Hiram – Recently 11-year-old Haley Kimble celebrated a big win when she became the newest, youngest member signed to the Terriers Women’s Basketball team. According to Hayley’s mom Kelly Kimble of Thompson, Ohio, her daughter is a huge basketball fan. Several years ago, Hayley participated in a program through the Cleveland Clinic during which she met Darius Garland from the Cleveland Cavaliers. That fueled her obsession with basketball even more. So when Kimble learned of the Team IMPACT program through Hayley’s oncologist and nurse practitioner, “it sounded wonderful!”
Through Team IMPACT, children like Haley are drafted onto college athletic teams for a two-year therapeutic program that complements their medical treatments, allowing the children to develop relationships and skills that help them complete the full circle of healing. Kimble explained, “For kids like my daughter, cancer has debilitated her chance to be a part of a team.” She explained how her weekly interactions with the Coach Alex Dellas and the athletes at Hiram College, “have been a bright spot for her.” And the feeling is mutual.
Hiram Women’s Basketball Coach Alex Dellas learned about the program when the Men’s Lacrosse team signed then 9-year-old Julian Zimmerman to their team through the inspiring program. Shortly after, Dellas signed up with the organization. Unbeknownst to Dellas, Haley’s family submitted an application at roughly the same time, and the young girl was matched with the Terriers team.
Dellas explained that every week since early fall, her teammates video chat via Zoom with their young teammate. “It’s been really nice,” Dellas shared. “Hayley is really funny and nice to be around. She brings a great atmosphere to Tuesday nights.”
“It’s something we look forward to each week,” athlete Kelsie Gaiser, a freshman nursing major shared. “Hayley is fun to talk to. She wants to talk about basketball, and what goes on at practice and at school; we get to know her and what she’s up to at home. It’s been easy to dive right in, and really fun for us to get to know her.” In the fall, Dellas’ team was disappointed when their season was cancelled due to Covid. “We’ve had lots of ups and downs this season, but the women continued to show up at the gym and to work hard.”
“It’s hard to stay motivated when there’s no season,” Gaiser noted, “so having something to look forward to, like our time with Hayley, was key.” “From a coach’s perspective, Haley has helped some of our players come out of their shells through our weekly video chats,” Coach Dellas shared. “Since students are attending classes via Zoom and have the ability to turn off their cameras, spending time on camera with Hayley has helped them practice their communication skills.”
“She’s involved with our team, and we’re really lucky,” Dellas noted. “She has an illness, but it doesn’t define her.” Both Dellas and Gaiser, who plans to pursue pediatric or neonatal nursing after graduation, recommend the Team IMPACT program to other collegiate teams. “I was a little worried going into it, not knowing how they’d perceive her disabilities, Kimble remarked, noting that due to her cancer, sometimes it takes Haley time to find her words. She marveled at Hayley’s interactions with the collegiate athletes, sharing, “They’ve never treated her as though she has a disability. They treat her like one of them.”
The day before the signing ceremony, Kimble noted that Hayley didn’t sleep, due to the excitement of finally meeting her teammates in person. And the Hiram Terriers didn’t disappoint her. “Coach Alex treated her wonderfully,” Kimble noted. Hayley was surrounded by her teammates as she signed her letter. She was presented with a swag bag that included t-shirts, sweatshirts, and a banner for her room. She was thrilled to join her teammates to ring the bell outside the Coleman Sports Complex — a Hiram College tradition.
“She really enjoyed that they were all helping her reach it,” Kimble laughed. “It really made her feel like a part of the team.” The Men’s Lacrosse and Volleyball teams cheered her on, as well. Afterwards, Hayley and her family were taken on a tour of Hiram’s Field House and campus. “The campus was beautiful, and everyone was very friendly. I don’t think she stopped grinning that day,” Kimble added.
While Team IMPACT contracts between teams and young adults are slated to last two years, Coach Dellas noted, “as long as she’d like to be a part of our team, we’d be glad to have her.” Luckily, the team was able to play four games before the season came to a close. Next season, they hope to have a full scheduled, and Hayley is looking forward to attending. If you’d like to catch a game, the new season begins in November. And, who knows, you may even see Hayley — she’ll be the one with the radiant grin, cheering on her teammates.
Since its inception in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched over 2,000 children with more than 700 colleges and universities in 48 states. For more information, visit teamimpact.org.
