Appalachian State men's soccer officially welcomed 12-year-old Team IMPACT teammate Jacob Brown to the program in a signing ceremony held in the Mark E. Ricks Athletics Complex. Brown, joined by his family, members of the coaching staff and team, made his letter of intent official Thursday evening.
"Today was great. Jacob is going to add a lot of things to our program. His passion, courage and intelligence all fall in line with our core values," head coach
Jason O'Keefe said. "Having 11 home games and hosting the Sun Belt Tournament, there's going to be a lot of opportunities for him to see a handful of games and be a big part of the team."
Jacob and the Mountaineers were brought together by Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit foundation that connects children with chronic illnesses to local college athletic teams, which forms life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes with everyone involved. Team IMPACT's mission is to improve the youth's quality of life by growing and cultivating lively team-based support networks. Jacob was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth.
The Todd, N.C. native, has been connecting and spending time with his new teammates and coaches in preparation for this coming season. He's been able to share his love for athletics and positive attitude with his teammates, and getting to know the Mountaineers by sharing his unwavering spirit. Jacob and his family enjoyed dinner with his new coaches and teammates following the ceremony.
For more information about Team IMPACT and how to support its work, click
here.
