The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Women's Basketball Joins with Team IMPACT to add Delanie for 2023-24 Season
December 15 | Women's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron women's basketball team and head coach Ryan Gensler recently announced the signing of Delanie Harker, a Team IMPACT recruit. The 17-year-old Canal Fulton native, made it official with a signing day celebration at James A. Rhodes Arena.
"We are thrilled to welcome Delanie to our Akron Women's Basketball family through Team IMPACT," Gensler commented. "It has been great to have her around our team this fall as she has been a symbol of courage, determination and consistency to be the best version of yourself no matter the circumstances. We'd like to thank Delanie and her family for being on our journey this season together."
Team IMPACT, an organization that connects children facing chronic or life-threatening illnesses to college athletic teams in an effort to improve their quality of life, orchestrated Delanie's recruitment with the Akron women's basketball program.
Delanie deals with Chron's Disease, which an inflammatory bowel disease that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Akron has worked with Team IMPACT since 2016, matching children with its men's soccer, women's basketball and volleyball squads.
ABOUT TEAM IMPACT:
Team IMPACT is the only U.S. nonprofit that tackles the emotional trauma and social isolation experienced by children facing serious and chronic illnesses by matching them with a college athletic team. The two-year therapeutic program complements a child's medical treatments, allowing the child to develop relationships and skills that help them complete the full circle of healing. Through participation in Team IMPACT's clinically informed program, children experience a true sense of belonging, resulting in increased empowerment, normalization, health promotion, and resilience.
Founded in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 2,100 children with 700+ colleges and universities in 49 states, impacting more than 60,000 student athletes.
Team IMPACT has more than 1,200 teams across the country waiting to be matched with children, ages 5-16, who have been diagnosed with life-threatening or chronic illness and who could benefit from becoming a member of the team. For more information, please visit www.teamimpact.org.
