Kent State University field hockey coach Kyle DeSandes-Moyer is pleased to announce the signing of 10-year-old Mary Alice Tryda through Team IMPACT to the Kent State field hockey team.
"We are thrilled to officially welcome Mary Alice to our Kent State field hockey family," DeSandes-Moyer said. "The team is looking forward to supporting Mary Alice and getting to know her and her family more."
A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Tryda has battled a connective tissue disorder that causes hypermobility in her joints and ligaments since birth but was officially diagnosed in 2018.
Through Team IMPACT's program at Kent State, Tryda will become an official member of the field hockey team. As a team member, she will attend Flashes' practices, games, team dinners, events and will serve as the honorary captain in the game against Miami on Oct. 11.
Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming lifelong bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,800 children with more than 600 colleges and universities in 48 states, reaching over 55,000 participating student-athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student-athletes join the child's support team – from Draft Day to Graduation. During the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie, and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency, and perspective they can't learn in a classroom.
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Photo Caption: Mary Alice is also a cheerleader and got to try out the pompoms the Kent State cheerleaders use.