Skyhawks officially welcomed Declan as newest teammate last week

Stonehill's Newest Baseball Player Gets Standing Ovation - NBC 10

EASTON, Massachusetts (November 12, 2019) – The Stonehill College baseball program officially welcomed its newest teammate, when it signed Declan Hickey from nearby Kingston, through Team IMPACT (Inspire, Motivate, Play Against Challenges, Together) in a ceremony inside the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex last week.

Declan, the son of Aisling and Jack Hickey, resides in Kingston, Massachusetts, with his sister Niamh. Declan joins the Stonehill baseball team after being diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy at a young age. The new Skyhawk signee is an avid sports fan who loves to make new friends.

"We are really excited to have Declan's energy on board this year," stated head coach Pat Boen. "It is really important not only for Declan, but for our team to see the impact they can have on someone who needs a little support."

Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams to form life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes, matched Declan with the Stonehill baseball program. Helping Declan acclimate to his new team are team advocates: sophomore Matt Farragher, and freshmen Kyle Moran and Matt Tyman.

Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched nearly 1,600 children with more than 500 colleges and universities in 48 states, reaching over 50,000 participating student-athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student-athletes join the child's support team. Throughout 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.

The draft day was for Declan included Declan receiving a team jersey and hat, signing his name to make it official, and of course some pizza to celebrate the occasion.

Team IMPACT has more than 1,000 teams waiting to be matched with children, ages 5-16, who have been diagnosed with a series or chronic illness and who could benefit from becoming a member of the team. If you know a child who may be interested, visit goteamimpact.org for more information.

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Team IMPACT Draft Day - Declan Hickey (Nov. 8, 2019)