CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia women’s soccer team announced a new team member, signing 6-year-old Kiya Thomas through Team IMPACT on Friday (Sept. 18).
Kiya, who is living with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, officially signed with the team at the Harrison Olympic Sport Center on Grounds at the University of Virginia.
She will participate in many activities with the Cavaliers, including games, practices and other team events, over the next two years.
Team IMPACT, a national non-profit organization, 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.
“We’re really excited to have Kiya officially join our team,” said Virginia head coach Steve Swanson. “She’s already been such an inspiration to our players and our whole program, and it will be great to have her involved even more than she has been. She’s a big part of what we’re doing here and she’s a big part of our culture. I think she will be as much of an inspiration to our team as our team is to her.”
About Team IMPACT
Team IMPACT’s unique multiyear program signs children facing serious illness and disability 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 4,500 children with 850+ colleges and universities in all 50 states, impacting more than 110,000 student-athletes. If you know a child or team who may be interested, please visit www.teamimpact.org.