SAN DIEGO – In partnership with Team IMPACT, the San Diego State baseball team held a special signing day ceremony at Tony Gwynn Stadium Friday to welcome 10-year-old Nathaniel Wolpoff as an official member of the Aztec program.
 
Flanked by his parents, relatives and the entire SDSU squad, Wolpoff, who was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2020, officially signed his National Letter of Intent and proudly presented the document to Aztec head coach Mark Martinez. As a full-fledged team member, the San Marcos native will attend practices, serve as bat boy during SDSU home games and attend official team events over the next two seasons.
 
Team IMPACT is a non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, whose mission is to help children confront the emotional trauma and social isolation associated with serious and chronic illnesses by matching them with a college athletic team. Through a two-year therapeutic program that complements their medical treatments, children develop relationships and skills that help them complete the full circle of healing.
 
Children gain support as they face medical challenges, while student-athletes gain a whole new perspective. Through the power of team, children and student-athletes accept, motivate, and inspire one another — changing the game for everyone involved.
 
Eligibility for the Team IMPACT Program is determined for all children and teams that apply, and is based on a set of physical, social and emotional factors.
 
Factors such as proximity to campus, physical and sensory needs and prognosis are considered for each child. Criteria for team selection include size of team, coaching philosophy, team cohesion, and age and maturity of student-athletes.
 
As part of the recruiting process, children are matched with a team and are introduced to the program through a campus visit before partaking in an official signing day.
 
For more information on Team IMPACT, visit www.teamimpact.org