YOUR IMPACT:
EMPOWERING
ATHLETES
YOUR SUPPORT
HELPED SHAPE
STUDENT-ATHLETES.
We believe in providing our student-athletes with the necessary skills to make an impact, not only on the lives of the children and families who participate in our program, but also on their college campuses and in their communities.
Leaders are not always born, sometimes they emerge through the experiences they've had. Team IMPACT gives student-athletes an opportunity to grow and be more aware of others, while showcasing their leadership strengths.
Our goal is to ensure that children living with serious illness and disability feel that they are not alone and that they have a team of strong, empathetic leaders lifting them up through both trials and triumphs. While the focus of Team IMPACT will always be on children with life-altering diagnoses, the therapeutic nature of their relationship with their team hinges on their successful interaction with the student-athletes.
WE ARE PROUD OF OUR ATHLETE ARMY
Since 2011, more than
student-athletes and future leaders have been impacted by our program.
STUDENT-ATHLETES
IN OUR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN 2023
STUDENT-ATHLETES
WERE ENGAGED IN TEAM IMPACT
IN 2023
PEOPLE LEARNED ABOUT TEAM IMPACT
THROUGH FELLOWSHIP EVENTS IN 2023
RAISED BY FELLOWS IN 2023
THROUGH EVENTS COMPARED TO $12K IN 2022
AN ATHLETE'S
POWERFUL PERSPECTIVE
"There is a true spark that is gained from being around this organization that allows teams to come together and play for something bigger than themselves."
- Robert Smith, Team IMPACT Fellow
University of Maryland football player & Team IMPACT Fellow, Robert Smith, writes of his Team IMPACT experience...
"Cal Taylor is our match at the University of Maryland for the football program and he has been with us for the past three years. Cal has gone from a stranger my freshman year, to someone I consider a little brother and have developed a real relationship with. Cal showed not only me but our team, that no matter how hard your life can seem, there is always a light within a smile. Anytime you see Cal, whether it is at a banquet, practice, or just in the locker room, he always has a smile on his face that is contagious in our building. Your day gets better when someone like Cal walks in, and we are so blessed to be able to play the game that we do and create smiles like Cal’s. He also shows our team on a daily basis that we have to push and keep going. There are times within a season that are trying and having a perspective like this by having Cal around gives you an extra gear to go the extra mile. Knowing Cal has to go through treatment constantly and yet he still is doing everything he can to support us is motivation to return that support by handling our business on the field.
I believe that any student athlete that has the opportunity to join Team IMPACT should. There is a true spark that is gained from being around this organization that allows teams to come together and play for something bigger than themselves. This, as Coach Q from Kansas Men’s Basketball testifies to, is the difference between a great and championship caliber season. This is one of the most natural ways that I can use my platform as an athlete to give back to the community and make my own impact in my community."
- Robert Smith, University of Maryland football player, Team IMPACT fellow
EMPOWERING OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES AND GROWING THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
SCHOOLS
with active fellows
OF OUR 185 ACTIVE FELLOWS
JOINED THE PROGRAM LAST YEAR
STATES
with active fellows
MORE THAN
AN ATHLETE
IN 2023, TEAM IMPACT STUDENT-ATHLETES SHOWED UP AND SHINED THROUGH IN EVERY WAY.
Every day Team IMPACT student-athletes continue to excel, both on and off the field. They are driven individuals who care deeply about Team IMPACT's mission and the children and families in our program. Empowered and inspired to create change, these student-athletes are a force who believe in doing good and bringing hope to others.
STUDENT-ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT:
1. Our dedicated student-athlete development team creates purposeful communications and programs to elevate all student-athletes as leaders in their community. Team training ensures that student-athletes understand the goals of Team IMPACT and how they can contribute to the success of the child and family experience.
2. Following the Fellowship Program inception in 2018, Team IMPACT has found new ways to integrate our mission into each campus as fellows work in conjunction with their college communities to raise awareness and increase program participation. Focused on the athlete experience, the Fellowship Program seeks to offer student-athletes a variety of personal and professional development experiences to supplement the work they are doing on their campuses. In return, Team IMPACT provides fellows an opportunity to build skills in leadership, community engagement, public speaking, and professional development, preparing them to be leaders in the workforce and beyond.
