FULLERTON, Calif. - Although the Spring Season was cut short and campus has remained closed, forcing the student-athletes to switch to virtual learning, our teams that are partnered with Team IMPACT did not let that stop them. With their honorary teammates having to do school virtually as well, our student-athletes continued to stay connected with their little teammates even though they were not able to rely on the face-to-face interaction. The teams had to be imaginative when it came to staying in communication with one another from a distance.
Team IMPACT is a non-profit organization that pairs children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams. Each child is a part of the selected college team for two years as an honorary teammate. The organization helps create a lifelong bond between the student-athletes and their honorary teammate. This bond gives the child more support and confidence in the everyday challenges they face. Currently, Cal State Fullerton Athletics has three teams that have an honorary teammate: Track and Field, Men's Soccer, and Baseball.
The Track and Field team has been with their honorary team member, Samuel, for over a year and what a year this past one has been. Samuel is an 8-year-old boy, born with an extreme bilateral cleft lip and palate; he wears a hearing aid, is Autistic, and has hypermobility. He has had 23 surgeries in total in his short eight years. Prior to shut down due to COVID-19, Samuel was attending practice every Wednesday and would help Associate Head Coach, Coach Marques Barosso, train the team. Karyn Best and Blake Rose, both track and field student-athletes, took it upon themselves to take the leadership role of the team's relationship with Samuel. They have stepped up and stayed in constant contact with Samuel and his family to make sure that they are staying safe and healthy during this time. Although Karyn and Blake both do not currently reside in Fullerton, they carve out time to virtually meet with Samuel and his parents. During one of their team meetings, Samuel talked about how he built a dinosaur with Legos and showed many pictures of his dog to his teammates. Samuel cannot wait for the team to be back on campus so he can help coach again, and be out on the track with his teammates!
Men's Soccer have also been with their teammate, Niko, for over a year. Niko was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2013 and underwent treatment until May 5th, 2017. "Cinco de Niko" as his parents put it, was the 3-year anniversary of his last treatment. Sam Molz, a recent graduate, took the lead in maintaining a relationship with Niko and his family to create a strong bond. In early March, the whole soccer team went to support their teammate, Niko, at his hockey game! It was a special moment for the entire team as they watched and cheered for him in the stands. During this time as sports are not being played, the men's soccer team have made sure Niko knows they are still teammates. Clayton Torr, a junior defender, has stepped into the leadership role in placement of Sam. He schedules several virtual team meetings and calls to stay in communication with Niko and see how he's doing. While in conversation, the team has learned of Niko's love for video games and how much he plays during his down time. After finding this out, the entire team dedicates a few days out of the week to play with him for hours on end. The team cannot wait to be back on campus and be able to hang out with Niko again.
Baseball has had Josh, their honorary teammate, for over 2 years. Josh was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2017 at the age of 4. He was going through his last year of treatment when he unfortunately relapsed at the beginning of 2020. He currently going through treatment for the next 2 years in hopes of staying cancer-free. As Josh undergoes treatment, the team makes it a priority to stay connected to support him through his journey. Dillon Brown, a recent student-athlete graduate, is passing on his leadership position to Zach Lew and Jacob Hobson as they look to figure out ways to continue to support Josh in his second battle with Cancer. The team as a whole steps up whenever they are free to be able to talk to Josh. Tanner Bibbee, Timothy Josten, and Landon Anderson made sure to keep Josh's mind off of his upcoming treatment. They talked to him about the games he plays with his sister, how excited he is to be out of school for summer break, and the trip his family took to the beach recently. Josh loves being a part of the Titans baseball team, and the student-athletes love connecting with him and continue to show support during his fight.
Due to COVID-19, Cal State Fullerton Athletics has the honor of continuing these relationships for an extra year. This decision came with the thought of making sure that the student-athletes and their honorary teammates having the best possible experience with one another.
Being a Titan does not mean stopping at what is expected, it means going above and beyond. Our teams, who are paired with Team IMPACT, do just that. They continue to strive to find ways to take their responsibilities a step or two further. Whether it means attending a trick-or-treat gathering and getting dressed in costume for it, the entire team attending a sports event to cheer on their honorary teammate, or, having their honorary teammate come to practice and grab lunch afterwards, our teams step up to strengthen their bonds with their honorary teammates. Titans are more than just student-athletes, they are role models who make an impact on the youth's lives each and every year.
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