A&移动商务 men’s basketball team making a difference in child’s life through Team IMPACT

Emerson DePaz, a local 9-year-old, is officially a 狮子 after joining the 皇冠体育365赌博&M University-商务 men's basketball team through a partnership with Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit organization.

团队影响 Massachusetts-based organization, connects children with serious or chronic illnesses with local college athletics teams. 通过团队影响， a child battling illness becomes an official (non-playing) member of a college athletic team, attending practices, games, team dinners, and more. 两年之后 the team, the child graduates from the program with demonstrated improvements in their optimism, confidence, and sense of belonging.

A&移动商务 狮子 体育运动 first partnered with Team IMPACT in 2018 and last year partnered with Team IMPACT again to give another child the chance to 经验 the camaraderie of joining the 狮子 family. 2019年10月，A&移动商务 men's basketball team welcomed Emerson onto the team.

爱默生是 diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, a rare form of cancer, in January 2019. 根据Ted的说法 Rawlings, assistant men's basketball coach and director of community service for the team, 爱默生是 a very active kid who had to stop doing the things he loved because of his diagnosis. He had to miss 学校 frequently and was isolated from his peers throughout treatment. “Very small injuries could cause him lots of problems,” Rawlings said.

罗林斯说: testament to Emerson's character was when the child 经验d bullying at 学校.

“有人告诉我他 came home and told his mom that he thought the bully might be going through some problems to make him act that way,” Rawlings said. 现在爱默生 actually befriended his former bully.”

通过团队影响， the men's basketball team was able to bring Emerson onto the squad. 他们的第一个 meeting was on December 12. Deonta Terrell, a senior on the team, said a lot has changed about Emerson since that first meeting.

“当我们第一次见面的时候 him, he was in a shell,” Terrell said. “But now he has really opened up. 他是 much happier and he gets excited to be around us.”

特雷尔和其他 members of the team have bonded strongly with Emerson over the past few months.

爱默生有过 the opportunity to attend several practices and games for the 狮子s. 这 culminated in an official Draft Day for him on February 6, where he went through all the makings of a traditional athlete 经验: getting his jersey, holding a press conference, and getting an official team picture.

自从加入 狮子 basketball team, Emerson's family members have noticed a more joyful, optimistic, and positive boy who feels like he can conquer any challenge. “As long as my bros are there, I can do anything,” Emerson exclaimed.

一个高级&移动商务 basketball player Wayne Stewart said he was glad to be a part of this 经验.

“这是值得的 to hear how much he has improved,” Stewart said. “His presence around here changes us for the better. 他非常鼓舞人心.” The men's basketball team will continue to participate in the program and work with Emerson for the next few years.