April 27, 2026 — The Kennesaw Mountain High School (KMHS) boys tennis team gathered in a huddle before their first-round state tournament match. Senior Nolen Jarl took the initiative, leaned in, and ignited the team.
“Mustangs on three. One, two, three. Mustangs!”
It was both a powerful and subtle moment. A scene witnessed thousands of times across the sports landscape. Yet, in this instance, it was indicative of the leader that Nolen had become.
“Nolen is the consummate teammate,” Kennesaw Mountain Tennis Head Coach Michael DeFusco stated firmly. “He’s always lifting up his teammates. He helps run practices. He talks to the younger players to help build skills. He is a leader on and off the court.”
ACE IN LIFE
This is not surprising for a straight-A student who is in the running for salutatorian. Nolen is diligent and motivated, academically and athletically. He is one-half of the top doubles pair for the Mustangs. As a junior, he was voted the team’s doubles MVP, earned first team All-Region recognition, and played a significant role in helping his team reach the Elite Eight of the state tournament, a level the team hoped to surpass this season.
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Even with that success among the classrooms and courts of KMHS, Nolen feels his greatest impact might be in the adversity he has overcome.
“What I would want people to know about my story,” the four-time tennis letterman began, “is that however rough times may get, you can get through it. Because, obviously, what happened to me was horrible, but I was able to take that, make something good out of it, and use it to promote a cause that I believe in. I think that it's really important for people to try to channel any sort of bad emotions that they have into something positive.”
UNIMAGINABLE LOSS
In January 2017, Nolen’s grandparents, Steve and Shirley Timmons, had just landed at the Fort Lauderdale airport, excited about their upcoming cruise. Within moments, in a tragedy that drew national news attention, the Timmons became victims of a gunman’s random rampage. Nolen’s grandmother was one of five victims who lost their lives that day, and his grandfather was among six who were critically injured.
Nolen was 9 years old at the time. Perhaps too young to understand the magnitude of what was to come, but old enough to feel the impact. The devastation of losing one’s grandmother in such a senseless manner is difficult enough. Having to emotionally process his grandfather’s traumatic brain injury at the same time could have been too much to bear.
Nolen’s mom, Suzanne Jarl, described some of the aftermath following the incident her parents had endured.
“My dad had a craniectomy in Fort Lauderdale,” she said. “He was there probably six or seven weeks. Once he was to the rehab portion, we were able to get him into Shepherd Center, so that was a big blessing. He had to learn how to walk and talk again. He had to learn everything.”
Meanwhile, Nolen was a quiet observer as his grandfather battled through rehabilitation at Shepherd Center.
“Nolen didn't talk a whole lot about it when everything first happened,” his mom remembered. “He thinks and processes before he does things.”
WINNING RALLY
After two months at Shepherd Center, Mr. Timmons made a near full recovery. Understandably, there were some lingering effects, but eventually, Nolen’s grandfather graduated from constant care to living on his own. The Jarl family is quick to credit Shepherd Center for their amazing work.
“They're basically known for just being one of the top spinal and brain trauma rehabilitation hospitals in the nation,” Nolen pointed out. “What they're doing there is amazing, really.”
The work that Shepherd Center accomplished with his grandfather made a significant impression on Nolen, so much so that it sparked a desire to help their cause.
SERVICE BREAK
Coming off his freshman tennis season at Kennesaw Mountain six years after the tragedy, Nolen had fully processed his feelings and was ready to do something. He was inspired by his grandfather’s resilience and the care that Shepherd Center had devoted during the rehab. Nolen decided to use his love for tennis to undertake a personal project to shine a light on both his grandfather and the place that helped their family heal.
“I was really close with my grandpa,” Nolen said, “and I just wanted to do something to honor him. And I wanted to promote Shepherd Center because of the amazing work they did with him. I thought, ‘What better way to do that than to make a tennis tournament, which is something that I am passionate about?' So, it kind of just took off from there.”
At the age of 15, Nolen formed the Ace Open Tennis Tournament fundraiser, built a website to promote it, and poured himself into this labor of love.
“My dad couldn't believe it,” Suzanne recalled when talking about the response Nolen’s grandfather had when he learned what Nolen had created. “I remember he was very proud. My dad always had a way with words. So, to see him not know what to say spoke volumes. He was very proud.”
While honoring his grandfather, the tournament benefactor was Shepherd Center. In the first three years of the tournament’s existence, Nolen raised nearly $25,000 for the rehabilitation center that had done incredible work with his grandfather. That amount is impressive and a testament to the tournament that the website calls “a celebration of community, hope, and healing.”
ADVANTAGE COURT
There is a picture of Nolen on the Ace Open tournament website standing in front of a sign reading “Hit A Winner For Shepherd Center.” It’s a cause intended to produce results like what his grandfather experienced.
“What Nolen has done with the Ace Open says a lot about him as a person,” KMHS’ Coach DeFusco insisted. “He took a very personal event for himself and his family and transformed it into a fundraiser that helps individuals with traumatic brain injury. It not only shows his heart, but it also shows his leadership skills to be able to organize and run an event of this size.”
A parent’s pride appreciates that kind of praise.
“I’m kind of humbled by it,” mom Suzanne admitted. “I’m thankful for the community support, and I’m beyond proud of Nolen. To take something like what happened and turn it around, I mean, it was a lot of work on his part, and a lot of thought went into it. I’m just very proud. He has a heart beyond his years.”
From Nolen’s perspective, it was worth the work. His grandfather passed away in 2025, surviving the tragedy for eight years. Those eight years impacted Nolen immensely and gave him a connection with his grandfather that will last another lifetime.
“I hope my grandparents would be pretty proud,” Nolen admitted humbly. “I'm sure they would just be saying how great a job I'm doing, how proud they are of me. I just want to honor their legacy, and I think this is how they'd want to be remembered.”
Nolen has done well in that pursuit. He has solidified his grandparents’ legacy by turning tragedy into something positive, and supported a medical center that, in turn, helps more patients. It’s a lesson that reflects Nolen’s experience on the tennis court.
“Tennis has taught me how not to dwell on the past,” the soon-to-be graduate shared, “because tennis is just point by point. You're going to lose points, and you're going to win points, but the most important point is the next point.”
Nolen is a living example of that mantra. He has proven that regardless of what one faces in life, the next point can be better than the last — a mindset that reflects what it truly means to be Built for Beyond.
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(The fourth Annual Ace Open Tennis and Pickleball Tournament is coming soon. For more information, check out ace-open.org)
h/t non-branded photo from Ace Open website
