For nearly 18 years, Autism Tree and the University of San Diego have created something truly special — bringing student-athletes together with children and families in the autism community to build meaningful, lasting relationships.

This video captures the annual USD Football Meet & Greet, where players meet — or reunite with — their Autism Tree kids and families for the season. Many players remain paired with the same child year after year. In fact, we met fourth- and fifth-year players who have shared this experience with the same kids throughout their college careers.

Throughout the season, families are invited to USD home football games where the kids get to cheer on their players and reconnect with them after the games. Over time, these connections become genuine friendships that have an incredible impact on the kids, their families and the student-athletes themselves.

The partnership has also expanded beyond football to include USD Baseball and Basketball, allowing even more student-athletes and Autism Tree families to experience these special relationships.

It’s a beautiful example of what can happen when a community continues to show up for one another — year after year.