; you get a perspective on how lucky you are, and you get a perspective on how quickly it can all be taken from you."
 
It is not uncommon to hear athletes or others with notoriety say the rewards for giving back to those less fortunate are so great that they may be getting more out of the arrangement than the person they are supposedly helping. While that may be true, Aney believes there is a more basic motivation for engaging in the type of activities that Team Impact affords.
 
"It's not just because I'm an athlete. It's because I'm a human," Aney said. "It's not really a sense of responsibility to give back. You should want to do it. I would hope that most people when they see others going through struggles would want to help out. I think I just have a natural tendency when I see something like that to offer my assistance because I've seen it up close before. My sister went through a lot."
 
When Kwinta became Cal's head coach in 2021, he set out to have a program in which his student-athletes understood the advantages they had and focused on engaging with the community. The Team Impact partnership has been a shining example of that mission.
 
"The mission has always been to do something more than hit the ball," Kwinta said. "I try to give the guys perspective that what we do is unique and not everybody is privileged and lucky to be doing what we do. That was one of my missions when I was applying for the job - to help the community."
 
Ott was introduced to Team Impact while Kayden was attending The Painted Turtle – a camp for children with serious medical conditions located in the Angeles National Forest in Southern California. Since Kayden lives in Berkeley and Cal's men's tennis team was looking for community engagement, the match was quickly made.
 
"We get to hang out with him after practice, talk to him. It's just fun," Aney said. "Whenever he's around, all the guys try to go sit with him for a bit and talk to him. We just want Kayden to enjoy the experience and make him part of the team as much as possible."
 
"Berkeley is a beautiful school and you have some very influential people here," Kwinta said. "And then you have the not so fortunate ones, and it's a great reminder that you never know where you're going to end up. Always find out how you can help. That's what we try to do."