About

Helping Kids
And Teams
Change Each
Other's Lives

We provide outcomes that change lives.

For a healthy child, there are a number of systems through their family, school, or larger community where they are able to find support and socialization. For children living with a serious illness or disability, these systems can be strained. Team IMPACT provides a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment for a child and their family to connect with a college athletic team and local campus community. 

Our Values

Shared values provide a framework that guide our actions and beliefs internally and externally. At Team IMPACT, our staff defined our core values – and we couldn’t be more proud of the outcome. The following beliefs are the foundation of our program.

Empathy

We Teach Empathy.

Having empathy is one of our leading principles. We believe in the importance of listening and always appreciating other perspectives. It fuels our connection internally, as well as between the children and teams.

(noun) The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Camaraderie

We Practice Camaraderie.

We are stronger together. No one succeeds in a silo, and building community is the first step to our success.

(noun) a spirit of good friendship and loyalty among members of a group.

Resilience

We Promote Resilience.

We are all faced with challenges — some more than others. We learn and practice courage as we lift each other up and build the tools to sustain socially and mentally.

(noun) the ability to bounce-back, to recover from difficulties.

Boldness

We Live With Boldness.

Being bold is what drives us. We believe we must be bold and innovative with everything we do at Team IMPACT.

(noun) willingness to take risks and act innovatively.

Champion

Together, We Champion.

Children deserve a world that values growth as well as dignity and authenticity. Strong morals are what guide us at Team IMPACT, and we stand true to and champion our beliefs always.

(verb) to protect or fight for something you believe in.

Our Story

Anyone who has been involved in a team sport can speak from experience on the power of team. Together, teammates learn incredible life lessons about hard work, accountability, teamwork, perseverance, leadership, adversity, and grit.

In 2011, eight former college classmates and student-athletes came together in Boston to celebrate something at the core of their friendship: the power of team. On Mother’s Day of 2011, this group of friends launched Team IMPACT — now a national nonprofit that connects children with serious illnesses or disabilities with college athletic teams — by matching Ben, a nine-year-old battling cancer, with the St. Anselm’s College men’s hockey team.

Inspired by his brother Chris, Jay Calnan was driven to find a way to ensure no child was sidelined by sickness or disability. Chris, a longtime sports fan who was born with a condition that prevented him from participating in sports after the age of 12, got his opportunity to be on a team when the Bristol Red Sox, a minor league AA baseball team, took him under its wing as an official team batboy. This sparked an idea in Jay, who leveraged his relationships with a passionate group of leaders — Dan Kraft, Dan Walsh, Kris Herman, Tim Kelly, Robert Tishman, Mark Plansky, and Scott Tully — to bring this dream to life. Their years of personal experience on and off the field gave them opportunities to witness the impact a college athletic team can have on the mental, emotional, social, and physical wellbeing of a sick or disabled child.

Together, these founders leaned on their strengths and played a significant role in the inception of Team IMPACT. The inaugural Co-Chairs of the Board, Jay Calnan and Dan Kraft, opened their networks and created the initial groundswell of support to get Team IMPACT off the ground. Dan Walsh and Kris Herman constructed Team IMPACT’s first blueprint and strategic plan that operationalized the program for the first five years. Tim Kelly managed the finances and legalization of the organization, while Robert Tishman, Mark Plansky, and Scott Tully leveraged their relationships in the financial services, real estate, and athletic communities to rally the first surge of teams and investors to get involved. This was the true definition of teamwork. Each focused their energy, personal financial investments, and individual skills to build the organization through hard work, networking, and unwavering passion for the mission of Team IMPACT.

Through a two-year therapeutic program, Team IMPACT has fostered relationships that have enhanced the lives of thousands of courageous children and tens of thousands of student-athletes across the country. The team behind Team IMPACT is honored and inspired to continue expanding the long-standing tradition of athletes contributing to something far greater than themselves. The student-athletes in our program extend their commitment to their team and to each other to provide sick and disabled children in their local community a profound sense of belonging, demonstrating their steadfast support for each and every member of the team through adversity — on and off the field.

What began in the back offices of J.Calnan & Associates in Boston is now a national nonprofit with regional offices across the United States. Our impact is decades-long and nationwide — and we are just getting started.

2022 IMPACT Report

In this report, you’ll learn about our 2022 impact – not only through statistics and financial reporting, but also through stories from our families, children, student-athletes, teams, staff, donors, and partners. We’re grateful for your support and the work you’ve done alongside us to get all kids in the game.

Spotlights

I'm at Mercyhurst University wondering what it would feel like to be a B.M.O.C. A Big Man On Campus. What.
On the ice, the University of New England’s women's hockey team is a tight knit group; off the ice, they're.
Saint Francis University is known for the tagline "Becoming That Someone." For the last 10 years, the Red Flash men's.

Press Releases

Experience the poignant tale of Blake Moraska, a brave soul facing challenges with courage and resilience. Follow his integration into.
Colorado men's basketball partnered with Team IMPACT to add a new player to its roster here Thursday, signing 12-year-old Blake.
Colorado women's basketball partnered with Team IMPACT to sign 6-year-old Bellamy Korn as a late-season addition to the Buffaloes squad.

MAKE YOUR IMPACT

Together we can make a difference. Your generous support helps us empower future generations of champions to lead with empathy, inclusion and resiliency.