April 10th, 2025 - Pictures and parent testimonials from our first annual Autism Acceptance Night at the Barclays Center

Hello Coach - 

As you know, we're new to the Steady Bucket family and just wanted to express our very sincere gratitude and thanks for your incredible program and the opportunities you afforded all of us on Thursday evening at The Nets game against The Hawks.

Being dads of a young boy with autism, it's uncommon for many parents and family to feel as comfortable and welcomed as we did at Barclays Center.  But as we watched our son (and his typical sister who "High-Fived" on the court) stand on court for the national anthem, we were overwhelmed with appreciation.

We know how much effort this took to make happen - The Nets management, the event programmers, the Steady Buckets team, coordination with parents etc.  Nets - you made us feel incredibly welcome - thank you for providing this thrill to the kids, and to the families and parents.

As the Steady Buckets group sat in the stands together, there was a tremendous amount of energy, our own parent "high-fiving" and lots and lots of camaraderie. We, too, felt very much part of The Nets community and we're grateful for that.

And whoa, capturing the video of Ace (Nolan's friend) and Nolan shaking hands with Trae Young, well, you've made quite an impression...(That's Ace on the left, and Nolan giving thumbs up to Trae!)

Hi Macky,

I just wanted to give a massive thank you for coordinating the Nets game and for developing the steady buckets program in general.  Our son Everett who is 11 years old and Autistic does not do well with mainstream athletics.  We've tried multiple sports programs throughout his childhood, but they have not worked out due to his difficulty keeping up with his peers' capabilities, and the frustrations he experiences turn into a hit to self esteem which in turn pushes him away from trying sports in general and experiencing the benefits of being part of a team.  

The steady buckets program is the first sports program that I have been able to witness Everett enjoying sports in a group setting.  The diversity of the participants and the non-competitive atmosphere has been amazing, and we only wish we learned of the program earlier.  The program gives him confidence, and seeing him enjoy sports in a group setting has been so great.  All kids should experience team sports, and for someone like Everett, this is the only way.  I would love to see the steady buckets philosophy expanded to different sports and activities.  

For the Nets game, Everett was able to see basketball played at the highest level.  His participation on the high five line was in his words "the coolest moment of his life".  I'm attaching a picture of Everett and his little brother at the game.  I'm also linking a video of the high five line from the big video screen.

Thank you for all your efforts.  You've built a truly special program that I hope gets replicated!

Dear Brooklyn Nets, 

We wanted to thank you for a wonderful evening at the Nets verses Hawks game. Our son Patrick has Autism and has been going to Steady Buckets for the last 2 years. He has now developed a love of basketball but we were very cautious about going to any professional sports games. 

Steady Buckets has been incredible for our entire family 

and they put together a great night with the Nets. Not only did we have a great night at our very first game, my son wants to go back and even my wife wants to go to more Nets games!! Thanks so much.

Dear Coach Macky, 

Thanks for coordinating a magical night at the Nets game. It was our first sporting event, and beyond just running smoothly, it was a true success, showing us that an event like this could cheerfully bring our Steady Buckets community into the fold. It was special to be seated next to the families we see so often at basketball practice. These are people we have come to know and feel warmth towards. Interacting with each other out in the world, beyond our practice courts, was joyful; it brought everyone closer together. Thank you for making this happen. It was both meaningful and memorable. 

What a thrill, on so many levels.  Thank you.

From the Steady Buckets Cocktail Reception to tonight's thrilling adventure our family wants to thank you WHOLEHEARTEDLY...

What you and your tribe have created is just amazing - Families in the Nets "zone" were smiling, thrilled, and felt INCLUDED....THANK YOU for your efforts, your path and your ongoing commitment to our kids.

But more importantly, thank you for building a community of parents who are high-fiving each other tonight, feeling as if we've found an incredibly special place.

My son said tonight "Can we do this next year.."  I said, "hell yes."

Dear Coach Macky,

Lord knows we wanted to get this message out to you sooner! We had such an amazing time at the Nets game on April 10!  It was an honor and a privilege to get the chance to be courtside and experience both the energy and the magic of being on the court at the Barclay center.  Seeing Kayin’s excitement at being on court in the center of it all is something I will never forget! Thanks for allowing us to share this fun and exciting opportunity with family and friends!   We appreciate everything that went into making this possible. 

The enthusiasm of your coaches like Coach Kieran and others who dedicate themselves to giving Kayin and his fellow SBers an amazing experience week after week is just incredible. I really don’t know if I could put into words what it means to us that Steady Buckets does what it does for our kids week after week! This activity is something Kayin looks forward to and we want to do our best to continue and expand his exposure to basketball.  We just can’t thank you enough for what you do. We’re looking forward to whatever comes in the future and to providing support for Steady buckets in any way that we can —thanks again so much!