KENT, Ohio – Kent State women's basketball welcomed the newest member of the program on Monday as nine-year-old Kaycee, a Team IMPACT recruit, made it official during a signing day celebration at the Basketball and Volleyball Development Center.
"We're really excited to add Kaycee to our program," head coach Todd Starkey said. "She has an infectious smile and incredible love for basketball. We look forward to growing our relationship with Kaycee this coming season."
A Northeast Ohio native, Kaycee is an avid basketball fan, and her favorite team is the Cleveland Cavaliers. She loves, reading, milkshakes, swimming, Taylor Swift, "Stranger Things", all things purple and breaded chicken.
As an official team member, Kaycee will attend practices, games and other team events throughout the season.
"We're excited to collaborate with Team IMPACT and join in the effort to help enhance the lives of young people in a profound way," Starkey said.
Kent State has worked with Team IMPACT since 2018, matching children with the men's and women's basketball, field hockey, football, gymnastics and soccer programs.
ABOUT TEAM IMPACT
Team IMPACT is the only U.S. nonprofit that tackles the emotional trauma and social isolation experienced by children facing serious and chronic illnesses by matching them with a college athletic team. The two-year therapeutic program complements a child's medical treatments, allowing the child to develop relationships and skills that help them complete the full circle of healing. Through participation in Team IMPACT's clinically informed program, children experience a true sense of belonging, resulting in increased empowerment, normalization, health promotion, and resilience.
Founded in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 2,100 children with 700+ colleges and universities in 49 states, impacting more than 60,000 student athletes.
Team IMPACT has more than 1,200 teams across the country waiting to be matched with children, ages 5-16, who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening or chronic illness and who could benefit from becoming a member of the team. For more information, please visit www.teamimpact.org.
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