A Perfect Match

On the Maryland women’s basketball team roster, 14 girls and seven members of the coaching staff listed. However, if you ask anyone in the program, they will tell you they also have another member of the family: Sophie. 

Sophie is a 14-year-old girl who is part of Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, creating a long-term, life-changing experience for everyone. Sophie deals with William’s Syndrome, a rare developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body.

Recently, Sophie was matched with Maryland women’s basketball—something that the program was ecstatic about. 

“As soon as we were presented with the idea, (head coach) Brenda (Frese) was all for it,” assistant coach/defensive specialist Kaitlynn Fratz said. “It was immediately like, ‘Yes. Absolutely. We need to do this. Let’s welcome someone into our program.’”

The program has a history with Team IMPACT. Several years ago they matched with Ashlyn, who was their match for two years and still remains a part of the program to this day. Fratz, who orchestrated a lot of the match with Sophie from the women’s basketball side, was blown away by what the match meant to both sides when she first arrived at Maryland. 

“I came in after they had already made the match and could instantly tell that Ashlyn was family,” Fratz said. “She was hanging out with the girls in the locker room, they were taking her to Dave & Buster’s. And I think out of that situation, there’s a lot of perspective gained. I think it helps all of us in the program take away from things that stress us out and have this worldly perspective that everybody is fighting their own, individual battles and the more we can all come together to ease some of that is a blessing.”

“It was never a task. It was like we’re hanging out with our teammate, our family,” she added. “And when Ashlyn was around, everyone was happier: players, staff and Ashlyn herself.”

The same can be said about the team and Sophie so far. 

Sophie joined the women’s basketball family recently and made it official on Oct. 29 when she participated in Signing Day, complete with a packed press conference, remarks from Frese, and a celebratory cake afterward. 

“That was a really beautiful way to make it official that she’s part of the team,” Fratz said. “Because signing that letter is the real step. I think the formality of that was really fun, where she could sit at a press conference and people could recognize her and get to know her outside of the program. It was a really special moment that I think she really enjoyed.”

Since her first day, Sophie, a lifelong Maryland fan, has been a seamless fit with the program. During the first meeting with the team, she clung closely to her mom. However, once she saw the custom jersey the team gifted her, she burst into tears of happiness. 

“Ever since then, she's been so open around us and so happy to be there,” graduate student forward Briane Alexander said. “She’ll say things to us on the bench, it’s so cute. We all love having Sophie there.”

“Sophie exudes joy,” Fratz added. “She just came in right away and started calling us her sisters and talking about how she can’t wait to see her sisters play. And we’ve been welcoming but she came in with just as open a heart and mind.”

For Alexander, the match resonates with her on a deeply personal level. Growing up in Nashville, TN, Alexander spent extended periods of time in the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital as she dealt with intense bouts of asthma. During her time in the hospital, she and the other children there were able to participate in several different events and activities with Vanderbilt athletics. 

Now, at Maryland, Alexander is thrilled to be able to return the favor. 

“The Team IMPACT kids have a really special place in my heart,” Alexander said. “They have to go through some really detrimental things at such a young age but they always keep a good smile and are happy, so it’s really inspiring.”

The theme of inspiration is common when discussing Sophie and Team IMPACT kids as a whole. 

“Things are difficult for her, but the way she approaches every day is awesome,” Fratz said. “We’re blessed to have her part of the program—she’s really enhanced it.”

Being part of the team is a joy for Sophie, but she’s not the only one who benefits from the match. The girls and staff are getting just as much from Sophie as she does from them. 

“One of our core values this year is gratitude,” Alexander said. “And having Sophie around is of course pleasant and a lot of fun, but it also helps us put things in perspective and show us how some people can persevere through everyday struggles and go about their lives with a smile on their face. 

“That’s what Sophie is doing, and it’s very inspiring.”