Northeastern hockey partners with Team IMPACT which pairs a child with a serious health condition with a college team, helping build a therapeutic relationship.
Mack Welby is in sixth grade and doesn’t like school much.
But hockey? That’s a different story.
“Are you kidding? I love hockey!” Mack cries when asked about the sport. The 12-year-old, Needham, Mass. native, will watch every game he can on his iPad and can name almost every NHL arena.
Despite being in middle school, Mack is also living his dream of being part of a hockey team, as an honorary member of the Northeastern University men’s team through Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that matches college teams with children with serious disabilities or illnesses.
For Mack, who lives with the neurological disorder cerebral palsy, the partnership grants him the chance to be a part of the sport he’s followed since he was four years old. Since signing with the team in September, Mack’s father, Kevin, said his son has ventured out on the ice in his wheelchair with the team and has enjoyed hanging out with them in the locker room.
These partnerships also build relationships between the child, their family and the team, said Emma Simches, associate director of medical and community outreach for Team IMPACT. The child and their family attend games and practices and spend time with the team in the locker room. Their college teammates might also meet up with them outside the arena for additional bonding activities.
The common thread, Simches said, is that these partnerships help the children build confidence. Many of the Team IMPACT kids often miss school or struggle to connect with peers because of their diagnosis. Team IMPACT “understands the power of a team” to fill that gap and help children build resilience and feel empowered, Simches said.
“It’s the little things that go a long way, like engaging with them in conversation, giving them leadership roles and making them feel like they’re one of the girls or guys,” Simches added.
Northeastern currently has four Team IMPACT matches, Simches said, two of whom have been matched with NU’s hockey teams. In addition to Mack, Ella Tapp, 16, of Woburn, Mass. was matched with the women’s hockey team last spring.
Ella lives with Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards Syndrome, a genetic condition that causes physical impairments and cognitive delays. Her mother, Nicol, said her daughter not only goes to games and practices, but also joins the team in the locker room where she’s taught them the “Elly celly” (a special dance to celebrate a goal by skating fast into a lunge and waving your hands in the air).
Hockey fans may have already spotted Mack and Ella at the recent Beanpot Tournament cheering on their teams from a special suite with other Team IMPACT kids. They will likely see Ella again as the women’s team proceeds into the Hockey East championship this weekend.
Ella is not only a big hockey fan, but also a skater, which allows her to join the team on the ice during practices, her mother added.
Mia Langlois, a 21-year-old senior psychology major and forward left winger for the women’s hockey team, said Ella leads a team cheer between periods to keep up morale during games and gives them fist bumps and pep talks before they re-enter the rink.
“Ella loves us,” Langlois said. “We love her right back. We always feel the support from her and her family. Knowing that we have that support and love is a little extra special something we’ve carried with us since we’ve signed Ella. She feels so safe with us and I think that can help her grow and be a better version of herself.”
Each of the 26 members on the team have their own special relationship with Ella, Langlois added, to the point where they are all like her “older sisters.”
Nicol Tapp said the team has also attended her daughter’s figure skating shows and they have all been rock climbing together. They also have a text chain where they keep in touch.
“It’s really helped Ella’s communication skills grow,” she added.
Northeastern has had 17 Team IMPACT matches across different sports teams, Simches said. Each one is designed to last two years, but many teams keep in touch with their child after the partnership ends.
Before Mack, the men’s team partnered with then-8-year old from Boston named Simon Valencia-Devin, who was born with end-stage renal failure. He would also attend games and be in the tunnel hyping players up before hitting the ice. When the team won the Beanpot in years past, Team IMPACT was part of the moment; In 2023, for instance, players carried Simon out to the ice to celebrate, trophy in hand in what one player described as a “surreal” moment.
“Honestly, it’s probably one of the coolest things I’ve seen at Northeastern,” said Vinny Borgesi, a 21-year-old senior business major and one of the captains of the men’s hockey team. “For the kids, it’s a lot of fun. They’re in different scenarios in their life, but when they’re around us, it’s all positive. It helps us put a smile on our face and put things in perspective.”
Erin Kayata is a Northeastern Global News reporter. Email her at e.kayata@northeastern.edu. Follow her on X/Twitter @erin_kayata.
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