Zachary McFarland: Everyone’s Friend

In attendance at nearly every Maryland basketball game is a fan who may not look like anyone else, but his love for the Terps is hard to match. 

Zachary McFarland is a 26-year-old young man born with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. He eats through a g-tube, experiences mobility challenges, and speaks only a few words, yet none of it has ever dimmed his joy, especially when watching basketball.

“He’s just a remarkable young man who has overcome a lot of odds,” his father, Ernest McFarland, said. “Sometimes he can’t communicate what he wants or how he feels, but when he’s at those games, he’s really just at home.”

Zachary can best be described as a natural unifyer. He brings out the best in everyone and reminds us of the lessons and joys that sports can bring. 

He comes to as many Maryland games as he can with the Murray family, whose daughter, Kalei is on the cheer team. The Murrays have season tickets and love to bring Zachary to a place where he feels most like himself. 

“He's a gift to us,” Molly Murray said. “When you might have had a bad day, or when you're not feeling your best, or when you're feeling frustrated, he just has this ability to connect with people, to unify people and to bring people together in such a happy way.”

Years ago, the McFarlands moved in next to the Murrays, who were out on their porch. An instant bond formed between the two families and an adoration for Zachary was born. 

Zachary was brought to a handful of Murray’s son, Sean’s, lacrosse games, where his excitement to be around sports was unearthed. When her daughter started cheering at basketball games, Zachary’s passion for hoops overtook anything else.

“Any time he's there, he has this unique ability to bring whoever is in the room together and create inclusion,” Molly said. “His pure joy for sports and music and love of people is powerful.”

His Maryland fandom has been tested, mostly by Ernest, a diehard Syracuse guy. But Zachary’s love for his Terps stands firm. 

Lisa and Ernest were both born and raised in Syracuse, New York, and Ernest spent years trying to create a fandom for the Orange in Zachary. Nothing was working to sway him from his terps, and a moment last season sealed Ernest’s efforts. 

Last December, the Terps played Ernest’s Orange up in Brooklyn. Both the Murrays and the McFarlands took the train up to watch the game. Zachary wore a Syracuse sweatshirt for the first half, and something seemed off. 

“Zachary was really muted,” Ernest said. “It was like he was sitting on his hands. He wasn’t really into the game at all.”

At halftime, Lisa took Zach’s Syracuse sweatshirt off to reveal a Terps shirt for the second half. 

“It was like a switch flipped,” Ernest said. “He absolutely came alive. That was his ‘come to Jesus’ moment for me. He was born and raised in Maryland and he doesn’t bleed orange, he bleeds red.”

Earlier this season, he attended a game with fun glasses and necklace giveaways. The Murrays recall one of Maryland’s marketing interns recognizing Zachary, seeking him out, and delivering him the gifts. 

“You would have thought he won the lottery,” Molly said. “He wouldn't take them off. He wore them to dance with Testudo and it was just so heartwarming.”

It was one of the many games and moments that serve as a reminder of the power of sport and the heart that Maryland fans have. 

“The community and the Maryland fanbase loves to just connect,” Molly said. “Building those relationships is just as important as the outcome on the field or the court.”

His mother, Lisa says they can’t tell him about games too far in advance because his excitement to go see the Terps would consume his entire day. Once he’s at XFINITY Center, however, he enters a bubble of joy and safety, something the McFarlands find a relief in, knowing he’s with people that love him and he’s happy. 

“It’s comforting and it warms every part of our bodies,” Ernest said. “To know he can be in a big arena and be safe is huge. It shows he can go to big events like that and feel safe, and feeling safe allows him to enjoy it.”

He also loves music. Lisa says it’s a “big part of his identity”. During the third quarter dance breaks at the women’s games, he makes his way to the court to combine two of his passions that make him feel the best about who he is.

“Sports, just like music, are kind of the great equalizer,” Lisa said. “They’re things that everyone can enjoy. They have this gift of allowing him to show up as who he is. For those hours, he just gets to rock out and see what’s going on, and I don’t think he feels as self-conscious.”

He’s made a home at XFINITY Center, one where he’s popular in every corner he turns and with every fan he interacts with.

“Watching how he connects with people and how the staff at Maryland connect with him, it’s the epitome of inclusion, community, making everyone feel welcome, making everyone feel as if they have a home there and that they belong,” Molly said. “Everybody's so kind and welcoming. All of the people who work the games, from the door to the stands, work each game so they get to know him and who he is.”

Going to the games also gives him a space and sense of independence. Zachary has a lot of support in the community, and loves going bowling or to the mall. But when he’s with the Murrays, he’s with true friends that he knows care for and love him. But maybe more importantly, he’s away from mom and dad. 

“Most of the times when exciting things are happening have historically been around his parents,” Lisa said. “We’re always trying to facilitate experiences for him. But in a lot of ways, he’s a typical 26-year-old dude. He doesn’t want to hang out with his parents. We’re not cool, but the Murrays are cool, so it gives him access to these cool experiences, but also a sense of independence.”

He greets everyone with a “Hi friend!” and will dance, sit, and watch a game with just about anyone, providing another motive for his constant trips into College Park.

“Zachary has a friend everywhere he goes,” Molly said. “No matter who you are, no matter what you have going on, no matter where you come from, you are Zachary's friend. He will call you a friend off the bat. He'll give you a high five. He'll dance with you. No matter what, he welcomes everybody into his life and he's friends with all, which is amazing to see.”

This holiday season, Lisa wants Zachary’s story to serve as a reminder of inclusion. It doesn’t matter what we look like or how able we all are, our fandom brings us together and creates command ground for lifelong bonds.

“Beyond Zachary, it’s a lesson that people that don’t look like us, or can’t communicate, or whose bodies or abilities are different, that we all have this need to be a part of a bigger community,” Lisa said. “Everyone wants to feel connected and belong and be able to do things.”

Lisa reminds us that everyone walking around is searching for a community and something to love and be a part of. 

“It’s just that reminder that even though people look different than us and have different abilities, that we can meet in a community such as Maryland Athletics,” Lisa said. “We can all be ourselves and we don’t have to be anyone else. Zachary’s taught us that again and again.”