COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College Department of Athletics held two special events earlier this week to celebrate three Team IMPACT teammates. Team IMPACT is a national non-profit organization that improves the quality of life for children facing chronic or life-threatening illness through the power of team.
 
Immediately prior to women's soccer hosting Vermont State University Johnson on Tuesday at 6 p.m., teammates Mariella Desjardin (women's soccer), Katie Guy (softball) and Max Speier (baseball) were introduced alongside their fellow Purple Knights on Duffy Field, thanks in part to collaboration with a pair of Team IMPACT fellows, women's soccer senior Elani Gikas (Peabody, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) and softball senior Kiera Parker (Weymouth, Mass./Framingham/Stevenson).
 
On Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., baseball officially announced the addition of 14-year-old Max to its roster during an introductory press conference in the Tarrant Recreation Center's Varsity Media Room.
 
"Team IMPACT is excited to see Max join the Purple Knights," said Emma Simches, Regional Director of Programs, Northeast at Team IMPACT. "We are proud to work Saint Michael's College, their athletic department, and coaching staff to create lifelong bonds and life-changing outcomes between student-athletes and their Team IMPACT teammates." Maximilian manages a condition called neurofibromatosis type 1.
 
Team IMPACT has developed a unique multiyear program that matches children facing serious illness and disability 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.
 
Saint Michael's is a long-time partner of Team IMPACT, joining many Northeast-10 Conference counterparts in its involvement, as the baseball, men's basketball, field hockey, men's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, women's soccer, softball, and men's and women's swimming & diving programs have welcomed Team IMPACT teammates in the past 13 years. For more information about Team IMPACT, visit goteamimpact.org.