FELLOWSHIP CAMPUS GROWTH GOALS
THE AVERAGE TEAM IMPACT QUALITY SCORE IS TWO POINTS HIGHER ON CAMPUSES WHERE THERE IS A FELLOW PRESENT
“Being a Team IMPACT Fellow has been the most rewarding thing I've done during my entire college career.”
- Emmy Duerr, Duke University Women's Soccer
REAL RESULTS FOR OUR ATHLETES
Through Team IMPACT student-athletes gain motivation, perspective, and lessons in adversity and diversity. After participating in our program, student-athletes report:
feel proud of themselves
are more self-aware
feel their mental wellbeing has improved
are more resilient
are more aware of their ability to make a difference
are more civic-minded
are more aware of those whose lives are different than their own
FELLOWSHIP INITIATIVES
OUTREACH
A multi-faceted outreach approach is integral to the Team IMPACT Fellowship program. Throughout the year, fellows performed outreach in the following areas:
☞ On Campus ☞ At the Conference Level ☞ In the Community ☞ Medical Outreach
INTEGRATION WITH SAAC
It is a goal for fellows to find a way to integrate Team IMPACT and their role as fellows into their campus’s SAAC (or other student-athlete organizations), in order to expand the reach of Team IMPACT, and cement the program as truly being a part of the athletic community’s culture.
BRAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Throughout the year, Team IMPACT Fellows participated in a number of national brand campaigns on social media, and learned how to use their individual platforms to spread awareness of Team IMPACT.
AWARENESS/EVENT PLANNING
Fellows are given creative license to hold different events on campus and/or in the community to help spread awareness about Team IMPACT, and create a truly unified culture between the college/university’s athletic department, and the kids and families participating in the program.
FELLOWSHIP SUMMIT 2023
Fellows are invited to our annual Fellowship Summit, a place for networking, learning, and building camaraderie with other student-athletes from across the country. The core of the Summit is a series of thoughtfully crafted sessions designed to enrich every facet of the Fellows’ Team IMPACT experience.
Over the three-day event, the athletes engage in skill-building workshops, participate in inspiring speaker sessions, and challenge themselves and one another to grow as leaders, mentors, and change-makers. Additionally, partnerships like those with the Equity Collective, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and HIVE Diversity open doors to unique opportunities for our Fellows, offering a dynamic blend of resources, perspectives, and experiences rooted in a shared commitment to inclusion, camaraderie, and acceptance.
Relive the event below!
“Being a Team IMPACT fellow has provided me with incredible opportunities to further my personal and professional development. I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of speaking with Team IMPACT at the CHA Annual Leadership Conference as a fellow. Not only was I able to feel a deeper connection with TI, but I was also able to network with medical professionals and discuss possibilities for my future.”
- Maki Bispham, University of Arizona women's beach volleyball
2023
STUDENT-ATHLETE FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHT:
Harvard Lacrosse’s Annual Burrito Bowl Raises More Than $33,000 For Team IMPACT
For the past three seasons, the team has been matched with Braxton, a 13-year-old boy who lives with spina bifida. Since Braxton joined the team, he has helped form community and support that goes both ways. In the three years since, Harvard men’s lacrosse has dedicated their Burrito Bowl—their intersquad scrimmage where the winners get burritos and the losers get salads—to raising awareness and donations for Team IMPACT.
This year, the Crimson hoped to nearly triple their contribution from last year’s Burrito Bowl. Through the sale of limited-edition Burrito Bowl t-shirts, on-campus solicitation, in-game donations, a dedicated fundraising page, and generous support from the entire Harvard Athletics community, the team did that and more, surpassing their initial fundraising goal by nearly 300%.
“Team IMPACT is important to Harvard Lacrosse because it opens the door to lifelong friendships and valuable perspectives,” said junior member of the lacrosse team and Team IMPACT Fellow Owen Gaffney. “Braxton has and will continue to be our friend for life. Our relationship with Braxton extends beyond the lacrosse field."
