»ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ field hockey coach Kyle DeSandes-Moyer is pleased to announce the signing of 10-year-old Mary Alice Tryda through Team IMPACT to the »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ field hockey team.
"We are thrilled to officially welcome Mary Alice to our »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ field hockey family," DeSandes-Moyer said. "The team is looking forward to supporting Mary Alice and getting to know her and her family more."
A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Tryda has battled a connective tissue disorder that causes hypermobility in her joints and ligaments since birth but was officially diagnosed in 2018.
Through Team IMPACT's program at »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥, Tryda will become an official member of the field hockey team. As a team member, she will attend Flashes' practices, games, team dinners, events and will serve as the honorary captain in the game against Miami on Oct. 11.
Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming lifelong bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,800 children with more than 600 colleges and universities in 48 states, reaching over 55,000 participating student-athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student-athletes join the child's support team – from Draft Day to Graduation. During the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie, and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency, and perspective they can't learn in a classroom.
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Photo Caption: Mary Alice is also a cheerleader and got to try out the pompoms the »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ cheerleaders use.