Men's Lacrosse Signs Brayden Starr Through Team IMPACT
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's lacrosse team and third-year head coach Andrew Fink officially announced the addition of Brayden Starr, who signed with the Blue Jays through Team IMPACT on Friday, March 25, in an in-person signing day ceremony inside the O'Connell Center. Brayden, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, is 10 years old from East Granby and was joined by family, the men's lacrosse team, coaching staff, and USJ administration Friday as he signed his National Letter of Intent to officially join the program. He will participate in many activities with the men's lacrosse team over the next two years, including games, practices, and other team events.
"We are so excited to have Brayden here at the University of Saint Joseph and have him now officially part of the USJ men's lacrosse family," said junior midfielder Evan Baden (Burlington, Conn.) on Brayden's signing day. "It's awesome to interact, work, and learn from him on a daily basis. He has been through so much and overcome so much that he really inspires the team and means everything to our program."
Team IMPACT, a national non-profit organization, has developed a unique multiyear program that matches children facing serious illnesses and disabilities with college athletic teams across the country. Based on a clinical model, Team IMPACT guides a symbiotic relationship between teams and children focused on socialization, empowerment, and resilience.
"Team IMPACT is excited to see Brayden officially join the Blue Jay family," said Danielle Hardee, Regional Director of Programs, Northeast at Team IMPACT. "We are proud to work alongside the University of Saint Joseph, their athletic department and coaching staff to create lifelong bonds and life-changing outcomes between student-athletes and their Team IMPACT teammates."
"We are thrilled that Brayden has officially joined the team with today's signing day and it's an amazing experience to connect Brayden and our student-athletes," said Fink. "I think it really makes our guys appreciate being a part of a team and making an impact on a young man's life. Brayden will get a lot out of this experience, but at the same time so will our student-athletes. I think this relationship makes us so much stronger and is a great opportunity to get involved. I'm very happy that today went so well and we couldn't have asked for a better day."
About Team IMPACT
Team IMPACT's unique multiyear program signs children facing serious illness and disabilities onto college athletic teams across the country. Based on a clinical model, Team IMPACT guides a symbiotic relationship between teams and children focused on socialization, empowerment, and resilience, ensuring everyone involved has the personalized game plan they need to win – effectively building confidence and independence. Founded in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 2,300 children with 700+ colleges and universities in 49 states, impacting more than 65,000 student-athletes. If you know a child or team who may be interested, please visit www.teamimpact.org.
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Media Contacts
For University of Saint Joseph: Josh Ingham, jingham@usj.edu
For Team IMPACT: Katie DePaolo, kdepaolo@teamimpact.org