COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland women's soccer program officially welcomed nine-year-old Team IMPACT teammate Mikayla Hirsch to the program Sunday in a signing ceremony held in Heritage Hall of the XFINITY Center.
Mikayla and the Terrapins were brought together by Boston-headquartered national nonprofit Team IMPACT, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing serious and chronic illnesses through the power of team. Mikayla was diagnosed in 2014 with Crohn's Disease.
"Mikayla is a vibrant and courageous nine-year old…I think we can all agree she is the little sister we always wanted," said senior goalkeeper Erin Seppi while introducing Mikayla. "Although she may act a little more mature than us college kids, we all know the life-changing benefits this team will have for her. The University of Maryland women's soccer team wants to officially welcome Mikayla to our 2019 roster."
Through Team IMPACT's program at the University of Maryland, Mikayla is now an official member of the Women's Soccer Team. As a team member, she will attend Terps practices, games, team dinners, events, and more.
"We are so excited to sign our number one recruit," said head coach Ray Leone. "I get this question all the time, 'What are you looking for in a player?' And what we're looking for is someone who loves the game. And this kid loves the game, she loves our team and we love her back. What makes her special is not just her love of the game, but how mentally tough she is. And I hope we can just draw on a little bit of that toughness that she has and that she's demonstrated."
Mikayla's Maryland connection is a deep-rooted one, as both of her parents Leah and Keith are graduates of the university. The family currently resides in Alexandria, Va.
"KK" as she's affectionately called by her new teammates, thanked Coach Leone and the team for welcoming her with open arms, and expressed her excitement for the season ahead.
"This opportunity will teach me what college teams will do before, during and after games," said Mikayla. "It will also help me get better at soccer. In the short period of time that I've known the team, I have fit right into the activities they were doing and became a member of the team. I hope I can help the team win games, stay silly and get better at soccer."
During her press conference Q&A, Mikayla expressed her favorite things about Maryland were her women's soccer teammates and that the mascot was a turtle. When asked to describe herself in one word, Mikayla aptly responded, "Brave".
The team enjoyed lunch with Mikayla and her family, before gearing up for a preseason scrimmage vs. Delaware at Ludwig Field. The Terrapins will kick off their 2019 season on Thursday, August 22 when the team hosts Georgia South at 7:00 pm in College Park.
About Team Impact
Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston, MA that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming lifelong bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,800 children with more than 600 colleges and universities in 48 states, reaching over 55,000 participating student athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student athletes join the child's support team. Throughout the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie and support while the student athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency and perspective they can't learn in a classroom.
To learn more about Team IMPACT, Click here.
-Terps-
