Local 10-year-old Phoenix Scott is the newest Brooklyn Campus softball team member.
The fifth-grader, who has been diagnosed with Leukemia, connected with the program through Team IMPACT and signed her National Letter of Intent at a press conference in The Hill Center on Monday, March 6.
“Phoenix is an honorary member of the team, which means she’s involved in many of our team functions and events,” said senior captain Emily Burroughs. “She even has her own locker in our locker room and her own jersey.”
Team IMPACT is a non-profit organization that provides support for children with serious illnesses or disabilities by pairing them with collegiate sports teams. The group has matched more than 2,300 children with over 700 institutions since its inception in 2011.
The Brooklyn Campus men’s basketball team worked with Team IMPACT during the 2021-22 academic year.
“We realize this is much bigger than softball”
Phoenix is living with two forms of Leukemia: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). But according to Burroughs, you’d never guess she was ill.
“If you didn’t know she had these diagnoses, you could never tell,” Burroughs said. “She really is a ball of energy; she loves cracking jokes, talking about movies and telling stories about all of her travels.
“The girls have done such a good job of making her and her family feel included and involved in team events,” she added. “They’ve also done a great job ensuring the environment is safe and comfortable for her.”
Though the partnership’s main goal is to provide Phoenix with crucial support during a challenging time in her life, the experience has inspired the team.
“Getting to know Phoenix has broadened our team’s worldview, collectively and individually,” Burroughs said. “We realize this is much bigger than softball – both for us and her.
“We’re learning to appreciate the little things in each team gathering while providing support for Pheonix. Honestly, she’s teaching us far more than we’ll ever be able to teach her.”
