GLENSIDE - Arcadia University women's soccer rising juniors Bella Vallone and Julia Ostroff, and field hockey rising junior Ava O'Connor traveled to the 2026 Team IMPACT Fellowship Summit last month in Boston.

Team IMPACT matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, creating a long-term, life-changing experience for everyone involved.  Currently, seven Belmont teams are connected to a Team Impact athlete. 

The Summit is Team IMPACT's premier annual leadership and professional development experience, bringing together 150 Team IMPACT Fellows (student-athletes) from colleges and universities nationwide.

Through interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and leadership-focused programming, the event helps these athletes understand the organization's mission and helps them communicate that mission to their home campuses and fellow athletes. 

"The Team IMPACT Fellowship Summit was an amazing experience all around," Vallone explained. "We had the opportunity to meet fellows from schools all over the country and hear what they have been doing on their campus to spread Team IMPACTS message. Throughout summit, I gained information on ways we can to bring more awareness to this amazing organization while also learning skills for how to generate new matches for our teams. Summit left me with new ways to improve and build Team IMPACT at Arcadia. Overall, Summit made me take a step back to truly grasp what great things this organization is able to do for these matches, giving children a place where they can just be and belong as a member on a team. It shows just how impactful the little things are in life."

"Attending the Team IMPACT summit was an incredible experience," O'Connor continued. "It gave me the opportunity to connect with others that share the same mission and passion, while learning new ways to build stronger relationships and create meaningful experiences for our match families. I left with new ideas and a stronger sense of purpose that I will bring back to Arcadia. Most importantly, the Team IMPACT summit reminded me of the lasting impact we can have when we lead with teamwork and a commitment to making every child feel like they belong."

"Attending the Team IMPACT Summit was such a meaningful experience for me," said Ostroff  I was able to meet so many passionate people, hear different perspectives, and learn more about how sports can bring people together and make a real impact. I'm excited to use the leadership and communication skills I gained to help create meaningful experiences for others and continue making a positive difference through sports. The summit also reminded me why I'm so passionate about being involved in sports and how much of an impact a strong team and community can have. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an inspiring experience."