Amherst, N.Y. - Daemen College Head Women's Basketball Coach David Skolen announced the addition of a special member to the women's basketball program as eight-year old Sofia Reisman of Amherst, N.Y. was formally introduced during a press conference today at Lumsden Gymnasium.
Sofia comes to Daemen through a partnership with Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses. Core to their model is harnessing the power of teamwork by matching these courageous kids with college athletic teams. Team IMPACT children are drafted onto local college athletic teams and, to the greatest extent possible, become an official member of the team for the duration of their treatment and beyond.
"We are very excited to welcome Sofia to our team," Skolen said. "We all had the opportunity to meet Sofia and her family last week. She is a very outgoing, personable girl with a great sense of humor. We are all looking forward to getting the chance to spend a lot of time with her and we sincerely hope she enjoys her experience with us."
Sofia was diagnosed with Common Variable Immune Deficiency prior to entering first grade, starting treatments for the illness in April of 2013. Treatment involves intravenous immunoglobulin medication which contains antibodies to help fight off infections. Despite her condition, Sofia is a sociable, energetic and friendly person, and she's generous beyond her years, donating her hair and collecting donations for local hospitals.
Sofia is joining a Wildcat team that is in the early stages of its 2015-16 season, currently sitting at 2-2 overall. She's also the second child to join a Daemen team through the partnership with Team IMPACT. In November of 2014, twelve-year old Leontae Parker became a member of the Daemen men's basketball team.
Learn more about Team IMPACT at goteamimpact.org.
WILDCAT PROFILE
NAME: Sofia Reisman
AGE: 8
HOMETOWN: Amherst, N.Y.
FAVORITE COLORS: Red
FAVORITE FOODS: Gluten-free pizza, pasta, cookies
FAVORITE MOVIES: Camp Rock, Inside Out, Star Wars
FAVORITE MUSICAL ARTISTS: Demi Lovato, Joe Jonas, Meghan Trainor
GENEROUS BY NATURE: Sofia has donated her hair, and she collects money in her piggy bank to bring donations to her hospital
ABOUT TEAM IMPACT:
Team IMPACT is national organization, based in Boston, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team. Team IMPACT children are drafted on to college athletic teams, local to where they live and, in effect, become official members of the team from Draft Day through to Graduation. Established in 2011, Team IMPACT has already matched over 800 children with collegiate teams at over 300 institutions in 45 states, improving the quality of life of hundreds of courageous children and touching the lives of over 25,000 student athletes.
Provided by the Daemen Sports Information Department.
