By Kathy Brown.
Logan Merwin, Haddam Killingworth Middle School sixth grader was “drafted” this weekend by the Quinnipiac Men’s Tennis Team in Hamden, Conn. On Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018 a special celebration was held for Logan to become an official member of the team even though he is only 11; he will be able to attend practices, games, team dinners, events, and more. Logan has this unique opportunity because of Team IMPACT, a Boston-based national non-profit organization whose mission “is to improve the quality of life for children facing serious and chronic illnesses through the power of team.” Logan, a Haddam resident, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 10 years ago, and his mother signed him up for this experience on the organization’s website last year.
Samantha Merwin, Logan’s mother, said she liked the idea of the program because “Logan having exposure to a team of hard working role models playing a sport helikes at this age is an invaluable experience. It is our hope that the team will learn about Type 1 and children with lifetime diseases from being around Logan and that will have an impact on them.”
Team IMPACT has matched nearly 1,600 children with more than 500 colleges and universities in 48 states. It’s a win on both sides — the student athletes on the team join the child’s support team and learn about resiliency and perspective, while the child gains strength and support being part of the team. “I felt awesome,” said Logan, about Saturday’s celebration. “I am looking forward to having a great time with the team and learning how to play tennis!” Samantha said, “[The students] have already shown interest and empathy when Logan was taking care of himself while there, [and] I’m excited to see their relationship grow this year.”
Quinnipiac University has been participating in the Team IMPACT program for a couple of years, but this is the first time that the Tennis team has participated, said Mary Welker, of Team IMPACT. “Each Team IMPACT relationship is different because each child is different, each team is different and they all work together to create a relationship that works for all of them!”
“It’s great seeing the players play the matches,” said Logan of Saturday’s experience, “and knowing I’m part of the team.”
Team IMPACT has more than 1,000 teams waiting to be matched with children, ages 5-16, who have been diagnosed with a serious or chronic illness and who could benefit from becoming a member of the team. If you know a child who may be interested, visit www.goteamimpact.org for more information.
Photos by Samantha Merwin.
