Children and Families

What are the eligibility criteria for participation?

• Participants in Team IMPACT come from all sorts of medical backgrounds. The common denominator for all participants is that they are battling or have recently battled a life-threatening illness that has impaired them physically, academically, socially and/or psychologically.

• General eligibility requirements for participating children include:

• They have been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and have recently (the last 2-3 years) been undergoing a range of medical treatments that:
  • Involve lots of time and extended stays in the hospital.
  • Have had an adverse impact on the child's ability to participate in certain athletic, social and academic activities.
  • Have had an adverse impact on the child's development (physically, academically, socially or psychologically).
  • The child is at least 5 years old and either a resident of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic or Midwest or being treated at a medical facility in that region.

• Specific eligibility is further determined during the introductory phone call with a Team IMPACT staff member and after the 'Eligibility Committee' has had a chance to review the case.

 

What is the perspective of current families that participate in the Team IMPACT program?

 

What does participation involve in terms of the commitment the family would need to make?

• As with most things the more time and energy you put into them, the more you get out of them. This is absolutely the case with a Team IMPACT relationship.
• Accordingly, our request and recommendation is that the child is able to physically get to the campus in order to spend face time with his or her team at least twice a semester.
• Beyond that, much of the commitment involves following and supporting your team. This is typically achieved through a variety of social media (texting, Caringbridge pages, Facebook, Twitter, email, phone calls etc)
• As the entire program is centered around enhancing the child's quality of life and filling their lives with more love and laughter, we don't have stringent requirements. However, we do want to make sure that a reasonable level of effort is being made to cultivate the relationship. Additionally, all of the folks involved understand that based on the child's situation that there are important medical considerations and commitments in the child's life, and that often they will take a higher priority.

 

What does a typical Team IMPACT experience and relationship involve?

• Commonly these relationship grow and evolve organically into something very lasting and impactful.
• Typically, the relationship is 'kicked-off' at a Draft Day ceremony held on campus with their team.
• This is an opportunity for everybody to meet each other face to face and learn more about each other.
• It's also when and where contact information is exchanged and the teammates and the parents start to discuss a variety of ways and means to keep in touch and support each other.
• Elements of the relationships can and have involved:
  • The child attending practices and games and gaining special on-field access.
  • The child receiving a variety of athletic team gear (hats, sweatshirts, and t-shirts).
  • The child being introduced as part of the team at one of the games.
  • Members of the team regularly keeping in touch with the child to include making visits to the hospitals and wishing them well before and after tests and treatments. 
  • The child sharing their experience and perspective on facing challengers as an inspiration to the teams before a big game.
• In addition, the team will join the child's support team supporting the child in their medical journey and beyond. Some examples include:
  • Visiting the child in the hospital during treatment or extended hospital stay
  • Taking the child trick-or-treating
  • Helping build a hockey rink in the child's back yard
  • Visiting the child at his or her home to play with them (video games, street hockey, homework help)
  • Supporting their young teammate at the child's sporting events (tee ball games, karate belt ceremonies, youth basketball games)

 

Is the entire family involved, especially the siblings, in the Team IMPACT relationship?

• In the training we administer with the student athletes, we educate them about the challenges associated with the entire family, specifically the siblings.
• Throughout our stewarding of the relationship, we strongly encourage the team to embrace the parents and siblings by including and engaging them in team activities as much as possible.
• In some cases, siblings have been adopted on to a team of their own. (i.e. Ethan's sister, Madelyn drafted on to the Brown gymnastics team)

 

How do I learn more about getting started?

• Click here to get an Overview of the Process
• Click here to this link and fill out a simple form to express your interest. Within a few days a member of Team IMPACT's staff will be in touch for an 'Introductory Phone Call' that will provide more details about the program and further determine interest, fit and eligibility. The phone call typically takes between 20-25 minutes.

 

Are there any cost or fees associated with participation?

• No. None. The only costs incurred would be those associated with traveling to visit your child's team.

 

What training or preparation does the team receive in order to understand how best to interact with a child facing life-threatening diseases?

• Team IMPACT spends time on the front-end of the process with the athletic teams to ensure that they are aware of and sensitive to some of the dynamics associated with spending time with a child facing a life-threatening disease.
• We also provide each team with Team Training. This training was developed in conjunction with our Board of Medical Advisors that have expertise in these matters. Some of the key elements of Team Training include:
  • Understanding the role of teammate and role model
  • Use of social media
  • Visiting the hospital
  • Embracing the family and siblings
  • Do's & Don'ts and Tips & Tricks

 

What are the potential benefits of the Team IMPACT program on the participating family?

• The Team IMPACT program provides regular access to high-grade socialization in a socially safe environment:
  • Where the child is accepted and embraced as an integral member of the team
  • That is rich with a number of inspiring peer mentors
  • That serves as an exciting distraction from medical realities and the associated stress and anxiety that goes along with treatment
• The Impact on the Quality of Life for the Children and their Family
  • Reduced levels of stress and anxiety
  • Instills hope and a brighter sense of future (talk about the next game, visit, or season)
  • Provides an active and exciting social calendar
  • Improves skills, confidence, and experience in initiating and receiving social interaction
  • Provides opportunities and inspiration for physical activity
• The clinical value of the Team IMPACT program is illustrated by anecdotal evidence provided by current Team IMPACT relationships. Below are examples of cases studies that show how this degree of high quality socialization improves the quality of life for these children.
  • 8 Year Old Girl and Softball Team
  • 13 Year Old Boy and Basketball Team
  • 12 Year Old Boy and Hockey Team